Explore the History of the Planet With David Attenborough at This New Immersive Experience in London
“Our Story With David Attenborough” at the Natural History Museum is a 50-minute program that explores humankind’s role in the planet’s ongoing story
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Fans of David Attenborough are accustomed to viewing the famed English broadcaster’s nature documentaries in two dimensions—often, on the television screens in their living rooms. Now, they have a chance to experience Attenborough’s soothing voice and awe-inspiring adventures in three dimensions thanks to an immersive new exhibition at London’s Natural History Museum.
Called “Our Story With David Attenborough,” the 50-minute program explores the history of Earth and humankind’s role in the planet’s ongoing story.
Real-world footage and animations bring the museum’s Jerwood Gallery to life, with help from five interconnected screens and 24 projectors. Meanwhile, 50 speakers fill the room with Attenborough’s skillful narration, sounds from the natural world and original music by the composer Nick Powell. Up to 100 viewers can enjoy the experience at a time, sitting on benches scattered throughout the gallery.
The experience was created by Open Planet Studios, which produces science and nature films for the BBC, PBS, National Geographic and Netflix. The company worked on Ocean With David Attenborough and David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet, as well as the video of Attenborough’s speech on the opening day of the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in 2021.
“Being surrounded by things is the way we perceive the world—it feels more real, more tangible, more visceral,” says Jonnie Hughes, co-founder and director of Open Planet Studios, to BBC Wildlife Magazine’s Sarah McPherson. “Having a shared audience experience is very human and engages you in a different way than if you were on your sofa.”
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“Our Story With David Attenborough” explores Earth’s four-billion-year saga, starting from its earliest beginnings and continuing on to the relatively recent period of human habitation.
The experience starts in space, taking visitors on a journey through constellations, supernovas and, eventually, the planets of the solar system. “Sitting on big blocks amid the 360-degree projections, it feels like being in a spaceship, the Natural History Museum’s walls our panoramic windows to the great beyond outside,” writes Olivia Emily for Country & Town House.
As time marches forward, life begins to evolve. Visitors find themselves swimming with whales in the vast ocean, meeting mountain gorillas in Uganda, running with cheetahs on the African savannah and touring the tiny world of fungi.
In another scene, museumgoers are transported to the moon inside the Apollo 11 spacecraft, getting the same view of Earth the pioneering NASA astronauts had more than 50 years ago.
The storyline is broad and easy to follow, designed for audience members of all ages (though dinosaurs—which are a hit with most kids—are notably absent). Creators intentionally made the narrative “very lofty, very grand” to work in harmony with the barrage of sights and sounds, Hughes tells BBC Wildlife Magazine.
“There’s lots going on with the space, sound and vision,” he adds.
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The experience does acknowledge the destructive impact humans have had on the planet. But the creators took care to end on “a message of hope and reassurance,” writes Ben Dowell for the London Times.
“It is the human genius for problem-solving that will … hold the key to combating the climate emergency,” the publication adds.
Hughes echoes that sentiment, adding in a statement that he wanted the immersive experience to help museumgoers understand the “instrumental part they play in this story.” He says he hopes visitors will walk away feeling inspired and hopeful about the planet’s future.
“We’re all faced with constant news feeds and it’s terrifying—we feel out of control, yet planetary science is very advanced,” he tells BBC Wildlife Magazine. “We understand exactly how the Earth works and what’s causing it to be unstable—and how to get it right again. There’s no lack of knowledge, it’s about how we put that knowledge in place. There’s a lot to be excited about.”
“Our Story With David Attenborough” is on view at the Natural History Museum in London through January 18, 2026.
