Heritage Malta will be opening the National Museum of Natural History free of charge on Sunday.

The museum is situated in Mdina in an 18th century palace, built by Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena. In the early 20th century the palace was converted into a hospital until it was closed down in 1956.

Following extensive restoration, the National Museum of Natural History was inaugurated in June 1973. The main responsibility of the museum is the acquisition, collection, conservation and study of natural history specimens, especially those originating from the Maltese Islands.

The current display areas in the museum cover various topics such as Maltese geology and palaeontology (fossils), small island habitats, marina fauna, insects, shells and birds, and other topics like human evolution.

On Sunday, it will open between 9am and 5pm, last admission at 4.30pm. Guided tours will be available at 10am, 1pm and 3pm.