Gunma Museum of Natural History

Animated dinosaur and excavation site highlights of this history museum

The animated dinosaur is one of the highlights of this popular natural history museum in the city of Tomioka. It is relatively near to the more famous silk mills which are a UNESCO world heritage centre. At the museum all the information, at each exhibit, is in Japanese, except the name of the exhibit which is also written in English. The exhibits are very visual so you can get by without reading Japanese. However, the information provided is very interesting and educational. Same with the interactive media - Japanese only. I can read Japanese so I didn't ask, but it maybe worth asking at the reception if they have an English brochure. Parking is a disaster on a busy day. No parking attendents directing the flow. Elevator is concealed - you have to ask to be brought to it from the lower floor. Its visible and accessible from the upper floor. The museum is good value for money. Kids are free in. My kids enjoyed it and learned a lot. It is a good rainy day location. It gets excellent reviews on Google, but we've been to many museums in Japan and I found it to be just average.