National Taiwan Museum (Natural History / Dinosaur Branch) 國立臺灣博物館古生物館

Historical Background:

The National Taiwan Museum Paleontology Hall, originally opened as the National Taiwan Museum Land Bank Exhibition Hall, is the first branch of the National Taiwan Museum. Located in Taipei’s Zhongzheng District in the former Kangyo Bank building, later part of the headquarters complex of Land Bank of Taiwan, the museum began trial operations on December 26, 2009, and officially opened on January 31, 2010. The historic bank building was renovated and repurposed into a museum space that highlights both natural history and financial history, taking advantage of its high ceilings and original bank features. Exhibits focus on paleontology, displaying fossils such as dinosaurs and dinosaur eggs containing embryos. The building’s design preserves elements of its banking past—such as the central vault, old fixtures, and layered wall restorations—while guiding visitors through a long, gradually ascending exhibition route that combines displays about prehistoric life with the historical story of the bank and its architecture.

Hours:

Closed on Mondays, except National Holidays
Open 9:30 AM to 5 PM

Price:

100 NT per person.
You can buy tickets at a discount on Klook here.  

Where to stay:

We recommend Fullon Hotel, which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). 
We have stayed at and recommend ​Gold Mountain Ranch, which is a horse ranch and glamping destination in Jinshan. ​You can book a night at Gold Mountain Ranch on Klook here.  You can also check out our full blog on the ranch here. 
We have also stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home, which is right in front of Fulong Beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). 

Activities in Taipei:

There are many activities available to enjoy in Taipei, such as kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, SUP / paddle boarding, water biking, and more activities which you can book on Klook here or KKday here. 

How to get there:

By Car/Scooter: The museum is on Nanhai Road behind Taipei Botanical Garden in Taipei. The museum will be on the north side of the road and is hard to miss. There is limited paid parking nearby.
Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or  KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.  
By MRT/Bus: The museum is within walking distance of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall MRT Station. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here.
By Bicycle: 
Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan’s many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here. 
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. 

Map:

Please see below to see:

Our Journey:

I have been to the National Taiwan Museum Dinosaur Museum once. I did not prioritize it above other museums at first, but it is definitely worth visiting. They have really packed a lot of content into a small space. Take your time and enjoy it!

This museum is housed in Taiwan’s historic Land Bank building.

The Land Bank Building is truly beautiful.

View of the ceiling decorations.

View of the entrance to the museum.

After buying tickets, you must enter from the left.

There are also lockers here for your personal belongings.

Here, there is a giant timeline of life on Earth.

It goes on for a very long distance.

And then it ends with the creation of the universe.

Here you can also learn a bit about the Land Bank of Taiwan.

Old coin counting machine, stamp, and safe.

There is a really great display of ancient sea life, really top-notch. I stayed here for a long time.

More ancient shellfish.

More ancient sea fossils.

Ancient sea urchins and other life forms.

Birds and mammals in Taiwan.

Lots of dinosaur skeletons hung from the ceiling.

Brontosaurus, T-Rex, and others.

Ancient sharks and fish.

More ancient fish.

Brontusoraus legs.

Fossilized dinosaur-aged swimming reptiles.

Another extinct sea creature.

Looking straight-on at the Brontosaurus.

View down into the underground.

The birds of Taiwan.

Taiwan leopard cat.

Giant femur on display.

Ancient fossilized forest.

Dinosaur eggs and embryos.

The egg of Gastornis, an ancient bird with a huge egg.

Genetic tree of dinosaurs.

More Taiwan based fossils.

Terrestrial Fossils in Taiwan
In the Late Pleistocene, the world went through several glaciations and interglaciations, during which sea levels repeatedly rose and fell. The Taiwan Strait also emerged and submerged several times, becoming a bridge between Taiwan and mainland Asia more than four times. These terrestrial vertebrates then migrated here. The terrestrial vertebrates in Taiwan can be divided into three major fauna of different time and space backgrounds in the past.

Wide shot of the whole museum.

More fossils on display.

Ancient deer, tigers, and elephants that once roamed Taiwan.

A lot of these fossils get washed in the trench between Taiwan and Penghu and are dug up by fishing vessels.

Another view of the Penghu fossils.

Ancient elephants/mastadons that once roamed Taiwan.

You can also find dolphin and beluga fossils here in the museum.

Side view of the Brontosaurus.

Another dolphin cut-out.

View from the backside of the brontosaurus.

Ancient whale fossils.

Another angle of the museum.

Next, we moved on to the Land Bank exhibit.

The Land Bank helped with Taiwan’s land reforms and development.

There are also some interactive exhibits here.

You can pretend to be a bank teller here.

Mock bank teller’s office.

Ancient calculators.

Old Taiwan dollar banknotes.

Exhibit on the building itself.

Original bolts and nails used in the building.

Building materials used in the building.

Timeline for the Land Bank building.

The original facade used in the building.

Methods and procedures used for the renovation of the Land Bank building.

More old moulding.

Old vents in the building.

Original floor plan.

There is also a central atrium open to the elements.

And there is a small cafe.

There is also a pretty awesome gift shop here.

Here you can find lots of actual fossils for sale.

Shark teeth fossils on display.

More fossils on display.

Aggates on display. You can take them home and break them open.

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You can buy tickets at a discount on Klook here.  

Check out our Taipei Museum Guide here.
Check out our full guide to Taipei here.
Check out our full guide to Taiwan here.