Rembrandt, Rubens and Albrecht Dürer meet dinosaurs, fish and the sophisticated ancient civilisations of Latin America: the Lower Saxony State Museum (Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum Hannover) is the largest and most-visited museum in the federal state. It is divided into five collections – the State Art Gallery, the departments of natural history (with its vivarium), archaeology and ethnology, and the coin cabinet – which captivate hordes of visitors every year.
On an exhibition area around 6500 square metres in size, model dinosaurs are displayed alongside aquaria with more than 2000 indigenous and exotic fish, amphibians and reptiles. The department of prehistory traces at least 200,000 years of human history. In the ethnology section, 14,000 exhibits from all over the world can be admired, with the thematic focus on the ancient cultures of Peru and Mexico.