The Slovenian Museum of Natural History[1] (Slovene: Prirodoslovni muzej Slovenije) is a Slovenian national museum with natural history, scientific, and educational contents. It is the oldest cultural and scientific Slovenian institution stemming from the Carniolian Museum founded in 1821. A museum with national, European, and world wide collections demonstrating the changes in biodiversity, the development of Natural History thought, as well as different techniques of collection and preparation of samples. Its research activities focus on natural heritage of Slovenia.
It is located in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It is situated in the Center district of the city near the Tivoli Park, Parliament and Opera House, sharing the building with National Museum of Slovenia.
The museum was founded in 1821 as the "Estate Museum of Carniola" (German: Krainisch Ständisches Museum). Five years later, the Austrian Emperor Francis II decided to personally sponsor the museum and ordered its renaming to "Provincial Museum of Carniola". In 1882, the museum was renamed to "Provincial Museum of Carniola - Rudolfinium" in honour of the Crown Prince Rudolph.
After the establishment of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, the name was changed to "National Museum". In 1944, it was divided in the National Museum of Slovenia and the Slovenian Museum of Natural History (then known as the Museum of Natural Sciences).