The National Museum of Natural Sciences of Spain was established in 1772 by Carlos III in the building designed by Villanueva and currently occupied by the Museo del Prado (Madrid). Then called Royal Cabinet of Natural History, and largely stemmed from the donation of a Spanish merchant, a native of Guayaquil, Pedro Franco Dávila, his major collection and library. In 1815 was renamed the Royal Museum of Natural Sciences, settled since 1887 in what was then the Palace of Industry and Fine Arts (which had been designed to host exhibitions and conferences). Since 1913 has the current name.

The museum has changed over time the various vicissitudes of Spanish history, the worst episode was the Civil War, because since 1936, when it closes, suffers a crisis that does not recover until its restructuring in 1987.
Belonging to the CSIC, has more than 300 people working in research work, exposure and guidance. Indoors, the museum focuses on research, description and conservation of biological and geological diversity around the world, which has five specialist departments:
-Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology
-Evolutionary Ecology
-Paleobiology
-Volcanology
-Geology
Also includes a Service of Documentation, Library and Archive, a media library and a series of educational workshops.
Besides research, its main function is to face the public disclosure of the natural sciences and the development of educational aspects, through publications and exhibitions, both at its headquarters in Madrid, as in other geographical locations Spanish through exhibitions.
The permanent exhibitions are grouped into three main sections, one devoted to natural history (which shows various aspects of biological evolution, including humans and the current relationship between human beings and their environment), another section is devoted to Mediterranean Sea (including both biological, or ecological, and cultural) and a section where they meet most emblematic historical parts of the museum, so called "Royal Cabinet of Natural History." The total preserved specimens (including invertebrates, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, paleontology, etc..) Exceeds six million specimens.
Among its funds include some historical examples such as the megatherium (arrived in Madrid from Argentina in 1789), the Diplodocus (dinosaur replica gift from the Carnegie American millionaire King Alfonso XIII) 1 or the magnificent bird and mammal dioramas prepared by brothers Benedito, taxidermist of the Museum during the first decades of the twentieth century.