The palace in which the National Museum of Natural History is situated, was built in the 18th century under the role of Master Manoel de Vilhena. During the cholera-epidemy in 1837 it was used as a sanatory for ill people, in 1860 as a military hospital for british soldiers and in the early 20th century it functioned as a hospital for tuberculosis patients. Nowadays the palace houses a museum with more than 10.000 stones and minerals, countless birds, mammals, marine animals, insects and much else. It even hosts the largest squid taken from the Maltese waters – an impressive creature!
If you are interested in Malta's flora and fauna, as well as it's geological and paleontological history, you shouldn't miss this museum!
http://fullofcharacter.com/index.php/en/national-museum-of-natural-history#sigProId23562fca00
Opening hours are daily between 9am and 5pm and the entrance fee is 5 Euro (discounts for children, students and seniors available).