Behind the historic Courts of Justice, in one of the narrow alleys of the Citadel, is the Gozo Nature Museum. This museum focuses on the natural history of the island, its natural resources, and their use by the island’s inhabitants.
The museum is housed in three interconnected houses dating back to the early seventeenth century. The building served as an inn in the eighteenth century and, during WWII, as a shelter for families seeking refuge from aerial bombing.
The ground floor displays cover geology, minerals, human and animal evolution, and marine life, with particular reference to the island of Gozo. Don’t miss the small specimen of moon rock (accompanied by a small Maltese flag) brought from the moon’s surface by the crew of Apollo 11 and donated to the Maltese people by President Nixon.
The upper floor is dedicated to the insects, plants, and ecosystems of the Maltese Islands, particularly Gozo. There is a small but impressive collection of exotic and local insects, butterflies, and moths. Among the plants, look out for the ‘Malta Fungus,’ highly prized by the Knights of St. John for its medicinal properties. It was once thought to grow only on ‘Fungus Rock’ in Dwejra.
A small garden at the back of the museum is dedicated to garigue flora and indigenous plants, including the national plant, the Maltese Rock Centaury.
More information here: Gozo Nature Museum