This large, completely revamped park was founded in 1838 by the Natura Artis Magistra Society ("nature is the mistress of the arts"), after which it is named. The zoo is home to hundreds of species of animals, and the aquarium is dedicated to life in Amsterdam's canals. The Planetarium offers an exploration of the skies while the unique Micropia museum (separate to the zoo) plunges visitors into the unfathomable and fascinating world of microbes.