In 1877 Sir Thomas Moncreiffe, 7th Baronet, a first class cricketer and President of PSNS, proposed building a museum and meeting rooms. Four years later, the Moncreiffe Memorial Natural History Museum, named after the late PSNS President, was opened.
The museum was educational, and crowds flocked to the opening event. There were upwards of 7,000 visitors in its first nine months.