Presidential Tour of London with Sonia Winner, President & CEO of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
October 9th - 15th, 2025
Enjoy an exclusive trip to London with the Cleveland Museum of Natural History as your guide!
Sonia Winner, the Museum’s President & CEO, invites you to join her on an unforgettable tour of London—including private and behind-the-scenes museum tours, an insider’s view of Windsor Castle, a visit to Stonehenge, a West End show, a day of outdoor exploration, and a quintessential high tea. Even if you’re not a first-time visitor, you’ll experience the city’s wonder and sophistication through a fresh lens with the Museum.
The Global Exec (TGE) is the Museum’s travel partner for this trip.
A rundown of the trip
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London has deep and enduring connections to natural history. These connections are woven throughout the city’s museums, scientific institutions, colonial history, and role in the development of modern science:
The Natural History Museum opened in 1881 and houses more than 80 million specimens. These specimens have played a major part in scientific research, especially in work related to biodiversity, taxonomy, and climate change. (We will visit the museum.)
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a global leader in plant science and conservation; it contains the largest and most diverse botanical collection in the world. (We will visit the gardens.)
London is home to the Royal Society, founded in 1660—the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.
The Linnean Society, based in Burlington House, is the venue where Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace first presented the theory of evolution.
The Geological Society of London, the oldest geological society in the world, has been pivotal in the study of Earth’s history.
As the capital of the British Empire, London became the global repository for specimens gathered in its colonies in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania. Museums in today’s London are contending with this past.
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This Museum-led London trip will feature diverse activities unique to London and the southern U.K. During this trip, you will:
Enjoy private and behind-the-scenes tours at the Natural History Museum of London, the British Museum, and the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology.
Take a tour of the House of Parliament with a House of Commons representative.
Get an insider’s view of Windsor Castle.
Visit Stonehenge—the standing stones of ancient Britain.
Explore the beautiful flora and landscapes of Kew Gardens and Richmond Park.
See a world-class West End theatrical performance.
Experience a quintessential high tea.
Gain insight at every location from knowledgeable guides and Museum expert Dr. Meghan Strong.
What's included?
Accommodations, exclusive experiences, and on-the-ground logistics are all included. TGE and the Museum team will be with you every step of the journey. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll enjoy when you purchase your spot for this exclusive trip:
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Five-star accommodations
Group dinners
All private transportation during the tour
Exclusive tours and visits to museums and historical sites
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Enjoy private and behind-the-scenes tours at the Natural History Museum of London, the British Museum, and the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology.
Take a tour of the House of Parliament with a House of Commons representative.
Get an insider’s view of Windsor Castle.
Visit Stonehenge—the standing stones of ancient Britain.
Explore the beautiful flora and landscapes of Kew Gardens and Richmond Park.
See a world-class West End theatrical performance.
Experience a quintessential high tea.
Gain insight from knowledgeable guides and Museum expert Dr. Meghan Strong.
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A trained, professional team of travel partners
Expert guides at each site or venue
Team from the Museum to guide you each step of the way
24/7 assistance
The Travel Zone app just for this trip
Practical Details:
Cost per person (double occupancy): $8,200
Cost of a single supplement: $X,XXX
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Daily breakfast at the hotel
All meals, except for one lunch and one dinner, per itinerary
Transportation to all sites on the itinerary
Dedicated guide for the entirety of the trip, with local experts at each site
Insider visits to iconic museums, cultural sites, and historic venues
Sonia Winner, Dr. Meghan Strong, and Museum team members will be with you throughout the trip
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International airfare to London. TGE can help with booking your flights (use button below), or you are welcome to arrange your own flights on your preferred airline.
Meals on your own (one lunch and one dinner)
Gratuities for tour guides
Meet the Museum team
Sonia M. Winner
President & CEO
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
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Sonia Winner became the 10th director of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in July 2018. In this role, she partners with a nearly 60-person Board of Directors and nearly 140 staff members to advance the mission of the Museum—an institution with $282 million in assets. For more than 100 years, the Museum has inspired a passion for science and nature in its visitors. It ranks among the top 10 natural history museums in the United States in terms of endowment, size of collection, and attendance. Through the Museum’s $150 million transformation project, Winner is spearheading a complete reimagining of the Museum’s campus and exhibits, creating an innovative model for natural history museums worldwide.
Prior to her appointment as CEO, Winner served in leadership roles at Columbia University from 2011–2016, culminating in a promotion to Vice President for University Development. Winner came to Columbia from Case Western Reserve University, where she spent more than a decade serving in associate dean roles at the Weatherhead School of Management and the Law School. Before entering the development field, Winner spent many years in law career services and served as a clinical law professor.
In 2024, Winner received the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Neighborhood Award, which honors significant contributions to the University Circle and Greater University Circle Neighborhoods, and was selected for Cleveland Leadership Center’s Leadership Cleveland Class of 2025. She was also named one of Crain’s Cleveland Business’ Women of Note and included in Cleveland Magazine’s Cleveland 500 list. In 2023, Winner was named Cleveland Magazine’s Community Leader of the Year and was chosen as a Cleveland Business Journal Women of Influence honoree. Winner also served as Co-Chair on The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Reaccreditation Committee for the American Museum of Natural History. She currently serves as Vice Chair on the Board of Visitors Committee for Cleveland State University, chaired the Young Lawyers Section of the Bar Association, and is a past president of the Law Placement Association of Cleveland. Winner was born at Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga, Philippines and is married to Kevin F. O’Neill, a First Amendment scholar and professor.
Meghan Strong, Ph.D.
Director of Collections
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
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Dr. Meghan Strong is an archaeologist and art historian who specializes in sensory archaeology, performance, and perception within ancient Egypt. She has lived and conducted fieldwork throughout Egypt and Sudan for more than a decade, including as part of her doctoral research at the University of Cambridge, and worked on projects at the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Luxor and Cairo. She is the author of Sacred Flames: The Power of Artificial Light in Ancient Egypt and a co-editor of After Dark: The Nocturnal Urban Landscape and Lightscape of Ancient Cities. As Director of Collections at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Dr. Strong manages the Museum's collections and collections specialists. She has worked on cultural-heritage projects in the U.S., England, and Africa, focusing on collections care, curation, and materials science.
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is pleased to offer this invitation to its valued Leadership Circle donors at the Discoverer’s Circle level.
If you are interested in joining the Leadership Circle, please contact the Museum’s Philanthropy Department at 216.231.4600 x3360.
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