National Museum of Natural
History (Musée National D'Histoire Naturelle)
Musée National D'Histoire Naturelle is recognized as one of the three largest museums of natural history in the world today
The National Museum of Natural History in Paris France was established in 1793 and has a very interesting history that actually predates this. It is said the actual origins of the museum are in the medicinal gardens of King Louis XIII or Jardin royal des plantes medicinales, which were later renamed and modified by King Louis XV to simply Jardin du Roi or the Kings Garden which then enabled the gardens to focus on a broader spectrum of natural plants and later on natural history in general.
From 1739 to 1788 the Royal Garden was run under the direction of Georges-Louis Leclerc, de Buffon who was the leading naturalist of his age, the Royal Gardens survived the French Revolution and was later changed under the Republican Government to the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle. The original aims of the museum were to educate the public and increase the natural collection as much as possible.
There are a number of branches of the museum throughout France but the main one is still in the original location of the Jardin des Plantes, 5th arrondissement of Paris or Metro Place Monge. The museum is recognized as one of the three largest museums of natural history in the world today and is also recognized legally as the National Reference Centre or the Natural World.
The museum's huge collection is estimated to exceed 60 million specimens from a variety of disciplines including geology, botany, palaeontology, zoology and anthropology.
One of the biggest attractions at the museum is the world famous Great Gallery of Evolution which is an enormous, slightly overwhelming space that houses an incredible array of species and specimens from throughout our natural history. These range from dinosaur skeletons and fossils to extinct species of animals and a very detailed look at how these different species including man have evolved over the years. The museum itself has evolved with the times and presents a number of installations with interactive mediums as well.
Nearby attraction: Jardin des Plantes
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: YesMusée National d’Histoire Naturelle Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Address: 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
Phone: 01 40 79 56 01
Official Website: Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle
Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle Reviews
Rated out of 5
One of the most beautiful museums to visit in Paris. It has a lot of wildlife on display. The museum has 4 floors and is phenomenal. If you have kids then you must bring them here. And come between 4-5pm in the evening so that it gets a bit dark and the lighting in the museum keeps changing so it's really beautiful. This museum has a completely different vibe.
Rahul Agarwal - 3 weeks ago
This museum was a amazing surprised!
We were looking for a indoor museum for the kids during our visit to Paris because it was raining and we found this museum online.
We took our kids and we discovered such a fun and interesting place! The museum has a lot of animals and it’s divided between the ocean or sea exhibition and and land animals.
They have beautiful galleries, a nice cafe and our entire family loved it.
The staff is super professional and friendly, they help us out with our luggage because we were in the run (they have lockers) and the experience was super positive.
100% recommended
Antonio Perez Coss - 3 months ago
Interesting and educational museum to explore. The taxidermy animals are well done and the informational plaques give content as you move through different biomes and then place humanity in the larger content of the world and how we interact with life around us. The only thing I would be interested in adding is information on where specific shells came from, although some animals (like the elephant) had this information available. Ground floor has a locker for bags. 1€ that you get back when done. There is also a cafe on the 01 floor with food and coffee.
Emily Tate - 2 months ago
Visited in December, during the week. Although the exhibits were beautiful, they were missing explanations in other languages (at least english should be available, not everyone speaks french). The museum looked kind of old on the inside. Also there were many students drawing the exhibits on the ground floor, which can be annoying when you want to have a look at something and you need to pay attention not to step on someone or something. Tried to leave a review at the exit, but again, menu available only in french :)
Andreea Cristiana - a week ago
Amazing place..
I learnt a lot about our planet .
My 8 year old was very excited to see all the different species. My husband was happy to explain about all the species to her.. It was his 2nd time visit so he knew about it before.., They were so excited 😆 and I was exhausted running behind them ..
I would say worth it for kids..
Rakshitha Megha - 2 months ago
Directions
| Metro / RER Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| M7 or M10 | Jussieu Station | 5 minutes |
| M5 | Quai de la Rapée Station | 5 minutes |
How to get to Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle by Metro / RER
By Metro: Exit Metro M7 or M10 at Jussieu Station and go to your left walking straight south along Rue Linne to the entrance via the gate at the southeast corner or exit Metro M5 at Quai de la Rapée Station and go to your right throught the plaza and right again across Pont d'Austerlistz (Bridge) to the entrance gate on the far side of the traffic circle and make your way through the gardens to the entrance.
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Photo Gallery
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Entomology showcase inside Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle cc licensed photo by girolame -
Photo Credit: Paul Keller - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: So_P - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: So_P - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: So_P - cc license via Flickr
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