|
And it was just one year after opening that a menagerie of
different animals taken from fairs and royal domains was then set up as well.
Situated not far from the Bastille in the 5th Arrondissement, the Jardin des Plantes as it
is known, became the botanical garden of Paris.
Now it includes a small zoo plus the palaeontology museum and the natural history museum
and is a fantastic place for all of the family to visit.
There are several different halls within the museum and three different galleries.
The first of these galleries is called the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution, which opened in
1994 after major renovation work and the exhibits portray the evolution of different
species, and the relationship between man and nature.
Many say that the most impressive section of the Museum National d Histoire Naturelle, is
the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution which is dominated by a life sized procession of African
animals, led by elephants as it crosses the ground floor of this museum. And, as you
can no doubt appreciate, numerous tours and school parties are always booking to visit
this incredible place, so it can become rather crowded at times, even though it is such a
large space.
Another of the galleries is called the Galerie de Paléontologie et d'Anatomie
Comparée, where you can get to see things such as dinosaur skeletons, along with the
comparative anatomy hall devoted to the vertebrates.
The third gallery is called the Galerie de Minéralogie et de Géologie and provides some
absolutely fantastic displays of minerals and crystals and a huge exhibition of
meteorites.
There are other halls such as paleobotany hall, which is designed to trace the history of
the plant world and the entomology hall, which is devoted to insects.
Plus the Jardin des Plantes will take the visitor on a walk through the many different
garden areas, such as the rose garden, the iris garden, the alpine garden and the maze,
along with the Botany school section.
The information signs are generally in French although there are some that have been
translated into English.
And whether you are thinking of visiting for the cultural, educational or scientific
aspects, with its spectacular exhibits which retrace the evolution of nature, this well
established museum has something for everyone to enjoy no matter what the age!
The Museum also regularly features visual projections as part of temporary exhibitions on
very diverse subjects, which extend and add a final touch to the permanent exhibitions.
You will also be pleased to know that you are allowed to take photographs and videos but
you must not use any flashes and if you book in advance, you can also arrange specific
guided tours and tours for large groups.
And although this is classified as one museum, technically they are separate as the
different galleries are in separate buildings with different entrances, so below you will
find the details of these.
Address & Contact Details:
Grande Galerie de L'Evolution
Address:
Jardin des Plantes
36 Rue Geoffroy Saint Hilaire
75005
Paris
Telephone: 01 40 79 54 79
Open every day except a Tuesday from 10am to 6pm and this particular part of the museum
also has a boutique, cafe and a restaurant.
Galeries de Paleontologie et d'Anatomie comparee
Address:
Jardin des Plantes
2 Rue Buffon
Paris
France
Telephone: 1 40 79 56 01
Again this is closed on a Tuesday but is open Wednesday through to Monday from 10am to
5pm.
Galerie de Mineralogie et de Geologie
Address:
Jardin des Plantes
36 Rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire
75005
Paris
Telephone: 1 40 79 56 01
Once again it is open every day except a Tuesday from 10am to 5pm
Jardin des Plantes
Address:
Rue Cuvier / Rue Buffon / Rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire
Place Valhubert
Paris
Telephone: 1 40 79 56 01 / 54 79
This has free entry and is open every day from 8am through to 5.30pm
Menagerie du Jardin des Plantes
Address:
Rue Cuvier / Rue Buffon / Rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire
Place Valhubert
Paris
Telephone: 1 40 79 37 94
This is open every day from 9am to 5pm
|
|
