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Grande Galerie de l'Évolution: Skip The Line Ticket
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If you like museums and animals, the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution in Paris is an absolute must to include in your programme of visits to the capital.
Housed in a beautiful chateau in the Jardin des Plantes in the 5th arrondissement, this fabulous museum traces the evolution of species through incredible exhibitions. The Great Gallery of Evolution, part of the National Museum of Natural History, will take you back millions of years to help you better understand the history of the living world.
This magnificent building, which once housed the Zoology Gallery, now contains valuable collections and a play area for young visitors, the Children’s Gallery.
In the beautiful setting of the Jardin des Plantes, the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution is a huge hall surrounded by three balconies, lit by a 1,000 m² glass roof: it houses 7,000 specimens from the terrestrial and aquatic world. Ideal for children and curious adults, it offers an exciting and emotionally charged experience.
The Grande Galerie de l’Evolution will take you on a fascinating terrestrial and underwater journey to discover specimens that are as surprising as they are impressive: southern whale, giant squid, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, hyena, lion, cheetah, tapir, anaconda, sloth, dromedary, gazelle, polar bear, seal.
There are also areas dedicated to the studies of famous naturalists such as Lamarck and Darwin, to provide an understanding of the evolution of nature and biodiversity.
On the ground floor you will enter the world of silence and discover underwater life, in a blue and welcoming environment evoking the atmosphere of the deep.
Like a diver, the visitor traverses the different marine environments existing on the planet, where marine animals seem to evolve around him: schools of fish, large marine mammals, giants of the seas and incredible species take you through seas and oceans:
The emblematic animals of the 4 corners of the world await visitors with an absolutely stunning display that gives the visitor the impression of capturing a scene of animal life.
You can admire:
Also discover the taxidermy area to learn about embalming techniques and the history of the specimens in the museum.
Learn about human activities that modify the environment and influence the evolution of species. Indeed, to feed, move, stay, entertain, man transforms the natural environments that are home to the plant world and animal species:
Of particular interest is the hall of threatened and extinct species, which presents rare specimens of endangered or extinct plants and animals such as the quagga, the Seychelles giant tortoise or the Mauritius dodo.
No natural history could have existed without scientific research, discoveries and theories. Here you will trace the thread of the history of the great discoveries in biology, anatomy and genetics that have made it possible to understand life and to classify and link species.
You will discover:
This is a 530 m2 space created for children aged 6 to 12 and families. Interactive games and workshops await you here to discover species from around the world and their natural environment and to understand the importance of biodiversity.
Virtual magnifying glasses, interactive screens and handling aids await curious little ones around 4 themes.
This is the first virtual reality room in a museum in France, suitable for 12 years old and up. Your children will be able to enjoy fascinating experiences to discover the evolution of species and underwater life like real explorers.
Present are:
The museum is open daily from 26 March to 30 September from 07.30 to 20.00, from 1 to 28 October from 08.00 to 18.30 and from 29 October to 29 February from 08.00 to 17.30.
The National Museum of Natural History is a very varied entity: it is a combined complex with the Jardin des Plantes, the Museum of Man and the Zoological Park of Paris.
In the 17th century, Louis XIII was convinced by a doctor of the need to create a ‘garden of medicinal plants’ in Paris. The project was realised and the garden was opened in 1640. The château located nearby was used at the time to manage the garden and to store the first collections. Later, the building was converted into the Natural History Museum, with the opening of the Zoology Gallery in 1889.
After severe damage to its huge glass roof, the building was closed to the public in 1966 and the collections were repaired.
In 1988, architects Borja Huidobro and Paul Chemetov and stage designer René Allio were chosen to transform the building and design a modern museum from the point of view of the evolution of species. In 1994, the Grande Galerie de l’Evolution reopened its doors and revealed the diversity of species in their natural environment through a strikingly realistic staging, accessible to all and interactive for children.
A total of 6000 m² of multi-level exhibition space to understand the evolution of life and learn how to protect biodiversity.
The Grande Galerie de l’Évolution is located in the 5th arrondissement and is easily reached by public transport: you can take the metro, line 5, station Gare d’Austerlitz, line 7, station Jussieu or Place Monge or Censier Daubenton, line 10, station Jussieu or Gare d’Austerlitz.
Alternatively, you can take the RER C, Gare d’Austerlitz station or the many buses that pass through the area, lines 24, 57, 61, 63, 67, 89, 91.
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.
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