FAQ
Do you have any questions about the French Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle? Before contacting us, you might find it helpful to look at our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
- The institution
- Opening times and days
- Tickets & prices
- Directions, services and visitor rules
- Site accessibility
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What is the French Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle?
The French Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle is a scientific, cultural and professional public institution. It operates under the dual supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy.
The Muséum extends across 12 sites throughout France, including the Jardin des Plantes, the Parc Zoologique de Paris and the Musée de l’Homme in Paris.
At the crossroads between earth, life and human science, the Muséum’s role is carried out through five key missions:
- conservation and the expansion of its collections
- research
- higher education
- expertise
- the dissemination of scientific knowledge
To find out more about the Muséum (its history, its missions, its sites, etc.) and look at its activity reports, please look under the "About the Muséum" heading.
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What are the Muséum’s sites?
The Muséum extends across 12 sites throughout France, including the Jardin des Plantes, the Parc Zoologique de Paris and the Musée de l’Homme in Paris.
Within the Jardin des Plantes, there are 8 sites open to the visiting public: the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution, the Galerie des Enfants, the Galeries d’Anatomie comparée et de Paléontologie, the Galerie de Géologie et de Minéralogie, the Galerie de Botanique, the Cabinet d’Histoire du Jardin des Plantes, the Grandes Serres du Jardin des Plantes and the Ménagerie (the historic zoo at the Jardin des Plantes).
There are also two sites providing the venues for a free cultural programme: the Grand Amphithéâtre du Muséum and the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution Auditorium. For further details, please check the programme (in French only).
If you would like to find out more about the Muséum (its history, its missions, its sites, etc.) and look at its activity reports, please look under the "About the Muséum" heading.
- Jardin des Plantes (Garden of Plants)
- Grande Galerie de l’Évolution (Gallery of Evolution)
- Galerie des Enfants (Children’s Gallery)
- Galerie de Minéralogie et de Géologie (Mineralogy and Geology Gallery)
- Galerie de Paléontologie et d’Anatomie comparée (Paleontology and comparative Anatomy Gallery)
- Cabinet d’Histoire du Jardin des Plantes (Muséum History Gallery)
- Galerie de Botanique (Botanical Gallery)
- Grandes Serres du Jardin des Plantes (Greenhouses)
- Ménagerie, the zoo of the Jardin des Plantes
- Musée de l’Homme (Museum of Mankind)
- Parc Zoologique de Paris (Zoological Park of Paris)
- Arboretum de Chèvreloup
- Marinarium de Concarneau
- Réserve Zoologique de la Haute-Touche (Haute-Touche Animal Reserve)
- Abri Pataud (Pataud shelter)
- Harmas Jean-Henri Fabre (Jean-Henri Fabre Muséum)
- Jardin alpin La Jaÿsinia ("La Jaÿsinia" alpine garden)
- Jardin botanique exotique de Menton (Exotic botanical garden)
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What are the venue hire charges?
The Muséum regularly hires out some of its spaces for private functions (Grande Galerie de l’Évolution, Grand Amphithéâtre du Muséum, Jardin des Plantes, etc.).
For further details and hire charges, please look under the "Venue hire" heading.
If you are a professional and wish to organise a function at one of our sites, you can estimate the amount of your hire charges and request a quote online.
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Would you like to apply for a job at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle?
The Muséum regularly recruits employees (by transfer, secondment, etc.) and contract workers (fixed-term contract, holidays).
Please look under the "Recruitment" heading for details of competitive entry exams and job vacancies.
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How make a loan request and consultation of the collections?
The Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle’s collections may be loaned for research and exhibitions. All loan requests must be made via the Colhelper internet platform. You will need to create an account for this.
To find out the borrowing procedures and conditions, as well as all the information you need to make a request, please look at the specific page Loan requests and consultation of the collections.
