Collection of the Harmas Jean-Henri Fabre
The Harmas Jean-Henri Fabre conserves the collection compiled by Jean-Henri Fabre, a passionate naturalist.
Attention
Following a serious cyberattack on our servers, some of our websites are currently unavailable for an indefinite period. Our teams are working flat out to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Our collection databases remain available for consultation.
Natural History Collections
- The Museum’s collections portal is once again accessible. Last updated: 01/04/2026
Documentary Collections
- Catalogue of archives, manuscripts, iconographic documents, works of art and Calames collection items
- Printed Works Catalogue
For any requests regarding access to the MNHN’s collections (loans, sampling, images, visits), please refer to the procedure outlined on the page for the collection relevant to your request.
Jean-Henri Fabre was a great scholar born in 1823 (he died in 1915). He is notably famous for his observations of insects and plants and lived in this house for 36 years. He bought the property in 1879. It is a country farmhouse surrounded by a hectare of garden (2.5 acres) and it soon became his “open-air laboratory”.
Visitors can admire his precious collections - shells, fossils, minerals, herbariums, watercolours, books, prints and manuscripts - and some of his movable heritage. A chance to immerse oneself in the natural sciences of the 19th century.
1,300 collection pieces are held at the Harmas.
The Muséum made an inventory of and computerised 82 dried plant bundles compiled by Jean-Henri Fabre, grouping together a total of 14,000 specimens. It has been actively renovating the Harmas de Fabre since 2000, and has also restored the 600 watercolours of mushrooms painted by the former owner. Around 800 plants belonging to some 500 species have been identified and recorded in the Muséum’s database.