National Museum of Natural
History (Musée National D'Histoire Naturelle)

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

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