Stories
Jardin des Plantes and the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
Le Jardin des Plantes & Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
(Botanical Garden and the National Museum of Natural History)
While not on a well-beaten tourist path, the trip will be well worth the visit. Once the Royal Garden of Medicine and renamed le Jardin des Plantes during the French Revolution.
This is an expansive venue with building and exhibition upon building and exhibition added on through time; there's much to be seen here, and if you don't make it your first time to Paris, do try to make it on your second visit.
The gallery of mineralogy and geology hosts massive-taller-than-human-sized mineral rocks inside a geode-type entrance. There's the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution, and the Galerie de Zoologie, that has a virtual frozen-parade of life-size model elephants, giraffes and other animals (grouped by such habitats as African, Polar region, etc.), which line the ground floor of this fantastic museum, and where balcony upon balcony of other life-size animals look down from above. Not to be missed is the Noah's Ark procession with its skinless Noah and only the bones of the animals. Also enjoy the Galeries de Paléontologie et d'Anatomie comparée, the Ménagerie, and the Musée de l'Homme.
The garden and zoo are generous in size and variety of animals and fauna. One upside of not being on the tourist path is that there aren't tons of tourists! You'll have the place to yourself amidst the French.
What To Visit:
The Jardin des Plantes
The Grande Galerie de l'Evolution
The Galeries de Paléontologie et d'Anatomie compare
The Galerie de Minéralogie et de Géologie
The Ménagerie
The Musée de l'Homme
The Paris zoo
rue Cuvier, rue Buffon, rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, place Valhubert, Paris 5th
Tél: 01 4079 5601
Métro: Austerlitz, Censier Daubenton, Jussieu
Bus: 24, 57, 61, 63, 67, 89, 91 - Batobus : Le Jardin des Plantes
Vélib: 5035-1 rue Buffon; 5104-47 rue Buffon; 5031-2 rue Lacepede
2011 hours: Daily 10am-5pm, 10am-6pm summer months. Closed Tue.
2011 admission: each area has its own admission fee, but with a reduced fee if you show your ticket from the previous area.
Amenities: reception desk, first aid, carousel and small train and games and playgrounds for children, picnic tables, souvenir shops, bookshops, restaurant, rest rooms.
