The Grande Galerie de l'Evolution, the immense museum dedicated to animals from all over the world, in Paris

If you've ever taken a stroll through the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, you'll no doubt have spotted the grand old buildings that stand along the way: this is the Museum of Natural History, of which the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution is a part.

Inaugurated in 1994, the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution is one of the highlights of the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris, which also includes the Galerie de paléontologie et d'anatomie comparée, the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes, the Galerie de Géologie et de Minéralogie, the Grandes Serres du Jardin des Plantes, the Musée de l'Homme and the Vincennes Zoo, as well as other sites in the French regions. An unusual place, the Galerie de l'Évolution takes you to the four corners of the world, on land and in the waters of our planet, in an immersive space for all ages to discover!

On the first floor, plunge into the seas and oceans of our planet and discover large marine mammals, big fish, crustaceans and lobsters. On the second floor, you're now on dry land, where you'll come face to face with small and large land animals from every continent on Earth: from lions to elephants (in the beautifully named African Caravan), gazelles, antelopes, zebras, polar bears, tapirs... It's an opportunity to observe these animals up close, even more so than at the zoo!

On the upper floors, the Gallery explains the diversity of species, the theories of evolution, the laws of genetics... And the role and impact of mankind on biodiversity and animals. One room is dedicated to extinct or endangered animal species: it's here that we discover species such as the giant panda, the dodo, certain species of lions and even birds!

The big plus of the Galerie de l'Évolution - in addition to the truly brilliant collections - is thesound and light ambiance of the place, which reproduces that ofa day on the savannah, from dawn to dusk.

The Galerie is open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Tuesdays. Admission is €13 full price, €10 reduced, and under-26s are free! The Gallery is accessible to people with reduced mobility, but due to elevator maintenance, the Grande Galerie floors are inaccessible (before your visit, we recommend you call the museum to check on accessibility).

You can get to the museum by metro: line 5 (Gare d'Austerlitz stop), line 7 (Censier Daubenton stop), line 10 (Jussieu or Gare d'Austerlitz stop) or RER C (Gare d'Austerlitz stop).

The Grande Galerie de l'Evolution, the immense museum dedicated to animals from all over the world, in Paris

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