Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature
Private museum housed in two mansions in the Marais, exploring the relationships between human beings and animals through ancient, modern and contemporary art.
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About the museum
The museum was founded in 1967 by François and Jacqueline Sommer. It was inaugurated on February 21, 1967 by André Malraux in the Hôtel de Guénégaud, a 17th-century historic monument by the architect François Mansart. Conceived as the residence of an art lover, it brings together the collections assembled by its founders and continuously enriched for almost fifty years.
In 2007 the museum expanded into the neighbouring 18th-century Hôtel de Mongelas. The renovation went hand in hand with a change of perspective: starting from a history of hunting, the subject broadened to the relationships between human beings and animals, from antiquity to the present. The museum is run by the Fondation François Sommer, a recognised public-benefit foundation, and carries the “Musée de France” label.
Closed for works from July 1, 2019, the museum reopened with an additional floor of six galleries linking the two mansions and adding about 250 m² of space. The ground floor now offers a more spacious reception and a free-access museum shop.
The collections include paintings, drawings, sculptures, tapestries, weapons, armour, objets d'art, photographs and contemporary installations. They are shown alongside stuffed animals and interpretive material. Contemporary artists regularly intervene in the galleries and engage in dialogue with the older works.
Highlights
- Two Marais mansions, including the Hôtel de Guénégaud by François Mansart
- Collections of ancient, modern and contemporary art devoted to animals
- Displays combining artworks and stuffed animals
- Late opening on Wednesday evenings
- Workshop visits and storytelling tours for families
Permanent exhibition
- Collections permanentes – Paintings, sculptures, tapestries, weapons and objets d'art from antiquity to today, combined with stuffed animals and contemporary works in the two mansions.
- Founded
- 1967
- Operated by
- Fondation François Sommer (reconnue d'utilité publique)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 53,704
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €11 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €9Young people under 26 from the European Union, seniors over 65, job seekers, large families, holders of a hunting licence and members of several partner companies and associations, on proof |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for under-18s, on proof. |
| Seniors | €9Reduced rate from age 65, on presentation of an identity document. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and their companion, on proof. |
| Students & apprentices | freeFree admission for students and pupils of art, art history, archaeology, applied arts, cinema, fashion and a few other disciplines, on proof. |
| Groups | €9 per personGroups of 20 people at most, by booking. Reduced rate for adults, free for minors. Museum lecturer: €160 for a 1 hr 30 min session in French, €250 in a foreign language. |
| Family workshop visit “Le Musée au bout des doigts” (per participant) | €15 |
| Discovery visit for ages 5 to 8 (per participant) | €12 |
| Storytelling visit for ages 3 to 8 (per participant) | €12 |
Free admission: On the first Sunday of every month, admission is free for all visitors.
Full rate of €13 and reduced rate of €11 during temporary exhibition periods; €11 and €9 between two exhibitions. Other free admissions on proof: teachers, job seekers receiving the RSA, journalists, professional artists, members of ICOM and of the museum's Friends, among others.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum is accessible to people with reduced mobility.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly: not available
A regular programme of workshop visits, storytelling tours and game trails, especially during school holidays, with materials provided. Pushchairs must be left at reception.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Rambuteau
Metro: Hôtel de Ville (line 1), Rambuteau (line 11), Arts et Métiers (lines 3 and 11), Étienne Marcel (line 4). Buses: lines 29, 68 and 75.
The museum's website gives no information about parking.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Museum shop, freely accessible without an admission ticket during the museum's opening hours.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Visits with a museum lecturer for groups and school classes, by booking with the public services department (visite@fondationfrancoissommer.org). Pushchairs are not allowed in the galleries and must stay at reception. |
