Musée géologique de Rennes
University geology museum on the Beaulieu campus, founded in 1853, with minerals, fossils and paintings by Mathurin Méheut; admission is free.
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About the museum
The Musée géologique de Rennes was founded in March 1853 and is regarded as the first geology museum of its kind in France. Its first collections were initially housed in the town hall, then moved in 1858 to the university palace. They later joined those of the Natural History Museum, and the two museums were merged in 1873. The holdings come notably from the cabinet of Christophe-Paul de Robien, seized during the Revolution, the Rouault collection and acquisitions made at the end of the 19th century.
At the Liberation in 1944, the collections were dispersed. They were stored at the university until 1967, before being transferred to the Beaulieu campus.
The museum now occupies around 520 m² in Building 5 of the Beaulieu campus, where the Géosciences Rennes laboratory is also located. It holds about 2,500 objects, displayed in a mineralogy gallery, a large hall of general and regional geology and an area devoted to applied geology. The walls are decorated with paintings by Mathurin Méheut and Yvonne Jean-Haffen, painted between 1942 and 1946 for the former Institute of Geology and listed as historic monuments since 1990. The museum belongs to the University of Rennes.
Highlights
- Mineralogy gallery
- Hall of general and regional geology
- Applied geology area
- Paintings by Mathurin Méheut and Yvonne Jean-Haffen (1942–1946), listed as historic monuments
- About 2,500 objects over 520 m²
- Free admission
- Founded
- 1853
- Operated by
- Université de Rennes
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups | –Group visits by reservation, paid; the rate is not stated. |
|---|
Free admission for individual visitors.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By car: from the northern or southern ring roads of Rennes, take the Cesson-Sévigné exit and then follow the signs to the Beaulieu campus. The museum is in Building 5 of the campus, 263 avenue du Général Leclerc.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Groups can book a guided visit; contact the university’s cultural department (Le Diapason). The university also offers free guided tours at events, for example of the paintings by Mathurin Méheut and Yvonne Jean-Haffen, by reservation. |
