Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Bayonne
Municipal natural history museum on the Ansot plain with free entry, devoted to the wetlands of the Barthes de la Nive and the biodiversity of the western Pyrenees.
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About the museum
The Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Bayonne is the city's oldest museum. It was founded around 1856 thanks to the donation of the collection of the pharmacist and naturalist Ulysse Darracq, who was its first curator. A fire at the town hall on January 1, 1890, destroyed a large part of the collections.
The museum then moved several times, notably to the girls' school on the Mail Chaho-Pelletier and to the Château Lauga, and remained closed to the public for almost sixty years. It reopened in June 2010 in new premises in the heart of the Ansot plain, along the Nive. It has held the Musée de France label since 2003.
The collections number around 35,000 items, mostly molluscs, but also birds, herbaria, fossils, rocks and mammals. The museum presents itself as the only one in France located in the middle of a sensitive natural area (espace naturel sensible): it serves both as a museum and as an interpretation centre for the surrounding wetlands.
Highlights
- Permanent exhibition on the Barthes de la Nive and the biodiversity of the Pyrénées océanes
- The only museum in France set in the heart of a natural area
- Collections of around 35,000 items (molluscs, birds, herbaria, fossils)
- Free entry, free nature activities by registration
- Walks around the museum in the Ansot plain
Permanent exhibition
- Exposition permanente : barthes de la Nive et Pyrénées océanes – Trail in three parts: understanding a wetland, the fauna and flora of the Barthes de la Nive, and then the biodiversity of the Pyrénées océanes.
- Founded
- 1856
- Operated by
- Ville de Bayonne
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Children & teens | –Free entry for everyone. |
|---|
Entry to the museum, the Maison des barthes and the Ansot plain is free. Activities and guided tours are also free, but registration is generally required.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- 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 1.5 km path to the Maison des barthes and the museum is accessible to people with reduced mobility, but presents difficulties: part of it is concrete, the other part is compacted earth and gravel.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Lauga ou Hôpital
Bus to the Lauga or Hôpital stops, then on foot via the Pont Blanc.
By car
Parking available
La Floride car park, Avenue Raoul Follereau, from which you walk over the Pont Blanc.
The Ansot plain is closed to motor vehicles. Access is on foot or by bike via the Pont Blanc, which crosses the Nive; from the Pont Blanc it is about a 15-minute walk to the museum. Bike hire is available at the covered car park Tour de Sault.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The museum offers guided tours of the permanent and temporary exhibitions, scientific workshops, lectures and nature outings. Registration is by phone, by email or at the reception of the Maison des barthes, at the latest 24 hours in advance. An educational offer exists for schools. |
