Muséum de Bordeaux – sciences et nature

About the museum

Since 1862 the Muséum de Bordeaux has occupied the Hôtel de Lisleferme in the Jardin public. The ensemble formed by the hôtel, the garden and the former botanical garden reflects the city’s transformation and offers green space right in the centre. Its collections comprise around one million specimens, of which about 3,500 are on display.

The renovation of the museum took a very long time: work on the hôtel began in 2015 and was delayed in 2018 by water damage caused by a hailstorm. The renovation reorganised the historic rooms and created a 500 m² underground extension for temporary exhibitions. It also installed a system that recovers heat from waste water to heat and cool the building. The museum reopened in 2019.

The permanent circuit, “La nature vue par les hommes”, occupies the Galerie Souverbie from the first floor to the third floor and asks what place humans hold in nature. Semi-permanent exhibitions lasting three to five years and temporary exhibitions complement the offer. Children under 6 have a Musée des tout-petits on the first floor.

Highlights

• Permanent circuit “La nature vue par les hommes” in the Galerie Souverbie
• Musée des tout-petits for children under 6
• Around 3,500 specimens on display out of one million objects
• Oval salon decorated in the 18th century
• Tactile devices and the FACIL bag for sensitive visitors

Permanent exhibitions

• La nature vue par les hommes – The permanent circuit, from the first floor to the third floor, asks what place humans hold in nature, with around 3,500 specimens.
• Le Musée des tout-petits – A learning space for children under 6, with a first exhibition titled “Tous les bébés”.

Operated by

Ville de Bordeaux

Visitors per year

approx. 20,936

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of the month, except in July and August.

Temporary exhibition rates: €8 full price and €4.50 reduced; outside temporary exhibitions: €6 and €3.50. No online ticketing; tickets bought on site by bank card, cash or bank cheque. Culture vouchers and Chèques-Vacances are not accepted. Free on proof for: under-6s, Carte jeune holders, recipients of minimum social benefits, members of the Amuséum association and the Société linnéenne, journalists, holders of the Pass Musées Bordeaux, a City Pass, or ICOM, ICOMOS and tour-guide cards.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A lift serves all floors and a ramp is available from Place du Champ de Mars. Strollers, manual wheelchairs, lockers and folding seats are lent out. The reception and the multimedia show are equipped with induction loops. Touch devices (mystery boxes, relief map) are featured in several exhibitions. The FACIL bag offers calming items (sunglasses, headphones, stress ball), and a quiet hour takes place on Saturdays from 13:00 to 14:00. Telephone services are accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing people via the ACCEO platform. Accessible parking at Place du Champ de Mars and on Rues Albert de Mun, Émile Zola, Francis Martin and Ferrère.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

The Musée des tout-petits, on the first floor, is a space for children under 6, who must always be accompanied by an adult. It has a baby-changing table, toilets and child-sized furniture. A visitor booklet and a children’s booklet are handed out. A stroller area is available, and a baby-changing table is also on the second floor.

Getting there & parking

Access is via the Jardin public; in extreme weather the garden closes but the museum stays open via Place Bardineau.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Light refreshments are served in the Carré détente on the second floor; picnics are possible in the garden in warm weather. Cloakroom with lockable lockers on the ground floor; backpacks and large bags are not allowed in the galleries. Shop at the end of the visit.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Exhibition spaces across three floors for receptions, as well as rooms suited to meetings and seminars; indoor spaces are also offered at the Botanical Garden. Quote on request.

Plan your visit