Muséum d'Histoire naturelle de La Rochelle
La Rochelle Natural History Museum in an 18th-century mansion: Cabinet Lafaille, the giraffe Zarafa, and zoology, ethnography and mineralogy collections.
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About the museum
The museum opened in 1832 to house the natural history collections that Clément de Lafaille had bequeathed to the Académie de La Rochelle in 1782. This cabinet of curiosities is considered the oldest natural history cabinet in France. In 1852 the bequest of Louis-Benjamin Fleuriau de Bellevue gave rise to the Musée Fleuriau, housed in the north wing of the same building.
The mansion that houses the museum was built between 1708 and 1718. It became the residence of the governors of Aunis in 1748, received two wings in 1775, and served as the bishop’s residence from 1874 to 1903. The city bought it back in 1910, and it was listed as a historic monument in 2003.
The museum closed in 1998 for a major renovation that doubled the exhibition area to about 2,300 m². It reopened on October 27, 2007. Today the circuit combines zoology, geology, palaeontology, mineralogy, botany, archaeology and ethnography, with objects from Africa, the Americas and Oceania. The museum holds the “Musée de France” label and has a botanic garden (jardin des plantes).
Highlights
- Cabinet Lafaille, a former natural history cabinet
- Stuffed giraffe Zarafa
- Orca skeleton, Andean condor and Dodo of Mauritius
- Kavakava moai from Easter Island and a Kwélé mask
- Jonzac meteorite
- Founded
- 1832
- Operated by
- Ville de La Rochelle
- Visitors per year
- approx. 71,251 (2019)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free for under-18s. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free for people with disabilities and one companion, on proof. |
| Students & apprentices | freeFree for students up to age 26, on proof. |
| Groups (11+ people) | €6 per personPer-person rate for groups of more than 10 people. School and leisure-centre rates are on a separate page. |
| Families | €10Billet Tribu: admission with a family game booklet. |
| Combined ticket Muséum + La Rochelle towers | €15 |
| Combined ticket Muséum + Musée du Nouveau Monde + Musée maritime (valid one month) | €18 |
| Inter-museum pass (3 museums, valid 12 months) | €30Membership form to be completed. |
Free admission: First Sunday of the month (except July and August), Museum Night, European Heritage Days and the Fête de la science.
Free admission on proof also for job seekers, RSA recipients, members of ICOM and ICOMOS, teachers preparing a visit, journalists, tour guides and members of the Amis du Muséum and the Société des sciences naturelles de Charente-Maritime. Contactless card payment preferred; cash, cheques and Chèques-Vacances accepted.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- 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
A lift serves all floors and spaces, including the toilets, which are marked as accessible. Two parking spaces are reserved on Rue Albert Ier and ramps are available. An induction loop at reception serves audioguides and guided tours. Braille booklets and large-print booklets with English translation are available at the entrance to each room. Folding seats can be lent to companions on request at reception.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 2 hrs |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
| Family ticket | €10 · Billet Tribu: admission with a family game booklet. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
The museum received the Môm’Art charter trophy for the quality of its welcome for children. Workshops and the loan of “muséojeux” bags are temporarily suspended during works; printable activities to do at the museum or at home are offered in the meantime. Workshops during the autumn holidays are announced from age 4. All floors are accessible by lift, and a baby-changing table is in the basement toilets.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Orbigny
Bus lines 1, 2, 3 and 7, stop “Orbigny”, or any line to Place de Verdun. Yélo self-service bike stations no. 05 (Place de Verdun) and no. 23 (Place Cacaud); Yélomobile car-sharing station at Place de Verdun.
By car
Parking available
Free parking on Rue Chasseloup-Laubat and on the Esplanade des Parcs (Chemin du Rempart). Paid parking at Place de Verdun (underground), Notre-Dame and Place Jean-Baptiste Marcet.
- Accessible parking
RTCR urban coaches can stop in front of the entrance.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
The Jardin des plantes, the scientific library and the auditorium can be rented, with an optional guided tour.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | A 360° virtual tour is available online, with a floor-by-floor route. |
Museums nearby
Musée des Beaux-Arts de La Rochelle
Musée du Nouveau Monde
Le Bunker de La Rochelle
Musée rochelais d'histoire protestante
Musée maritime de La Rochelle
Aquarium de La Rochelle
All 7 museums in La Rochelle All museums in Nouvelle-Aquitaine