Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Perpignan
Municipal natural history museum in the Hôtel Çagarriga in Perpignan, devoted to the fauna, flora and minerals of the Pyrénées-Orientales; free admission.
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About the museum
The collections date back to a cabinet of curiosities set up in 1770 by the medical faculty of the University of Perpignan. In 1835, the Société philomathique took over these objects and added donations to form a natural history cabinet. On August 4, 1840, the City bought this cabinet and officially founded the natural history museum; Dr Louis Companyo took charge of it in December of the same year and enriched the collection with large private holdings.
The museum was first housed on Rue du Musée, in the same building as the municipal library and the fine arts museum. In 1900, it moved to the first floor of the Hôtel Çagarriga, a 16th-century mansion, and took the name Muséum d’histoire naturelle. Between 1987 and 1990, the City gradually bought the rest of the building.
The museum holds reference collections on the fauna and flora of the department, an important mineral collection, exotic specimens, mainly birds, archaeological objects including a rare Egyptian mummy, and an ethnology collection drawn mainly from Oceania. It holds the “Musée de France” label.
Highlights
- Fauna and flora of the Pyrénées-Orientales
- Mineral collection
- Egyptian mummy
- Oceanian ethnology collection
- Çagarriga mansion, 16th century
Permanent exhibition
- Biodiversité et géodiversité des Pyrénées-Orientales – A route from the coastal lagoons across the Roussillon plain to the Pyrenean mountains, with fauna, flora and minerals.
- Founded
- 1840
- Operated by
- Ville de Perpignan
- Visitors per year
- approx. 14,037
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Entry to free visits is free of charge. Guided visits for school and group visits are paid, depending on length, after two free visits per year and per Perpignan institution.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
The museum offers temporary exhibitions and educational activities throughout the year.
Getting there & parking
The museum is in Perpignan’s city centre, in the Hôtel Çagarriga, 12 rue Fontaine-Neuve.
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 | Groups visit by reservation with the public services department (04 68 66 24 66), one class or a group of 25 to 30 people at a time. Tours in Catalan, Spanish, English and German are possible. A documentation centre is accessible by appointment. |
