La Rochelle Natural History Museum visitor guide

Photo of La Rochelle Natural History Museum

Visit La Rochelle Natural History Museum, France

Book a visit

The Natural History Museum in La Rochelle largely presents the colections of the great French explorers of the early 19th century, as they set out to discover the unexplored regions of the world. The museum is very effective at making you realise how extraordinary the world must have seemed to people at that time.

Explore La Rochelle Natural History Museum

The tour of the museum starts with exhibits of the flora and fauna native to the Poitou-Charentes region - lizards, fish, insects, small mammals etc - presented in numerous glass display cabinets. It also has an educational purpose, explaining the problems caused by some of the invasive species such as the ragondin and the muskrat.

The real adventure starts as you go to the first floor, passing a giraffe that was presented to Charles X in 1826, and was the first giraffe to be seen in France. A present from Egypt, the giraffe walked the 800 kilometres from Marseille to Paris to be presented to the King, attracting a great deal of attention on the way. The giraffe spent many years living in France and being admired, and was carefully preserved after its death.

The first floor contains numerous stuffed animals - bison, gnou, anteaters, tiger, zebra, gorilla etc - and is a slightly startling room to find yourself in, so lifelike are the animals: you really expect them to leap to life, although the choice of animals - a polar bear next to a tiger for example, makes you feel a little like being on a Walt Disney film set.

Be sure to search out Himantolophus rheinhardtii, a curious beast in a glass tank that has surely been the inspiration for many a horror film alien!

 
Advertisement
 

Moving past drawings and etchings prepared by the early explorers you reach the floor dedicated to primitive life and activities. Weapons, decorative tribal gear, figurines and so on...and a couple of shrunken heads.

The top floor is perhaps the most fascinating of all in the La Rochelle Natural History Museum. With a focus on primitive religions, sacred beliefs and shamanism, there are numerous very large exhibits of sculptures, statues and costumes. Among the highlights are the two-headed person near the entrance, the voodoo statue (replete with nails) and the startling red-cloth 'person' at the far end of the hall.

During the course of the visit you also see videos showing how the masks and implements were used in rituals, what kind of music was played, and the function of various of the exhibits.

Overall a visit to the museum was much more interesting than I had anticipated, is both entertaining and educational, and is highly recommended.

Attractions nearby

Adjacent to the museum, the Jardin des Plantes is a large and carefully planted garden with numerous interesting plants (free to enter even if you don't visit the museum).

For details of some of the many other attractions in the town, such as the La Rochelle aquarium, please see our detailed guide to La Rochelle, or see other museums in France">.

You can find more travel ideas in the Charente-Maritime guide and the Poitou-Charentes guide.

See also: 

Arrange a visit to La Rochelle Natural History Museum

Organise your visit using the options shown...

Hotels in La Rochelle Natural History Museum

Booking.com: best prices

Where

For great prices on car hire throughout France and Corsica please visit our recommended partner at RentalCars.com

Map of La Rochelle Natural History Museum and places nearby

 
Advertisement
 

Visit near La Rochelle Natural History Museum with France This Way reviews

La Rochelle

La Rochelle

The historic town and monuments and the vibrant harbour area make La Rochelle one of our favourite towns in France

La Rochelle guide
La Rochelle aquarium

La Rochelle aquarium

The aquarium in La Rochelle features various parts, including a shark tank and many colourful sea creatures

La Rochelle aquarium guide
La Rochelle harbour

La Rochelle harbour

The harbour area in La Rochelle is the liveliest part of the town, with numerous restaurants, street entertainers, artists and the aquarium

La Rochelle harbour guide
La Rochelle towers

La Rochelle towers

These three fortress towers protect the entrance to the harbour in La Rochelle

La Rochelle towers guide
Chatelaillon-Plage

Chatelaillon-Plage

The seaside resort of Chatelaillon-Plage has a long sandy beach and a friendly atmosphere

Chatelaillon-Plage guide
La Flotte-en-Re

La Flotte-en-Re

The village of La Flotte-en-Ré is a pretty village on the Ile-de-Ré

La Flotte-en-Re guide

... or see ALL recommended places to visit in Charente-Maritime

The French version of this page is at La Rochelle Natural History Museum (Francais)

 
Advertisement