As much a theatre of life itself, the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution displays thousands of animal specimens. Larger than life, they tell the astonishing story of evolution: presented in three acts in a grandiose stage set.
The Galerie de Zoologie, built by Jules André, was inaugurated at the same time as the Eiffel Tower, and with the same success. It underwent a metamorphosis in 1994 to become the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution, under the guidance of the architects Paul Chemetov and Borja Huidobro, associates of the director René Allio. Since the re-opening, the Museum's zoological collections are presented from a new and dynamic angle, the evolution of life. They form a spectacular ensemble (3,000 specimens exhibited in the nave alone, 7,000 total in the Galerie), installed in a space which is 55 m by 25 m (180 ft by 82 ft) and 30 m (98 ft) high. The 6,000 m2 (65,000 sq. ft) of permanent exhibition space is divided between the central nave, and the upper and intermediate balconies. Complementary exhibitions are presented in the hall of endangered and extinct species, as well as in the hall of discovery.
Blue lighting, mounted fish, the reconstruction of a giant squid: here we are, plunged into the diversity of marine environments! A herd of animals, remarkably well-restored, seem determined to continue ahead in a straight line: this is how the variety of land-living species is illustrated. Move along by their sides, close your eyes and listen for musical sequences, or stop for a moment to watch a film or consult an interactive programme… Everything here recreates the history of the transformation of the species since the origins of life some 4 billion years ago. Everything raises the question: what is Man's responsibility ? What future does the planet have ?
Act I
The first part of the permanent exhibition in the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution, Act I, is played out on levels 0 and 1 of the central nave. It deals with the diversity of the animal species that populate marine and land environments
Act II
ACT III
On the balcony of level 2 of the nave, Act III demonstrates how human activity has changed the natural environment, sometimes irreversibly
The Discovery room
It makes the youngest visitors aware of the notions of time and species, the starting point for learning about the mechanisms of biological evolution. Here, they can learn hands-on with entertaining materials and play at observing, classifying and asking questions.
- Permission to touch
- Voyage in time and space
Put the spotlight on time: let's imagine a story of life 4 billion years ago… In this respect, the tower of time becomes a valuable tool. It goes back through the periods, gives chronological milestones. It presents clues such as fossils and recreations. All of a sudden, the importance of geological time and the forms of life that preceded man: dinosaurs, fish, the first plants, etc. become clear. The enormous alongside the infinitesimally small: you can even touch the shell of a dust mite measuring less than 2 mm (0.079 in), but 3,000 times larger, thanks to a sculpture built from information recorded from an electron microscope.
Practical Informations
Modalités de visite :
Guided tours the 1st saturday of the month at 3 pm (in french, no guided tours during summer). Groups : on reservation only, guided tours in french