This panorama was taken late in the afternoon. Unfortunately, this meant that the sun was pretty much directly behind the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution, resulting in a fairly dark silhouette. The rest of the Jardin des Plantes seen in the panoramic photograph looks colourful though...

Grande Galerie de l'Evolution - Paris visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Grande Galerie de l'Evolution' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Paris.

Panorama of the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution in the Jardin des Plantes of Paris near to the maze at the western end. The Grande Galerie de l'Evolution is part of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (National Museum of Natural History). The rest of the museum still has a reputation for being stuffy and not well presented, but the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution is another story all together.

These galleries tell the story of the theory of evolution, with many interactive displays and demonstrations. Where stuffed animals have been used, they have been lovingly restored and almost seem to come to life. The exhibition comes to life using clever lighting, sound effects and interactive displays. There are still opportunities to actually read things, but these are far in the minority compared to other ways of transmitting information. The lower levels deal with the oceans and on the ground level there is a massive parade of creatures marching across it almost as if they were entering Noah's Ark.

The building in which the galleries are housed dates from the 19th century. In the rest of the Jardin des Plantes are a small zoo, a menagerie and other parts of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle.

Address:
Grande Galerie de l'Evolution
Jardin des Plantes
57 rue Cuvier
75005 PARIS

Travel and Getting There:
Metro: Jussieu (line 7, 10), Place Monge (line 7)
Bus: 24, 57, 61, 63, 67, 89, 91, Batobus