[MHNM] Natural History Museum

Created in 1819, the Natural History Museum of Marseille, at the crossroads of Europe and the Mediterranean, presents a remarkable showcase of naturalistic and heritage curiosities. The Muséum de Marseille is located in the heart of an exceptional site: the Palais Longchamp.

It is one of the most beautiful water castles in Europe, built in 1869 by architect Henry Espérandieu, and houses Marseille’s two oldest museums: Beaux-Arts et Histoire Naturelle.

Labeled “Musée de France” since 2002, the Museum is distinguished by the scientific and heritage quality of its collections. Meeting the cultures and natural spaces of Europe and the Mediterranean, it offers a great diversity of naturalistic curiosities.

“Terre d’Evolution”, the permanent exhibition route, inaugurated in 2020, invites visitors to discover the Living World and the Earth that surrounds us. It mixes past and current biodiversity, and questions the influence of our species on the recent evolution of living things. The exhibition offers poetic and contemplative breaks in a scenography that blends with the historic setting of the Palace. The history of life on Earth is explained in an unprecedented way, around 7 large sequences. Each one addresses a function of life and illustrates a range of adaptations, in as many different forms, colors or organs, reflecting biodiversity.