Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Marseille


The Muséum d’histoire naturel de Marseille, also known in English as the Natural History Museum of Marseille, is one of the most visited natural history museums in France. It was founded in 1819 by Jean-Baptiste, marquis de Montgrand and Christophe de Villeneuve-Bargemon, prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône department. It is located in the Palais Longchamp, 4th arrondissement of Marseille, built according to the plans of Henri-Jacques Espérandieu.

Exhibitions

The museum houses 83,000 zoological specimens, 200, 000 botanical specimens, 81,000 fossils, and 8,000 mineral specimens. It was visited by 103,543 people in 2014
The four exhibitions areas are:
The museum also organises conferences and temporary exhibitions. Its best known director was naturalist Antoine-Fortuné Marion, in office at the end of the 19th century.