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The Grande Galerie de l’Évolution – From Zoology to Wonder
When it first opened in 1889 as the Galerie de Zoologie, this magnificent glass-and-iron hall was a temple dedicated to the diversity of life, showcasing exotic animals from around the world. For decades, it dazzled visitors, but by 1965 the building fell into neglect and closed its doors.

Nearly 30 years later, in 1994, it was reborn as the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution, transformed into a modern, immersive museum. Today, visitors walk among life-sized elephants, whales, and lions in dramatic displays that celebrate biodiversity while reminding us of humanity’s impact on nature.

Founded in 1833, the Gallery of Mineralogy and Geology was created to house one of the world’s most prestigious collections of minerals, crystals, gemstones, and meteorites. As part of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, it became a scientific hub for geology and mineralogy research. Over the centuries, the collection grew to include tens of thousands of specimens, including extraordinary gems once belonging to French royalty. Today, it serves as both a research center and a dazzling exhibition space for the public.

The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), founded in 1368 under King Charles V, is one of the oldest and most prestigious libraries in the world. The Richelieu site, opened in 1721, served as the historical home of the national collections for manuscripts, prints, maps, and coins.

The building’s 19th-century renovation by Henri Labrouste introduced the breathtaking Oval Reading Room, a symbol of French academic architecture. After decades of expansion, a major restoration project (2010–2022) revitalized the site, leading to the reopening of the Musée de la BnF, a museum dedicated to showcasing the nation’s artistic and intellectual treasures.

The Grande Mosquée de Paris was built between 1922 and 1926 and officially inaugurated in 1926.

Its construction was commissioned by the French government to honor the approximately 100,000 Muslim soldiers from French colonies who died fighting for France during World War I. At the time, it became one of the first major Islamic monuments built in modern Western Europe.

The Musée des Arts et Métiers occupies the former priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs, a medieval monastery whose church dates back to the 12th century. After the French Revolution the site became home to the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (Cnam), founded in 1794 to preserve and share scientific and technical knowledge, and the museum opened to visitors in 1802.

Today the collection counts around 80,000 objects, of which roughly 2,500 are on display in Paris. Highlights include Blaise Pascal’s calculating machine, Clément Ader’s Avion III, Louis Blériot’s Blériot XI, Lavoisier’s laboratory instruments and Nicolas Cugnot’s steam-powered « fardier » of 1770.