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Jardin des Plantes - Evolution gallery

57 Rue Cuvier, Paris, Île-de-France

Description

The Jardin des Plantes (meaning "Garden of the Plants") is Paris' botanical garden - in fact, it was created in the 17th century as the Royal Garden of the Medicinal Plants and still maintains a botanical school and research center. It covers 28ha on the eastern edge of the 5th arrondissement and contains, inter alia, an alpine garden, a rose garden and a couple of hothouses. The National Museum of Natural History is also headquartered there and visitors can discover galleries focused on evolution, mineralogy, geology, palaeontology and botany. The Evolution Gallery traces evolution with 7000 specimens / exhibits across sea and land as well as the development of the scientific theory. This review is for the Evolution Gallery which also includes access to the Jardin des Plantes.

Access & Transport

The easiest way to get there is by train/métro: Austerlitz (5, 10), Jussieu (7, 10) and Place Monge (7) are all within a 5-10mins walk. By bus, there are several options as well with the main roads being Quai Saint Bernard (eastern side, next to Austerlitz bridge) and Rue Linné (western side). The Jardin des Plantes is open to the Public for free, from 7h30 to 20h00 in the summer and 8h00 to 17h30 in the winter. The Evolution Gallery is located in the southwestern corner of the Garden.

Instructions & Recommendations

If you are planning on spending some time in the gardens, it is best to choose a non-rainy day - and avoid winter. This activity is best combined with a visit of the Latin Quarter neighbourhood, the Panthéon and / or the Bastille neighbourhood, across Austerlitz bridge.

Meta review

Visitors to the Evolution Gallery find the display visually impressive and immersive but there are recurring complaints about the dim lighting and lack of information in the English language (it is all mostly in French). As for the Garden, most reviewers found it to be both pleasant and interesting with a good variety of plants. A few stray comments about it not being well kept though; but definitely a minority view.

Environmental & Social

No data available publicly. We deem this activity to be environmentally neutral (the garden offsets the evolution gallery electricity consumption) and socially positive as it helps spread culture.

Conclusion

The Evolution Gallery and Jardin des Plantes are good activities, especially if already in the neighbourhood, but we would not recommend those for first time visitors to the city, unless they have a keen interest in botany or natural sciences. For residents and repeat visitors, it is certainly worth a visit.

Key positive

A good educational option for families

The garden is quite large and entrance is free

Located in between 2 interesting and different neighbourhoods (Bastille and the Latin Quarter)

Key negative

The gallery should have more written content available in English

Suitability

Suitable for all ages and accessible for visitors with reduced mobility

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

May 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
Last admission 1h before closing. Closed on 25 Dec, 01 Jan, 01 May

av. transport time:0h 30m

est. visit time:2h 30m

Regulated hours

Monday10:00 - 18:00

Tuesday -

Wednesday10:00 - 18:00

Thursday10:00 - 18:00

Friday10:00 - 18:00

Saturday10:00 - 18:00

Sunday10:00 - 18:00

Pricing
Age band
Age band
Regular price / pers.
Senior
65 - 99
€13
Adult
26 - 64
€13
Teen & Young
18 - 25
€0
Child
3 - 17
€0
Infant
0 - 2
€0

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