Collection permanente du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Marseille - "Terre d’évolution"

The Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Marseille celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2019, as well as 150 years since moving to the Palais Longchamp, inaugurated in 1869. This double anniversary provided an opportunity to rethink the Museum’s permanent exhibition spaces, offering visitors a resolutely contemporary view of natural and scientific heritage.

Redesigned spaces

The Museum’s permanent exhibitions on level 1 dated from 1986 in the Safari Room, with some alterations made in the 2000s. "The displays were no longer up to date and did not incorporate an overall vision of biodiversity. The prehistoric and evolutionary sections have also been reworked in the new tour, incorporating all living beings." "In addition, some of the archaeological objects have been moved to a new space in the Museum of History," explains its curator and director, Anne MEDARD.

The innovative "Terre d'évolution" tour, spread across three rooms, explores the history of life, encompassing all animal and plant species and all geological periods, including the present day. "In a single exhibition, visitors discover biodiversity through seven themes: "Vivre là", "Se reproduire", "Se protéger", "Communiquer, percevoir", "Respirer ou pas", "Se nourrir" and "Évoluer". "The Museum’s iconic collections are still present, but they are complemented by acquisitions from the past 15 years that had not yet been displayed," continues Anne MEDARD. More than 1,800 species are exhibited from the 60,000 specimens kept in the Museum’s storage areas. "This will mean more than 1,000 new discoveries for Museum visitors!"

The Provence Room enhanced

Protected as a Historic Monument, the Provence Room is a showcase of 19th-century museography and provides a unique setting for fossilized and naturalized specimens from Provence, where many species have now disappeared. It is rich in historical details. No fewer than 40 Provençal coats of arms accompany murals painted in 1869 by Raphaël PONSON, depicting the region’s main ecosystems. "We had to preserve the spirit of this room: it is one of the finest rooms in France and Europe preserved in its original state. A ‘museum within the museum,’ in a way. But we have improved the lighting and, at the entrance, installed two interactive terminals to complement the visit," explains the curator.

On the landings of the monumental stone staircases, with its two 1900 murals by Jean-François AUBURTIN, new furnishings complement the historic display cases, originally designed when the Museum was created, with a presentation of the region’s prehistory.

► From July 14, discover "Glaciers" New mini-section "À l’actu"

As part of the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation in 2025 and the AMIDEX program led by Aix-Marseille University, the Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Marseille highlights glaciers and the issues associated with them in the "À l’actu" mini-section of the permanent "Terre d’évolution" tour.

More information https://musees.marseille.fr/glaciers-parcours-permanent-museum-marseille

A natural history museum to rediscover. Remember that on the first Sunday of every month, all Marseille museums are free!

► In the event of severe winds, Parc Longchamp may have to close, preventing access to the museum. We invite you to contact the museum reception by telephone before setting out to check whether it is actually open.

► To ensure that you can enjoy the complete tour of all our exhibition rooms, we invite you to contact the museum before your visit.

► All tours and activities related to the exhibition are available on the musees.marseille.fr website