Parc de la préhistoire, Prehistoric art museum and park in Tarascon-sur-Ariège, France.
This site in Tarascon-sur-Ariège is an outdoor and indoor museum spread across about 13 hectares that brings prehistory to life. It features life-size reproductions of mammoths, other extinct animals, and hunting scenes from the ice age, alongside a large exhibition building with films and copies of cave paintings.
The park opened in 1994 and draws on archaeological discoveries from regional cave sites, particularly Niaux and Marsoulas. These caves rank among Europe's richest sources of prehistoric evidence, revealing how humans lived thousands of years ago.
The site reveals how people lived and worked in prehistoric times through reconstructed scenes and hands-on demonstrations. Visitors gain a sense of the effort and ingenuity required for basic survival tasks like hunting and making tools.
Plan to spend at least three hours exploring the various areas thoroughly. The location offers free parking, a restaurant serving local dishes, and a gift shop.
In the main exhibition hall, visitors can see exact copies of cave paintings that were recreated using the same techniques as the original artists. These precise reproductions reveal how ice age painters created their works and what methods they employed.
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