Natural History Museum of Bern, Natural history museum in Bern, Switzerland
The Natural History Museum of Bern is a natural history museum in the center of Bern, Switzerland, housing animal dioramas, mineral specimens, and skeletal remains across several permanent galleries. It is one of the oldest and largest natural history museums in Switzerland, with collections covering wildlife from Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The museum was founded in 1832, making it one of the oldest natural history institutions in Switzerland. It moved to its current building in 1936, having previously occupied a structure built in the late 19th century.
The museum displays animals in lifelike dioramas that show Swiss species in their natural settings. These scenes give visitors a direct sense of how animals live and behave in the wild.
The museum is easy to reach on foot from the center of Bern and is open most days of the week. It is worth checking the museum's website before visiting to confirm opening times and any temporary exhibitions.
The museum holds the preserved body of Barry, a Saint Bernard dog that worked as a rescue dog in the early 19th century at the Great Saint Bernard Pass. The museum also maintains the World Spider Catalog, a global reference database used by spider researchers around the world.
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