Musée de Minéralogie, Mineralogy museum in 6th arrondissement, France
The Musée de Minéralogie is a mineralogy museum in the 6th arrondissement of Paris that houses around 100,000 mineral samples in its collection. The exhibition displays approximately 4,000 specimens across the rooms of the Hôtel de Vendôme, showing minerals from different parts of the world with varying colors, shapes, and sizes.
The museum was founded in 1794 by René Just Haüy and started as a collection of minerals to evaluate natural resources for industrial uses. Over time, the collection evolved into a scientific center that documents and studies the diversity of the mineral world.
The museum's name comes from mineralogy, and it is one of the oldest museums in France, founded in 1794, a year after the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle and the Louvre. Among the pieces to look for are cut gems from the French Crown Jewels, assigned to the École des Mines in 1887. Temporary exhibitions have included Collectible Minerals (2023), Romance in the Stone (2024) and Minerals in Minecraft (2025).
The museum occupies the Hôtel de Vendôme at 60 boulevard Saint-Michel, in the 6th arrondissement, and is reached through the carved wooden doorway inscribed "COLLECTIONS". It is open daily except Sunday, Monday and French national holidays, and an admission fee is charged. Access for wheelchair users is limited.
Among the 700 gems kept here are cut stones from the French Crown Jewels, assigned to the École des Mines in 1887. The collection also holds 400 meteorites and 300 artificial crystals, and only about 4,000 of the 100,000 specimens are on display in the twelve rooms.
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