Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Perpignan, museum in France
The Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Perpignan is a natural history museum in the center of this southern French city, housed in a historic building from the 16th century. The exhibits display animal specimens, shells, bones, and plants that document the natural history of the Pyrénées-Orientales region.
The collection began in 1770 as a cabinet of the Faculty of Medicine and was taken over in 1835 by the Société Philomathique, which gathered works from Eugène Boluix and other scientists. In 1840, the city purchased the collection and established the public museum, which moved to its current home, the Hôtel Çagarriga, in 1900.
The museum is housed in the Hôtel Çagarriga, a 16th century building that gives the place a classical character. The collections display the animals and landscapes of the Pyrénées-Orientales region, from the coast to the mountains, helping visitors understand the natural diversity of their surroundings.
The museum is located in the city center of Perpignan and is easily reached on foot, by bike, or public transport, with parking available nearby for drivers. Visitors should know it is open Tuesday to Sunday, and groups of ten or more need to make a reservation.
The museum displays a collection expanded with exotic birds and small mammals from Eugène Boluix, who offered them to the city in 1837. This private collection helped the institution become an important center for natural sciences and shaped its diverse holdings that visitors see today.
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