Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Bayonne, natural history museum in Bayonne, France

The museum in Bayonne displays around 35,000 objects spanning zoology, botany, paleontology, geology, and ethnography across its modern exhibition spaces. The collections range from large fossil specimens to detailed scientific instruments and cultural artifacts.

The collection started in 1856 with objects gathered by pharmacist Ulysse Darracq and expanded over time. The museum moved several times before arriving at its current location in Plaine d'Ansot in 2010.

The museum keeps the herbarium assembled by pharmacist Ulysse Darracq, whose 1856 donations founded the collection, alongside Basque ethnographic pieces and regional zoological specimens. Labels and displays tie these objects to the natural surroundings of Bayonne and the Adour estuary, the landscape the museum now sits beside at Plaine d'Ansot.

The location within a protected natural area means you can explore the surrounding wetlands during your visit. Plan time to see both indoor exhibits and the outdoor landscape for a complete experience.

The museum's documentation centre holds specialist material on the natural sciences and environmental studies, and it is open to visitors alongside the galleries. The museum also publishes its own journal, which reports on the collections and on the natural environment around Bayonne.