Grande Galerie de l'Évolution: Skip-the-Line Ticket

About this tour

Walk straight past the ticket line at the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution, the natural history museum set inside Paris's Jardin des Plantes. Your fast-track ticket covers the permanent collection, where the ground-floor Parade of Species sends a column of elephants, giraffes, and rhinos marching through the central hall. Upstairs you'll find marine life, endangered and extinct species, and displays that trace evolution and natural selection, all housed in a restored 19th-century building.

Highlights

• The Parade of Species, a column of hundreds of taxidermied animals down the central hall
• Exhibits on the evolution of life and the breadth of global biodiversity
• Sections devoted to marine life and endangered species
• A restored 19th-century building with striking architecture
• Interactive displays and multimedia for visitors of all ages

Places You Will Visit

Included / Excluded

Opening Hours, Getting There, and What to Expect

The Grande Galerie de l'Évolution sits inside the Jardin des Plantes, the botanical garden in the 5th arrondissement, and the gallery entrance is a short walk through the garden from any of the nearby stops. The closest Metro stations are Gare d'Austerlitz (line 5 or 10), Censier-Daubenton (line 7), and Jussieu (line 10), and RER C also stops at Gare d'Austerlitz. Bus lines 24, 57, 61, 63, 67, 89, and 91 all run close by.

The gallery is generally open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, and closed on Mondays and a few public holidays, with last entry about 45 minutes before closing. Hours can shift, so it's worth checking the official site before you go. There's no dress code, but wear comfortable shoes since the collection spans several floors and temperatures can vary inside the large building. The central nave rises several stories and opens with the dramatic Parade of Species, and from there you move through marine life, terrestrial ecosystems, and sections on extinction and conservation. Plan on roughly two to three hours to see it at an easy pace.

Weather in Paris

Today 57°F14°C 50°F10°C Rain 88%

Today 57°F14°C 49°F9°C Rain 100%

Tomorrow 63°F17°C 51°F10°C Rain 100%

Mon, Oct 26 59°F15°C 49°F9°C Rain 34%

Tue, Oct 27 67°F20°C 55°F13°C Rain 24%

Wed, Oct 28 60°F16°C 47°F8°C Rain 19%

Thu, Oct 29 60°F15°C 43°F6°C Rain 2%

Local time 9:16 AM, UTC+02:00

Available Days / Times

• Monday : All day
• Tuesday
• Wednesday : All day
• Thursday : All day
• Friday : All day
• Saturday : All day
• Sunday : All day

Last updated: Oct 23, 2026