Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Muséum-Aquarium de Nancy (MAN) was founded in 1752, when Stanislas Leszczynski, Duke of Lorraine, founded a Royal College of Medicine. The latter brings together seventeen regional curiosities, including fossils, naturalized animals and grasslands. These collections, originally used for teaching anatomy and botany, were transferred in 1798 to the Central School of Meurthe, before being neglected after 1804.

In the 19th century, under the impetus of naturalists such as Dominique-Alexandre Godron and Lucien Cuénot, the collections were enriched and organized. In 1933, a dedicated building, designed by the André brothers and inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, was inaugurated to house the Institute of Zoology. Its blind facade, typical of Art Deco, meets the conservation needs of the specimens. Tropical aquariums appeared in the 1970s under the direction of Bruno Condé, transforming the museum into a living place.

Ranked a historic monument in 2016, the Muséum-Aquarium is distinguished by its 57 aquariums (fresh water, marine, brackish) and zoology gallery, organized around the genealogical tree of Lucien Cuénot. In 2004, he obtained the label Musée de France, protecting his 140,000 specimens, including 18,000 naturalized. The place now combines scientific research, pedagogy and temporary exhibitions, such as Poils (2020) or Moches! (2016-2017).

The modernist architecture of the building, with its amphitheatre of 298 places and its thematic galleries (Nautilus, Calypso, Astrolabe), makes it a major cultural site of Nancy. The Dominique Alexandre Godron garden, a former adjacent botanical garden, complements this heritage dedicated to biodiversity and natural history.

Living collections, including 80 freshwater species and 110 marine species, are carefully maintained through independent quarantine and filtration protocols. Aquarium settings reproduce diverse ecosystems, from coral reefs (Red Sea, Pacific) to African lakes. A specific feature of the museum is the study of electric fish, a recurring theme of its educational exhibitions.

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