Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Natural History Museum of Nîmes, located in the Gard in Occitanie, was inaugurated in 1895 around a cloister and a 17th century classified chapel. Founded by the Société d'étude des sciences naturelles de Nîmes (established in 1871), it brings together collections from local scholars of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as J.F. Séguier or Émilien Dumas. Four themes are presented: prehistory (from Moustarian to Bronze Age), geology, ethnography (Africa, Oceania, Asia) and zoology, with rare specimens such as the tiger of Love or fossil fish of Monte Bolca.

Today, the museum also integrates a planetarium and the School of DNA, complementing its role as a regional scientific pole. His temporary exhibitions, organized in the Jules-Salles gallery, address contemporary subjects (biodiversity, Neandertal) and highlight pieces from the reserves. The hall of ethnology, opened in the 1930s, was preserved as a "museum in the museum", reflecting the museum practices of the period. The zoology and prehistory rooms were renovated, the latter in 2016.

The museum houses the headquarters of the Société d'étude des sciences naturelles de Nîmes et du Gard (SESNNG), which has published a Bulletin since 1873. Its collections, with 330,000 pieces, make it the 6th museum of France by their wealth. Its assets include statues-menhirs of the copper age, campaniform vases, or the Déroc Treasure. The former Jesuit college (17th century), which partially hosts the museum, adds an architectural heritage dimension to the site.

The exhibitions and educational workshops, coupled with partnerships like the one with the École de l'ADN, reinforce its vocation of scientific dissemination. The museum remains a key player in regional culture, combining historical heritage and innovation, while preserving spaces such as the hall of ethnology, frozen in its 1930s state to make it a museum testimony.

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