What began as Le Jardin de Roi, has become an institution for scientific, historic, and obviously, botanical study. The grand buildings surrounding the beautiful French-style gardens include the Mineralogy and Geology Gallery, Discovery Room, Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy Galleries, The Grand Gallery of Evolution, The History of the Jardin des Plantes, and a small zoo. Many exhibits are interactive, too. It's no wonder it attracts families from all over the world.
And it is perhaps for this very reason that le Musée d'Homme has closed. "The formation of the public museum embodies a principle of general human universality in relation to which, whether on the bias of the gendered, racial, class or other social patterns of its exclusions and biases, any particular museum display can be held to be inadequate and therefore in need of supplementation." (Tony Bennett, The Birth of the Museum, p. 91) Being that the museum was founded in the 18th century and has displayed human evolution ever since, many controversial issues must be addressed before its projected reopening in 2014. There's great potential for social change if accomplished effectively.
Où? 52 rue Cuvier, 2 rue Buffon, 36 rue Geoffrey-Saint-Hiliare, place Valhubert, 75005 Paris
Quand? Daily, 7:30am-7:45pm (summer); Daily, 8am-5:30pm (winter) - individual museum hours vary
Comment? Metro Austerlitz, Censier Daubenton, Jussieu; RER C; Bus 24, 57, 61, 63, 67, 89, 91
