Garden of Plants

In 1626, King Louis XIII built the Jardin des Plantes in the heart of Paris as a royal garden of medicinal plants. Four centuries later it is the setting for the National Museum of Natural History**. This unique place attracts thousands of visitors every year who come to enjoy the museum, botanical and zoological gardens, research centre and university.

True biodiversity

This constantly evolving place will take you from the rose and rock gardens to the alpine garden (guided tours available by reservation). Here, children will be able to run from one plant to another, learning how to recognise different mountain plant species, before running off to get lost in the maze. They will delight in spotting hedgehogs and lizards who for years have done the job of insecticides and herbicides. To complete their experience, kids can enjoy a lesson at the botanical school, a real open-air nature museum!

A change of scenery

They will also love the Menagerie, one of the oldest small zoos in the world, as well as the impressive Grandes Serres greenhouses, which date back to the 17th century. The oldest, built in 1714, once sheltered a coffee plant sent to Louis XIV. The greenhouses and their exotic plants were also the inspiration for painter Henri Rousseau’s “The Snake Charmer,” today on display at the Musée d’Orsay.