Musee d'Histoire Naturelle et d'Ethnographie (Museum of Natural History and Ethnography), Colmar

Discover the Museum of Natural History and Ethnography, a charming gem nestled in the heart of Colmar’s Petite Venise district. Founded in 1859 by the Colmar Natural History and Ethnography Society, this museum is housed in a beautiful historic building that formerly served as the town’s schoolhouse and earlier as the town hall. It was officially inaugurated in its current location in 1985, and since 2003, it has held the prestigious “Museum of France” label.

Over two floors and eleven rooms, visitors encounter a spectacular array of collections. On the ground floor, the taxidermy section features regional wildlife-crane, fox, boar-and exotic specimens including primates, reptiles, and marine creatures. The museum’s impressive aquariums showcase both saltwater reef biotopes and freshwater cichlids from Lake Malawi, bringing marine biodiversity to life. Upstairs, geology and paleontology displays highlight local fossils, mammoth tusks, mineral samples, and a rare ichthyosaur. Highlights also include one of Alsace’s only public collections of ancient Egyptian antiquities-mummies, sarcophagi, papyri, and copte textiles-and an extraordinary ethnographic suite featuring artifacts from Polynesia (notably the Marquesas), China, Africa, and Latin America.

Perfect for families, curious travelers, and those interested in natural sciences or global cultures, it offers both permanent displays and rotating temporary exhibitions-such as the current Paleobotanica: At the Roots of Life (Paleobotanica: Aux Racines du Vivant)-alongside guided tours, workshops, and special activities during school holidays. With affordable entrance fees, multilingual labels (French, German, English), and a prime location close to the train station (just 1 kilometer) and the picturesque canal district, a visit here makes a delightful addition to any itinerary in Colmar.