There are so many beautiful gardens and parks in Paris. This isn’t my first article about a Parisian garden; I’ve written entire posts about the Luxembourg garden, the Palais Royal garden, the Monceau park and the Buttes Chaumont park. Today, I am writing about one of the best kid-friendly gardens in Paris: the “Botanical garden” (“Jardin des Plantes”), located in the 5th arrondissement. If I there’s one Parisian garden with tons of things to do for kids (and adults too!), it’s undoubtedly the Botanical garden. It is a perfect place for a family day out.
Here’s how to visit as well as what you need to know about the beautiful Jardin des Plantes!
What to see & do?
The Jardin des Plantes (The Botanical garden)
When? Every day.
Is it worth it?
Yes! It is incontestably one of the 5 best gardens in Paris with the Luxembourg garden, the Tuileries garden, the Monceau park, and the Buttes Chaumont park. Created in 1635, the Jardin des Plantes spans over 23.5 hectares. It houses 8,500 species of plants. There is so much to do and see inside the Jardin des Plantes.
The garden itself is subdivided into 11 gardens:
• The Perspective Squares and its long alleys span over 2.5 hectares in the main central section, between the Gallery of Evolution and the statue of Lamarck on the banks of the Seine river,
• A ‘Garden of useful plants’ with many medicinal plants, textile plants, aromatic plants, etc. to discover,
• A ‘Botanical school’ for both amateurs and professionals,
• An ‘Alpine garden’ with over 2,000 species of mountain plants (closed from November to March),
• An ‘Ecological garden’ which houses the flora and fauna of the greater Parisian region,
• A ‘Rose and rock garden’ with 390 species of botanical roses,
• A Maze with its ‘Gloriette de Buffon’, an iron gazebo,
• A ‘Peony garden’ with Japanese peonies and magnolias,
• A ‘Bees and birds garden’,
• An ‘Iris and perennials garden’ (closed during the weekends),
• Greenhouses (7€ – scroll below for more info).
Galerie de paléontologie (Gallery of Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy)
When? Every day except Tuesdays | Opens from 10am to 6pm.
Is it worth it?
This museum is worth it if you are interested in Paleontology and/or Anatomy. The ground floor is dedicated to the Comparative anatomy and the first floor to the Paleontology (and the second floor to the invertebrates). The collections are quite impressive; among the most remarkable specimens, there are the skeleton of Louis XV’s rhino, the skeleton of a 20-meter long whale and the only authentic skeleton of Woolly mammoth outside Russia. The only downside is that all of the signage is in French, none in English. Although the Comparative anatomy floor is particularly interesting and quite impressive, the Paleontology section doesn’t stand the comparison with the Natural History museums in Atlanta, Brussels or Berlin. However, it’s a good museum for children.
Grande galerie de l’évolution (Gallery of Evolution)
When? Every day except Tuesdays | Opens from 10am to 6pm.
Is it worth it?
This child-friendly attraction is totally worth a visit while in Paris with kids.
Around 7000 specimens are on display. Although I am not a big fan of taxidermy, I have to admit that the quality of work is outstanding.
The ground floor is dedicated to the marine species, the first floor to the terrestrial species, the second floor to the impact of mankind on our environment and on other species, and the third floor to the evolution and its mechanisms. There are also rooms about extinct and endangered species (and a room dedicated to the dodos).
The exhibit “Ocean: Diving into the unknown” was very interesting. The ocean covers 71% of our planet and yet, it remains largely unexplored. I admit that we went to this museum mainly to see this excellent exhibition. The museum regularly holds temporary exhibitions. For more info, it’s here.
Galerie de Minéralogie et de géologie (Gallery of Mineralogy and Geology)
When? Every day except Tuesdays | Opens from 10am to 6pm.
Is it worth it?
Full disclosure: Krishna is a big fan of crystals, stones, rocks and meteorites. The prospect of a mineralogy and geology museum was a treat. It is worth to note that the collection is one of the oldest in the world (dating back to 1625). It is true that the museum is very small but the collection is very nice. We were particularly impressed by the size of the quartz stones.
Grandes serres (Greenhouses)
When? Every day except Tuesdays | Opens 10am to 6pm.
Is it worth it?
There are four greenhouses: the Tropical rainforests greenhouse, the Deserts and Arid habitats greenhouse, the New-Caledonia greenhouse and the History of the evolution of plants greenhouse. I visited the greenhouses 10 years ago; and although I very much liked it and I highly recommend it, I didn’t feel the need to visit again though!
Galerie de Botanique (Botanical Gallery)
When? Every day except Tuesdays | Opens from 10am to 6pm.
Is it worth it?
This gallery, dedicated to botany, is the largest herbarium in the world; it possesses a collection of 8 million specimens of plants. It is part of the combo ticket with the Greenhouses. I recommend it.
Cabinet de réalité virtuelle (Virtual Reality Room)
When? Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays outside the school holidays and every day except Tuesdays during the school holidays | Opens from 10:30am to 5:30pm.
Is it worth it?
Located on the 3rd floor of the Gallery of Evolution, you can try one of the 2 experiences offered:
- A Journey into the heart of Evolution,
- Or a Virtual Arctic expedition.
We didn’t try this attraction as it was closed the day we visited the Gallery of Evolution.
Galerie des enfants (Gallery of Children)
When? Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays outside the school holidays and every day except Tuesdays during the school holidays | Opens from 10am to 6pm.
Is it worth it?
We didn’t try this one…yet! But we will surely do when peanut is older.
Ménagerie du jardin des plantes (Zoo)
When? Every day from 9am to 6-6:30pm.
Is it worth it?
We intentionally didn’t visit this attraction. Personally, it makes us both sad to see animals in captivity. We never visit zoos. We are animal and wildlife lovers; and most of the time, we choose to see animals in their natural habitats, in the wild, not behind bars nor glass (even though we don’t always succeed at seeing them in the wild!). We heard about the Menagerie and their wildlife conservation project. However, the enclosures are too small for the animals and many visitors reported seeing distressed animals pacing catatonically around their cages; this is heartbreaking.
Events and exhibitions
When? Throughout the year. For more info, check out their website for all the current and upcoming events in the Jardin des Plantes.
Is it worth it?
The exhibition “Ocean: Diving into the unknown” held in the Gallery of Evolution was very interesting.
In November 2019 – January 2020, the Jardin des Plantes organized a nocturnal light festival, “Illuminated Ocean”, a real immersion into the wonders of the ocean.
Where? In the 5th arrondissement, near the Sorbonne university. Entrances at Place Valhubert, rue Cuvier, rue Buffon, and rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire.
Access? Gare d’Austerlitz station (Metro Lines 5 and 10), Jussieu (Metro Line 7) and Quai de la Rapée station (Metro Line 5).
Book your experience now
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