National Museum of Natural History, Paris

The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, founded in 1793 during the French Revolution, occupies several buildings within the Jardin des Plantes in Paris's 5th arrondissement. Its centerpiece, the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution, reopened in 1994 after a 28-year closure and displays over 7,000 specimens across four floors exploring marine life, terrestrial ecosystems, and the mechanisms of evolution. The ground floor features a southern right whale skeleton and deep-sea creatures, while the first floor holds the famous African animal caravan — more than 100 taxidermied animals arranged in a procession across the central nave.