Natural History Museum of Bourges, Bourges
Plan your visit
Bourges Cathedral and Museums
6 attractions · 7h 34min · transit route
Tickets ~€18.5
Step-by-step route with transport options and cost breakdown
About Natural History Museum of Bourges
The Natural History Museum of Bourges (Muséum Gabriel Foucher) was founded in 1927 by Canon Gabriel Foucher, an entomologist and priest at Bourges Cathedral. It occupies a former cartridge factory near the Rives d'Auron park, where it moved in 1931 after receiving 28 naturalized animals from the Paris National Museum of Natural History — including Hans, the oldest naturalized elephant in France. The museum covers 2,000 square meters of exhibition space across two main permanent galleries: "A chacun sa place" explores global biodiversity through dioramas, animated displays, and live specimens including stick insects and snakes; "Cosmos destination Berry" traces the history of the universe from the Big Bang to the Berry region's landscape.
Natural History Museum of Bourges — Planning Your Visit
Opening Hours
Ticket Prices
General Admission
RecommendedIn day plans, the recommended ticket is pre-selected and included in the total price.
Combine with 5 nearby attractions for a full day
From €18.5 / person — all tickets and transport included — transit route with total cost breakdown
The museum's kouprey specimen arrived in 1931 labeled simply as a "Cambodian ox, gift from the Minister of the Marine." For 72 years nobody realized what it actually was. In 2003, mammalogy specialists identified it as a kouprey (Bos sauveli) — making it the only complete naturalized specimen of this species anywhere in the world. The kouprey is now functionally extinct in the wild, with the last confirmed photograph taken in 1960 and the last reported sighting in 1988.
Travel Plans for Natural History Museum of Bourges
Explore a city in one day
- Step-by-step walking route through the city
- Transport options with travel times and fares
- Entrance fees and opening hours for every stop
- Total cost calculated based on your preferences
Day Routes
Bourges Cathedral and Museums
Bourges
Nearby Attractions
Bourges Cathedral
Lallemant Mansion — Museum of Decorative Arts
Bourges Cathedral