Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature

The Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature is housed within the Hôtel de Guénégaud, the only private mansion in Paris designed by the celebrated seventeenth-century architect François Mansart that remains standing today. While its name suggests a traditional display of weaponry and taxidermy, the museum functions primarily as a cabinet of curiosities designed to explore the deep, complex relationship between humans and the animal world. Wealthy industrialist François Sommer and his wife, Jacqueline, founded the museum in 1964 as a private institution, transforming these historic halls into a space where classical art and contemporary installations coexist. You will find works by masters like Rubens and Chardin displayed alongside eccentric modern pieces, such as a room dedicated to the unicorn or a ceiling intricately crafted from owl feathers.