The unicorn room
Themed rooms with distinct atmospheres — among the strangest displays in Paris.
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A museum in two adjoining private mansions in the Marais, combining historic hunting weapons, taxidermy and both old and contemporary art in a thoroughly unusual way. What distinguishes it is the manner of display. This is not a conventional museum arranged chronologically but a sequence of rooms designed like the inside of a house: the dog room, the bird room, the unicorn room — each with its own atmosphere, mixing sixteenth-century pieces with contemporary works commissioned for the space. The mixing is deliberate and makes it one of the most argued-about and admired museums in Paris. Many visitors call it the strangest museum they have seen, and it is a favourite among people interested in design. A plain practical point: the museum shows a great deal of taxidermy and hunting weapons, and its subject is hunting. Anyone who finds that ethically or visually troubling should avoid it — the display does not apologise for its subject. The location in the Marais is walking distance from the National Archives and the Musée Picasso.
Themed rooms with distinct atmospheres — among the strangest displays in Paris.
Artists commissioned for these rooms, shown among historic pieces.
Its fame rests on the manner of display rather than the collection.
Marais, 3rd arrondissement, Paris
Hôtel de Soubise — National ArchivesAn eighteenth-century private mansion in the heart of the Marais, today housing 1 minute walk4.6
Museum of Jewish Art and History (mahJ)A museum in the grand seventeenth-century **Hôtel de Saint-Aignan** in the heart3 minutes walk4.6
Marché des Enfants RougesThe oldest surviving covered market in Paris, in the Marais, trading since 1615 4 minutes walk4.5
Musée PicassoIn the grandest private mansion of the Marais — the Hôtel Salé with its majestic4 minutes walk4.3
Musée CarnavaletThe oldest museum in Paris and the most Parisian: Carnavalet tells the biography6 minutes walk4.8Looking for halal food near Museum of Hunting and Nature? There are several options nearby, from Moroccan and Indian kitchens to quick casual spots and places with a view. Confirm the halal status and opening hours before you go — these can change.
Chez le LibanaisHalalA small counter on Rue Saint-André des Arts, one of the busiest pedestrian stree19 minutes walk · $4.5DeryaHalalDerya is a Turkish grill house on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, the street Parisi18 minutes walk · $4.9Al DarHalalAl Dar is a Lebanese restaurant in the Latin Quarter, a few minutes on foot from17 minutes walk · $$4.1The subject is explicit and unapologetic: weapons and a great deal of taxidermy, some of it large. The museum presents hunting as a historic cultural practice and raises questions about the human relationship with animals, but it takes no oppositional stance. If that troubles you, skip it — Paris has no shortage of alternatives.
It depends. Taxidermy fascinates many children and distresses others, and the weapons need explaining. The museum is not designed for children and its atmosphere is quiet, closer to a private house. For children in Paris, the Musée en Herbe or the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution suit far better.