Natural History Museum and Vivarium of Tournai

Founded in 1828, the Natural History Museum of Tournai is the oldest museum in Belgium to be open to the public. Its 19th century neoclassical setting features rich collections of animal species and a vivarium. The building was designed by architect Bruno Renard.

The charming museum is divided into two parts. The collection and the vivarium.
The gallery is dedicated to the evolution of the animal world. It unveils significant collections of animals from all over the world. The “cabinet of curiosities” plunges the visitor into the atmosphere of natural history cabinets of the nineteenth century and presents thousands of species from around the world such as the Ganges gavial or the Komodo monitor, but also the first elephant that arrived in Belgium in 1839. The second room exhibits dioramas of 4 typical natural environments in the Tournai region, Belgian and European biotopes, as well as ecosystems that are threatened, such as in Antarctica, the African savannah or even the Sahara Desert.

The tour of the museum continues with the visit of the vivarium. It houses more than 70 species of reptiles, amphibians, fish and various invertebrates. Outside, the museum also has a splendid greenhouse with exotic butterflies.

For more information, visit the city of Tournai's website.