February School Holidays at the National Museum 2026: Tours, Activities, and Workshops

Looking to escape the gray winter days without leaving Paris? The National Museum of Natural History has put together an exciting lineup of activities for the Winter Break 2026. From the Great Gallery of Evolution to the Menagerie at the Jardin des Plantes in the 5th arrondissement, there’s plenty to keep both kids and adults entertained with a mix of culture, nature, and scientific discovery. You can find the full schedule on the official Jardin des Plantes website.

Desert Exhibition: The Highlight of the Season

This holiday season's must-see attraction is the Deserts Exhibition at the Great Gallery of Evolution. The MNHN invites visitors to explore the planet’s most extreme environments: vast arid deserts, icy polar landscapes, and unforgiving territories that nonetheless teem with life. How do animals and plants manage to survive in such harsh conditions? This is the focus of the exhibition, offering an immersive look into nature’s incredible adaptation strategies. Open daily except Tuesdays, with tickets ranging from 13 to 16 euros, suitable for all ages.

What workshops are available for children aged 3 to 12?

Kids aged 3 to 12 have plenty to explore at the Grand Gallery of Evolution. The MNHN has developed several family workshops to combine fun and education:

• At the Lion Cubs' School, an interactive story to learn everything about lions;
• Touch and Discover, a tactile exploration of animals with feathers, fur, or scales;
• (R)Evolution Planetary, a role-playing game to understand the challenges of biodiversity and climate change;
• Furniture Weaving Workshop: Braid Your Animal, to learn about woven objects from desert regions and create a woven animal.

Family Guided Tours at the Jardin des Plantes

Led by a science educator from the MNHN, both kids and adults can select from a variety of guided tours designed to be engaging and unique:

• Follow the footprints to journey into the heart of the deserts, exploring the tracks left by the animals and humans who inhabit them;
• Animal stories, a narrated walk centered around the key animals featured in the Great Gallery of Evolution.

• To be read
• This week's top deals in Paris and Île-de-France, from February 16 to 22, 2026
• Parenting outings on Wednesday, February 18, 2026: family-friendly activities across Paris and Île-de-France
• Free museums and monuments in Paris and the Ile-de-France region: cultural tips

Adults also have their own dedicated session with the guided tour Discovering the Deserts, offering a deeper dive into the major themes of the exhibition.

What free activities are included with your admission ticket?

Exciting interactive activities, included with your ticket, add a lively touch to visits for all ages:

• Deserts don’t faze them, exploring how animals and plants adapt to arid environments;
• Ice Deserts, everything you need to know about species living in polar desert regions;
• Seeing in all the colors, on the optical properties of minerals and natural light phenomena;
• Bring your rock along, where a geologist shares the story behind your casual finds;
• The carnivores' feeding time, watch caracals, Chinese leopards, and long-legged panthers being fed at the Ménagerie, Jardin des Plantes Zoo.

In short, if you're looking for a fun family outing during the February 2026 holidays, the Jardin des Plantes offers plenty to satisfy everyone's curiosity. To reserve your tickets and check the detailed schedule for each activity, visit the dedicated winter holiday page of the Jardin des Plantes.

So, off to the Museum of Natural History during the February vacations?