Ocean Dreams at the Natural History Museum: a free, immersive dive into life under the sea

From June 6 to 8, 2026, the National Museum of Natural History puts the Ocean in the spotlight with Dreams of the Ocean, a free event featuring films, exploration stories, a photo exhibition and an immersive screening.

What if we took three days to see the Ocean in a different light? From Saturday, June 6 to Monday, June 8, 2026, the Jardin des Plantes and the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution in Paris host The Dreams of the Ocean, a family-friendly event dedicated to this vast, living, and fragile realm. The idea is simple: invite visitors to explore the blue planet through images, stories, encounters, and immersive installations. Admission is free, during the garden’s hours and the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution.

Located in Paris’s 5th arrondissement, the Jardin des Plantes stands as one of the National Museum of Natural History’s flagship historic sites. Part garden, part promenade, part scientific hub and gateway to several galleries, it has long embodied the Museum’s mission: to illuminate the living world, tell its story, pass on knowledge, and raise awareness of the diversity of nature. With its Grande Galerie de l’Évolution, its collections and its outdoor spaces, the venue is ideally suited to this kind of journey—where scientific curiosity meets an emotional encounter with living things.

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For Les Rêves de l’Océan, the Museum presents three major installations. At the Explorers’ Cinema, a festival of films and stories highlights the scientific and human adventure of the sea, tied to the Museum’s marine collections. Scientists, explorers and filmmakers share their perspectives on the poles, the tropics, coastlines and the depths.

The tour continues with a photographic exhibition devoted to botos, the pink Amazonian dolphins. Finally, on the Milne Edwards esplanade, a geodesic dome hosts the immersive screening Ocean Dreams: Stories of Hope. The film takes visitors from the Norwegian waters to Raja Ampat, from the Galápagos to Bikini Atoll, highlighting the diversity of underwater life and reminding us what still needs protection.

The Dreams of the Ocean 2026 lineup at the Jardin des Plantes:

The Explorers' Cinema

Immersive storytelling on the ocean's secrets, by the experts who study it, at the Grand Gallery Auditorium

Beneath the whales, the botos: spirits of the Amazon

Photo exhibition at the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution

The Neptune Dome, a plunge into the ocean's dreams

Immersive projection on the forecourt of the Jardin des Plantes

With this event, the Museum offers more than a blue interlude in the heart of Paris. It also underscores a fundamental idea: the Ocean is not a distant backdrop, but a living environment on which the planet’s balance depends. The activities are free, yet you will still need to purchase an entry ticket to the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution.

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