Palais de Rumine - geology and zoology

Palais de Rumine
Permanent exhibition

Information

Location

Palais de Rumine

Place de la Riponne 6
CH - 1005 Lausanne

Permanent exhibition

Geology - 3rd floor

Immerse yourself in our mineralogy and paleontology collections, with remarkable specimens. Discover meteorites, hundreds of minerals and a unique collection of precious stones.

Fossils, archives of life
The paleontology collection features fossils from all the major geological subdivisions of the past. Some remarkable pieces are on display at the Palais de Rumine, including the dodo, the swiss mammoth from the local village Le Brassus, the ichthyosaur from Holzmaden, giant fossil palms from northern Italy and the “giant of Valais”.

Amazing Crystals
Precious or semi-precious, gems and crystals will fascinate you with their abundance of shapes and colors.

The underside of the Alps
An illuminated model will take you deep into the geological layers of our regions, from the Matterhorn to the Jura.

[Translate to English:] Plusieurs gros animaux africains taxidermisés

Zoology - 5th floor

Inspired by the museography of the 19t^h and even 18^th centuries, the permanent zoology exhibition has an old-fashioned charm all of its own. Impressive exhibits await you, including the tiger, the moose and the great white shark. At 5.89 m, our shark is the largest naturalized specimen in the world!

Extinct animals
The zoology department boasts a small but invaluable collection of extinct animals. One room is dedicated to them, and provides an overview of the current threats to biodiversity and ways of preserving it.

The comparative anatomy room
Designed for university teaching purposes, this “museum within a museum” has undergone few modifications and still offers its impressive display of rows of jars and skeletons. A showcase designed by artist Sabrina Biro and entitled “Monstre Double” (Double Monster) features animals with two heads. An exhibition on invertebrates completes the presentation.

Cryptozoology area
Our museum boasts the world's largest collection of cryptozoology, the science of animals we're not sure exist. A special area is devoted to cryptozoology in the comparative anatomy room.

Infos pratiques