Natural History Museum Bern

Nid de Pica: un endroit comme on n’en a encore jamais vu dans les musées: cet espace de découverte de l’univers forestier pour toute la famille est un concept innovant dans le paysage muséal. Un lieu pour faire des découvertes, jouer, lire, boire un café et se détendre. Les enfants apprennent à connaître cet habitat que représente la forêt de manière ludique et pédagogique.

Le Musée d’histoire naturelle est un musée pour les familles. Aujourd’hui déjà, familles et enfants ont tout le loisir de découvrir par eux-mêmes le large éventail d’événements et d’activités que ce lieu propose. Désormais, l’institution de la Bourgeoisie de Berne étend son offre à un lieu dont de nombreux parents, grands-parents, parrains et marraines ou autres accompagnateurs ont probablement rêvé: un havre de paix pour la famille. Ici, tout ce qui fait plaisir est permis: jouer en toute insouciance avec les parents, les autres enfants ou tout seul, toucher les objets, laisser libre cours à son envie de bouger et même faire parfois un peu de bruit, et ce dans un cadre où tout le monde se sent bien. 

60 animaux dans un hêtre géant

Le nid de Pica est un concept innovant dans le paysage muséal. D’une part, il s’agit d’une exposition pour enfants adaptée aux besoins des petits visiteurs. D’autre part, c’est un lieu où les familles peuvent se retirer, permettant aux accompagnateurs de jouer avec les enfants ou de profiter d’un moment de repos et de détente avec un café et un magazine. Pica, c’est le nom de la pie espiègle et mascotte des offres de médiation au Musée d’histoire naturelle. 

Le hêtre géant est l’élément central du nid de Pica. Environ 60 animaux de la forêt se sont dissimulés dans ses racines, dans son tronc et dans son feuillage. Certains des animaux naturalisés sont cachés dans l’arbre, tandis que d’autres sont assis bien en vue sur les branches. Sur les murs, vous pouvez voir les sympathiques créatures de la célèbre illustratrice de livres pour enfants Kathrin Schärer. 

Une exposition sans textes

Le concept du nid de Pica fait en sorte que les enfants ne soient pas inondés d’informations, l’exposition pour enfants se veut donc pédagogique tout en se déroulant dans une ambiance décontractée. Les enfants assimilent des connaissances de manière ludique: ils découvrent ainsi la biodiversité de la forêt en jouant. Les enfants choisissent eux-mêmes les animaux sur lesquels ils veulent en apprendre davantage. Les pièces ne sont pas accompagnées d’étiquettes: le nid de Pica se passe de textes d’exposition. Pour les plus curieux, on peut toutefois trouver des petits textes amusants sur toutes les espèces animales dans le grand livre mis à disposition, que les enfants peuvent parcourir seuls ou avec l’aide de quelqu’un. Ces textes courts et divertissants nous apprennent par exemple que le papillon citron se laisse geler en hiver ou que le mâle rouge-gorge peut chanter jusqu’à 275 mélodies. 

L’hêtre d’autrefois 35 mètres de haut provient de Suisse orientale. Il a fallu l’abattre pour des raisons de sécurité. Le transport et le séchage de l’arbre se sont avérés être un défi majeur pour les créateurs. En raison de sa taille imposante et de son poids, le tronc a dû être scié en plusieurs parties d’une envergure tout aussi impressionnante, à l’image de la racine de plus de deux mètres de haut. 

La cabane à livres: un véritable havre de paix

Son nom sonne comme une promesse: le nid de Pica offre également des endroits où l’on peut se retirer au calme pour des moments de détente. La cabane à livres abrite quelque 150 livres illustrés sur la nature pour tous les âges. Mais les visiteurs du nid plus âgés y trouveront aussi leur bonheur. En plus des emplacements pour s’assoir, une machine à café et des magazines sont mis à disposition. Le pique-nique est également autorisé. Les poussettes peuvent être déposées devant le nid de Pica sur les places de parking nouvellement créées.

Qui sont les créateurs?

L’espace de découverte de l’univers forestier a été conçu par l’équipe de médiation et de conception du Musée d’histoire naturelle en coopération avec la filiale suisse de la société allemande Kukuk, qui crée des espaces de jeu et d’activités uniques à travers l’Europe et est également responsable du populaire terrain de jeu d’Elfenau. 

Polar bears, musk oxen and seals bask against a backdrop of changing light as day turns into ice-blue polar night - all within a matter of minutes.

This part of the exhibition provides a glimpse into the life of the animals of the Northern Hemisphere. Alongside the typical inhabitants of the North Pole it features the three largest bear species in the world (polar, grizzly and Kodiak), plus an equally awe-inspiring display of walruses, seals and musk oxen. The bird diorama presents some of Norway's most skilful aerial and aquatic acrobats. While the animal specimens are a time-honoured part of the Museum's collection, the light show which takes the visitor through a whole day in the icy North is a more recent attraction.

Scientific collections store millions of animals and plants. These valuable archives of nature document biodiversity - the variety of life - and enable basic research into the evolution, distribution and diversity of living organisms. Further work on deepening our knowledge of biodiversity is also invaluable for our society: for example, active substances and materials from nature that are still undiscovered today could be groundbreaking for future developments in medicine or agriculture.

But the irreplaceable diversity of life, which is essential for human survival, is endangered, and its exploration is more urgent today than ever: of the estimated 10 million species, only about 2.1 million species have been documented, and countless disappear forever every day, along with their habitats such as rainforests or wild river landscapes.

With this exhibition, the museum opens part of its scientific collections to the public. A walk through the "Wunderkammer" provides insight into current collection activities, modern research methods and irreplaceable historical collections - an extraordinary tour of one of the most pressing problems of the present day.

Together with artist Eva Baumann, children and families make insects out of natural materials. In the process, they learn a lot about the structure and habitats of native insects. The insects made can be taken home or added to the museum's collection.

Always on the second Saturday of the month (except July and August).

Registration: No reservation is required.

More information here!

This exhibition, a highlight of the Museum, presents one of the most important finds the Alps have yielded in the last 300 years: almost two tonnes of spectacularly beautiful quartz crystal, which are on display in the "treasure chamber".

On September 21st 2005 the crystal hunters Franz von Arx and Paul von Känel opened up a cavity in the rock of their exploratory mine on the Planggenstock peak in the canton of Uri. There, glinting in the light of their torches, were almost fifty large, unusually clear and perfectly formed quartz crystals and crystal clusters.  These are now on display in the Museum's "treasure chamber". Specialised lighting makes the minerals, which are as clear as glass, seem to glow from within. The jewel in the exhibition's crown, a beautifully composed crystal cluster weighing 300 kg, turns slowly about its own axis so it can be admired from all sides. The short film which is shown in the cinema area documents the astounding work of the two crystal hunters.

Simple aquatic organisms became fish, left the water as amphibians and then morphed into reptiles. This exhibition tells the fascinating story of evolution.

The objects, displays and simple texts which make up this exhibition provide an excellent introduction to vertebrate evolution. Visitors are taken step by step through the multi-million-year process leading from our earliest jawless ancestor to the modern human.

What's that rustling in the attic? What's that scurrying through the undergrowth? Familiar though Switzerland's fauna may be, many species are elusive and not often seen. The "Animals of Switzerland" exhibition has protected heritage status and provides visitors and locals alike with a glimpse of the diversity on our doorstep.

The Natural History Museum's "Animals of Switzerland" exhibit opened at the start of the Second World War. Many of its first visitors were members of the armed forces, for the intention behind the 164 dioramas was to show the soldiers what an incredible wealth of natural treasures they were defending on Switzerland's borders. The time-honoured display of 610 native animal specimens continues to be a central pillar of the museum even now. Not only is it of great historic value, it also serves as an important record of the biodiversity of the day. Some of the species on show are now extinct, and others did die out in Switzerland but have now returned, such as the lynx. The craftsmanship and high aesthetic quality of the historic dioramas are as impressive today as they were almost eighty years ago. Typical Alpine species such as the rock ptarmigan and mountain hare are shown in both their summer and winter plumage or pelage. The exhibition features over 145 bird species alone, from the house sparrow to the much rarer little owl.

Beetles, insects, butterflies and moths, slugs, snails and molluscs are the stars of an exhibition which combines large-screen projections, short films and over 1,000 objects to provide fascinating insights into the colourful world of invertebrates.

Believing ourselves to be the crowning glory of creation, we humans often forget that Earth is the planet of the insects. Approximately three-quarters of all known animal species are insects, and life is unimaginable without them. What would happen if they were all suddenly to die out? Scientists agree that it wouldn't be long until humans followed suit. Not only do insects help plants to reproduce, they also play a crucial role in keeping our planet tidy. If they stopped going about their invisible activities, huge piles of dung and rotting carcasses would accumulate in no time.

The exhibition explores the complex relationship between invertebrates and humans, delving into the distant past to show fossilized specimens from ages long gone, but also shedding light on extant species which have remained almost unchanged for millions of years.

Savez-vous où se trouvent les mains d’un cheval et pourquoi l’éléphant marche sur la pointe des pieds ? Cette exposition moderne d’une collection de squelettes de près de 150 ans ne manque pas de chair !

Les 328 squelettes d’animaux reposaient autrefois à l’Université de Berne, à l’institut d’Anatomie. Cette vénérable collection, la plus grande de ce type en Suisse, servait uniquement à des fins scientifiques. Le Musée d’histoire naturelle hérita de ces squelettes, et de 518 os isolés, et insuffla une nouvelle vie à ces objets. L’exposition conjugue esthétique scientifique et goût pour le frisson dans un esprit de foire et de cabaret. Les attractions : le squelette de rorqual de 23 mètres de long, le manège des os ou l’éléphant africain tué par le chasseur de gros gibier Bernard von Wattenwyl et naturalisé.

The celebrated exhibition at the heart of the Museum has been transporting visitors to a fascinating faraway continent for generations. The story behind this particular collection stars a big game hunter and his daughter, who during one fateful safari was catapulted into the adventure of a lifetime.

The collection of large African animals is an integral part of the Museum's history. The building in Bernastrasse that houses the Museum today was built by the Burgher Community of Bern especially to display the over one hundred animals which big game hunter Bernard von Wattenwyl had shot in the course of two hunting safaris to East Africa in 1923-24. The dioramas transport the observer to the African plains and jungle forests, and do an extraordinary job of bringing these habitats to life. The quality of the specimens and the way in which they were presented formed the basis of the Museum's international reputation back in the day, and the fascination of the dioramas, which now have protected heritage status, has not faded in the slightest.

The collection is also closely tied up with the gripping story of Vivienne von Wattenwyl, who was just twenty-four when her father (having already bagged eighteen lions) was fatally injured by the nineteenth. The young woman continued with the safari regardless, even going on to claim a male white rhino as a trophy of her own. Vivienne wrote about her experiences in two books which were received enthusiastically by readers including Ernest Hemmingway. Her story also forms the basis of the historical novel «Die Tochter des Jägers» (The Hunter's Daughter) by Swiss author Lukas Hartmann.

Rocks are an inexhaustible archive that contains a wealth of information about the Earth's structure and the history of life. The exhibition presents a cross-section of the Museum's geological treasures.

Daily life brings us into constant contact with natural crystals without us even realising. Cars, computers, buildings and bridges are all made out of minerals. The 2,300 minerals and rocks on display here are both fascinating and beautiful, with topaz, apatite, calcite and the likes creating a true feast for the eyes. The Natural History Museum also specializes in extraterrestrials - or at least extraterrestrial rock in the form of meteorites. Members of the Earth Sciences team played a leading role in the discovery of the Twannberg meteorite field, the only known strewn field in Switzerland.