Vivarium | Muséum de Tournai

Founded in 1828 under the Dutch period, the first museum in the country opens its doors to the public in 1829. In 1839, the museum moved into a gallery and a square hall designed by architect Bruno Renard in its current location, that of the former brewery of the abbey Saint Martin. During its expansion and refurbishment, inaugurated in June 2001, set design has ensured to preserve the "cabinet of curiosities" which immerses visitors in the mood for natural history cabinets of the nineteenth century and a gallery of animals naturalized as rare and extraordinary. You can discover in particular the first elephant arrived in Belgium in 1839. A living museum The Natural History Museum is characterized further by the presence of a vivarium where fish, tarantulas, live amphibians and reptiles evolve in restored habitats. Mingle and species as fabulous as the spectacled caimans, poisonous frogs of the Amazon, rare Egyptian tortoises or boas Jamaica today endangered. A network museum The museum of Tournai, is also ... a contribution to protection and breeding programs of endangered wildlife. The Museum of Natural History in Tournai is a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (E.A.Z.A.). This association brings together the biggest European zoos and main tasks the need to protect endangered species through coordinated programs of breeding and raising awareness of citizens in the conservation of nature. educational activities For students of secondary education, the activities are organized and designed on the basis of science programs across all networks; these activities are designed to illustrate many concepts covered in class. In animations, students roam the gallery, the room slideshows, the showroom and vivarium in order to observe the unsung animals, rare, impressive or difficult to observe in nature. The proximity allows specimens including analysis of certain anatomical details. The animations are interactive and want are enhanced by the use of various media such as information panels, pictures or videos. Students also have the opportunity to touch some animals, as well as driven. In the context of workshops, while being supervised, students have the equipment installed in the educational room, such as binocular loupes, microscopes, insect boxes, models of animals ... Thus, the students leisure to observe the details of the animal and plant world, and pay attention to the specifics of each of the species presented. Recommended sites: General Commission for Tourism - http://cgt.tourismewallonie.be European Association of Zoos and Aquariums - www.eaza.net International Information System for Animal species - www.isis.org