The museum can be found in the attic of the church of Le Bourg-d’Oisans. It houses a rich collection of minerals and an elaborate display of Alpine wildlife.
This museum offers a fun way to discover the natural and cultural heritage of Oisans. The temporary exhibitions held here give you another reason to come back again and again.
![Cristaux de la Gardette au Musée des minéraux et de la faune des Alpes]()
Cristaux de la Gardette ©Musée des minéraux et de la faune des Alpes
![La plus grande collection de minéraux alpin]()
La plus grande collection de minéraux alpin ©Musée des minéraux et de la faune des Alpes
![Musée des minéraux et de la faune des Alpes]()
Faune des Alpes ©Musée des minéraux et de la faune des Alpes
Video
Alpine wildlife
Venture slowly into the museum, without making a sound, and listen carefully to the different cries of the animals that resonate through this warm and intimate setting.
You’ll hear the wolf howling into the night, the cries of the eagle and singing of the birds. All around you, the animals will be watching you or just going about their day in an exact replica of their natural habitat. You’ll see the deer with its whole family, the marmot having fun between the Alpine ibexes and the mountain sheep, not-to-mention the majestic black grouse. The birds of the night or day will take you by surprise with their superb feathers, some of them carrying out their courtship ritual. The small mammals will also surprise you with their brown and white fur. You’ll be able to see all of these Alpine inhabitants up close, because up at the peaks, it’s more difficult to catch a glimpse of these animals, who are more likely to watch you discreetly from afar.
The Minerals
At Le Bourg-d’Oisans Museum you’ll see the first collection of Alpine minerals in France.
Put on your headlamp, pick up your ice pick and set off to discover these minerals, the glistening treasures of Oisans. Come and discover the quartz, some of them with specks of gold or silver, probably extracted from the famous Gardette mine. You’ll also see some pyrite, known as “fool’s gold”, or amethyst, the deep purple rock crystal. You’ll marvel at the samples that are bigger than a pillow, or more fragile than a shard of glass. Ask Stephanie at the front desk to show you the video in the projection room. It will take you through the breath-taking account of a crystal maker on a quest for his treasures.
There are also some interesting informative panels, created by Grenoble Museum and the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research), to learn all about the complexity behind the chemistry of minerals and crystallography, throughout your visit. You’ll see how complex the research in this field is and why this has fascinated the great names of science for centuries. You’ll learn about how crystals are formed and why they don’t all take the same geometric shape.
Geology
Let’s go back to the era of the dinosaurs, and in just a few minutes, retrace the millions of years right up to the present day.
Observe how the ocean became a mountain; how the Alpine landscapes were formed, and specifically, how Oisans came to be. You’ll learn about the different rocks that make up the ground we walk on, and where they came from. A fascinating and fun journey back in time.
geology centre: https://asso-cgo.fr/
Location
The Museum of Minerals and Alpine Wildlife is just next to the church of Le Bourg-d’Oisans.
