The Pasteur museum

The Pasteur Museum: an immersive journey into the history of the institute and its founder

In 1888, Louis Pasteur moved into an apartment purpose-built for him on the premises of his recently inaugurated institute. Today this apartment turned museum captures the essence of the man, with its period furniture, personal items and scientific instruments. Everything is in place, as if Louis Pasteur had just gone out for a walk.

Behind the scenes... The museum is reinventing itself!

Take a peek behind the scenes of a major museum project designed to preserve our heritage! Watch our exclusive videos for an insider's view of our restoration and refurbishment works.

Visit the museum ... from the comfort of your own sofa

The Google Arts & Culture platform allows you to bring the Pasteur Museum into your own home.
It gives you the freedom to explore the different floors of the museum, admire our collections, and discover the highlights of Louis Pasteur's scientific work. The museum is committed to bringing this extraordinary legacy alive and making it accessible to all, whether you're in Paris, France or on the other side of the world. An immersive and enriching experience for all curious minds.

Program:

•    Louis Pasteur's Apartment, kept as it was in his lifetime – an amazing journey back in time;
•    The Scientific Souvenir Room, which bears witness to the illustrious scientist's many discoveries;
•    The Byzantine-style Crypt, where Louis Pasteur is buried alongside his wife Marie.
 

Themed exhibitions that can be downloaded free of charge

The Pasteur Museum has put together a selection of downloadable digital exhibitions allowing you to find out more about key milestones in Louis Pasteur's life and his discoveries.
Each exhibition focuses on a different topic, such as molecular crystallography, the development of the rabies vaccine and Louis Pasteur's revolutionary work on fermentation and pasteurization, showing how one man changed the course of modern medicine and science.

An extensive art and science collection

Both a science and art museum, the Pasteur Museum is also a rare testimony to late 19th-century decorative art.

From home to heritage: the story of the Pasteur Museum

In 1888, Louis Pasteur and his wife moved into an apartment within the institute grounds. He lived there until his death in 1895. Marie Pasteur died in 1910.

For over twenty years, the silence that reigned over this space was broken only by the occasional special event held there. 

Then, on May 20, 1936, Louis Pasteur's apartment became the Pasteur Museum, a commemorative museum showcasing over a century's history and scientific discoveries.