Since 1832 the oldest museum in La Rochelle has occupied what was once the Hôtel du Gouvernement. Once the building was handed over to the town by Napoleon during his visit here in 1808, the museum was created to house the unique and intriguing Lafaille collection of shellfish, molluscs, crustaceans, fossils, minerals etc. Also of interest are the stuffed giraffe, the extensive zoology room and the ethnographic collections that whisk visitors away on a journey of discovery.