Museums
Blue Penny Museum
The Blue Penny Musuem is located in the biggest mall of Port Louis, the Caudan Waterfront. The modern musuem, which is dedicated to the history and art of the island, was opened in november 2001. Since then it attracts a lot of visitors.
The musuem exhibits two issues of the world-renowned “Post Office” stamps. The orange-red one penny and the deep blue two pence stamp are displayed every 60 minutes starting from 10.30 am. For ten minutes they are lit. For the rest of the time reprints are shown.
The Blue Penny Museum collection also includes old marine maps, paintings, sculptures, stamps, engravings and old documents, which tell about Mauritian history and culture.
Downstairs you will find a room dedicated to the legend of Paul and Virginie. Various editions of the famous novel, paintings and an impressive statue are telling about the tragic story of the couple.
As the museum owns more then 10 000 items, which can not be shown at the same time, temporary exhibitions are organzied regularly.
In the souvenir shop you can get nice souvenirs from Mauritius, designed for the musuem like replicas, postcards or decorative objects.
For the duration of the visit you should time between 30 and 90 minutes. You are not allowed to take photographs or to make videos in the museum.
The collection is attractively presented through modern staging techniques, sounds and light special effects and multimedia screens. Information boards in English and French give explantions about the exhibition pieces. Audioguides are available in the following languages: English, French, German, Italian and Kreol. For groups a guided tour through the museum can be organized.
Opening hours:
Monday – Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm (last entry: 4.30 pm)
Sunday, Public holiday: closed
Sonntags und an Feiertagen: geschlossen
Tickets:
Adults: 225 Rs
Children (< 7 years): free admission
Children (7-17 years): 100 Rs
Students (with student card): 100 Rs
Family (2 Adults + max. 2 children): 500 Rs
Group/ Adults (at least 10 persons): 175 Rs
Group/ Children (at least 10 persons): 75 Rs
Contact:
Blue Penny Museum /Le Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis
Tel.: (+230) 210 81 76/ 210 9204
Fax: (+230) 210 92 43
[email protected]
http://www.caudan.com/en/cultureandhistory_museum.aspx
The Photografic Museum
Situated in a backstreet in the centre of Port Louis almost facing the old theatre, a little sign shows the way to a collection of inestimable value: the only Photography Museum in Mauritius and the surrounding islands. This private collection can be found next to a little romantic garden in a historical, shuttered cottage. When entering, the little bell at the door rings and lets Madame Marie Noelle Bréville come out of the archives to extend a warm and personal welcome to every visitor.
Chronologically the development of the cameras and the photography in Mauritius is shown. It starts with one of the first photographs which have been
taken in Mauritius in 1840 and the immense cameras that have been used 150 years ago, and leads to cameras which already look similar to todays analog cameras. Furthermore historical cinéma projectors and the printing machines used for the first newspaper of the southern hemisphere printed in Mauritius in 1773. The camera which has been used in 1860 to take photographs of arriving Indian workers in order to make it easier to catch them in case they run away is also exposed. In addition to that a series of contemporary photographs which are renewed from time to time tops the visit off.
In the centre of the exhibition hall is a shelf filled with all kinds of books about photography. Another highlight is treasured in dimmed showcases: Daguerrotypes, the first photographs 
which have been taken, named after the inventor Jacques Daguerre. Those are copper plates coated with a thin layer of silver, which have been photosensitized with a chemical solution. The image is mirror-inverted and is usually kept in air-tight cases under glass cover. Hidden in commodes underneath is one of the world’s largest collection of postcards which Monsieur Tristan Bréville gladly opens for interested visitors. All kinds of motives that show Mauritius are archived, in addition to that 40 private photo albums.
Here you can spend your time through photography for a very special and meaningful voyage throughout Mauritius and its history. The owners Tristan and Marie Noelle Bréville willingly take time to share their broad knowledge with visitors. You may also meet their children Marie Julie and Frederick the youngest museum directors in the world.
From an early age, the established photographer Tristan Bréville has been fascinated by photography. Together with his wife Marie Noelle he has been doing research all over the world and has been purchasing those little pieces of Mauritian history to save them from oblivion. Their collection consists of more than 1 Million negatives, more than 5000 glass negatives, 30 danguerrotypes, 9000 postcards and more than 1000 cameras. But the most important thing is meeting a family who has spared no effort to preserve the memory of their country.
Musée de la Fotografie
Rue de Vieux Conseil et W.Churchill, Port Louis
+230 211 1705
http://musee-photo.voyaz.com/index.htm
Opening hours:
Monday to friday 9.00 a.m. To– 3 p.m.
Entrance fee:
150 Rs
100 Rs for students
no entrance fee for children under 12
Natural History Museum
In the centre of Mauritius’ capital Port Louis, in the colonial villa of the Mauritian Institute, the Natural History Museum is situated. Especially for a calm and cool rest from the hustle and bustle this is the place to be. While resting you can extend your knowledge about Mauritius’ flora and fauna. The museum has been founded in 1842 and is Mauritius’ oldest public museum.
The exhibition consists of four rooms. In the first, the main hall, extinct sea and shore birds are exposed. The second gallery is dedicated to the underwater world. More than 100 species of fish which exist in Mauritian waters are shown. Huge stuffed fish are hanging from the ceiling. Besides uncountable different kinds of shells can be seen. Among them a 70 kg giant clam. In the third hall information about geologie and meterologie of the m
ainland is provided. Extinct, stuffed giant turtoises can are exhibited in the centre of the hall. In the showcases from the water cyclus to fossils, to insects, butterflys, different types of wood, to a outsized plastic snail modell everything is shown. The last and forth room is, in my opinion, the highlight of the museum. Is has just been renovated and the exhibition is more modern than the other ones. Everything in here is about the famours landmark – the dodo. Its significance is shown with the aid of matchboxes, stamps or banknotes where a dodo has been printed on. Both a replication as some skeletons of the abnormal pigeon can be seen. A movie shows the current excavation of dodo sceletons in Mare aux Songes of a Mauritian-Dutch team.
Opening Hours:
Monday to friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Entrance is free of charge
Contact:
Mauritius Institute Building, Chaussée, Port Louis
(inbetween Jardin de la Compagnie and Government House)
phone: +230 212 0639
E-mail: [email protected]