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Spread across four floors. Level 4, where the visit starts, is the natural history library. Level 3 focuses on the natural history of the Touraine, including many taxidermied specimens and geological artefacts. Level 2 is global natural history, including taxidermied specimens from the 5 inhabited continents, as well as live insects, spiders, snakes, fish, amphibians and reptiles. Level 1 has the reception, shop and temporary exhibitions, recent examples of which being snakes of the world and mammoths.
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Contemporary art gallery.
Basilica of Saint Martin of Tours
Built between 1886 and 1924 on the site of a much earlier basilica (whose two remaining towers, the Tour d'Horloge and Tour Charlemagne still stand next to the current edifice), this Romanesque church's dome stands proudly on the city's skyline. The main attraction within is the crypt which houses the tomb of St Martin of Tours. The basilica's nuns can be stern but are generally very welcoming to respectful visitors.
A most unusual museum depicting artifacts of various guilds of master craftsmen, including many masterpieces of tools, sculpture, bells, clothing, shoes, decorated cakes and the exhibition hall of the museum itself, whose roof is supported by tree trunk-sized wood beams. The museum is especially welcoming to children, with quizzes available and friendly staff on hand to inform and educate. Conspiracy theorists can have fun seeing how many masonic symbols they can spot.
City Hall
This grand 19th-century municipal building stands proudly in front of the ever changing fountains on Tours' central square. If you happen to be there on a day where there is an exhibition inside, it would be worth paying the entrance fee just to see the lavishly-decorated ball room. Note that behind the historic building there is a modern office building where the current city administration is located. This is also called "Hôtel de Ville" and has a published opening time at regular office hours monday to friday. Many guide and tourist websites are incorrectly claiming this to be the visiting hours for the historic building.It is only open for special events.
Tours Cathedral
A Gothic cathedral with a monolithic façade, spectacular flying buttresses and plenty of gargoyles, some of which have some rather rude appendages. The interior is no less impressive and there is very detailed information available on boards all around the cathedral. Adjoining is the Cloître de la Psallette, which may or may not be worth the small entrance fee depending on your level of interest.
Fine Arts Museum
Inside the former Palace of the Archbishops of Tours, the Musée des Beaux Arts possesses a sizable collection, including paintings by Debré, Degas, Delacroix, Monet, Roslin and Van Goyen, sculpture by Rodin as well as antiquities, objets d'art, tapestry and medieval religious artwork. There is equally a regular cycle of temporary exhibitions and events. The gardens are popular in the summer months and include an enormous Lebanese cedar and a life-sized model of Fritz the elephant, one of Tours' less welcome visitors who went on a rampage after escaping the circus.