"Grigore Antipa" Museum of Natural History

located in Victoriei Square, on 1, Kiseleff Road
it dates since 1834, its initiator was bey Mihalache Ghica
he donated the museum 1.250 Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins, collections of minerals, mollusca, birds, mammals, fish and fosils
the first zoological and archeological collections that were the foundation of the present museum were exhibited at Coltea hospital and inside "St. Sava" monastery
in 1864 Gregoriu Stefanescu took over the management of the museum
in 1867 the first account with regard to the exihibited materials revealed the existence of: 4.500 different exhibits and 1.000 insects

during this period the museum was enriched with pieces of paleontology, geology and mineralogy
in 1906, under his supervision, at the University, a unique skeleton of the gigantic Deinotherium Gigantissimum, discovered at Manzati, near Barlad, was assembled
after 6 years the skeleton was moved to the museum
at the same time a botanical section was organized but unfortunately it burnt in a fire 2 years after
the fire also destroyed a series of collections of zoology, only 1.200 pieces belonging to Ilarie Mitrea collection were saved
beginning with 1893, the collections of paleontology and mineralogy remained in the building of the University, while those of zoology were entrusted to the new director Grigore Antipa

• under his guidance the number of the collections increased in quantity as well as in quality

Antipa succeeded in taking the necessary steps and between 1904-1906 the present day construction was raised
the inauguration was in 1908 when the museum was opened to the public
the building got its name in 1914, when other 11 rooms were added to the 16 already existing
the museum has pieces for public exhibition as well as scientific collections that are accessible only to the specialists in the field
the museum hosts zoological collections, collections of minerals and rocks, paleontological and ethnographical collections
the collections of the museum are permanently enriched due to the collecting of the specialists in the country and abroad, due to donations and acquisitions, so that the museum includes over 2 million pieces