On your right, you can see the monumental facade of the Science Museum, the only neoclassical building in Laval. Look up at the niches: two draped female figures represent Painting and Sculpture, each with their own attributes, a nod to the museum’s original purpose when it was designed in the late 19th century as a Fine Arts Museum, under the initiative of Charles Landelle, a painter born here in Laval. Higher up, at the corners of the roof, strange creatures keep watch: griffins, fantastic beings half-lion, half-eagle, considered since Antiquity as guardians of treasures. At the bottom of the staircase, you can’t miss the two large bronze groups: on the left, a tiger attacking a tortoise, and on the right, a bison under attack from a jaguar. These spectacular sculptures by Georges Gardet, installed in 1892, reflect the fascination of the time with raw, untamed nature. The facade also displays other allegorical decorations, such as a Birth of Venus and a scene dedicated to Agriculture, completing this ambitious sculptural program. But it is the entrance to the Science Museum that all these figures seem to protect. Since 1974, the building has housed more than 120,000 items (fossils, minerals, herbariums, taxidermy specimens) though most are kept in storage. Unlike traditional museums, here you’ll mostly find temporary exhibitions, workshops, and interactive activities, often focusing on nature, biodiversity, or astronomy. labeled “Musée Joyeux” (literally “Joyful Museum”), it makes a point of welcoming families and turning science into something fun and accessible for everyone.