"Roses, oil, even beaver secretion: in recent years, French museums have been appealing to—and occasionally offending—visitors’ sense of smell in an attempt to create a more immersive exhibition experience."

The Musée national de la Marine last year opened a new permanent exhibition with various scents to be experienced throughout the visit. “Odours are never imposed on the public,” Delphine Rabat, an interior designer and the head of the Casson Mann agency, which contributed to the 2023 revamp, told France Culture. “Visitors are warned when smells may be a little disturbing.”

A section of the museum devoted to the sinking of the oil tanker Prestige in 2002 features two small chimneys like those of an ocean liner that release the scent of oil when visitors press a button. The goal here is to raise environmental awareness."

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