Ligny 1815 Museum

About the museum

The Ligny 1815 Museum occupies a former 17th-century farm that witnessed the Battle of Ligny on 16 June 1815. The building kept its agricultural role until 1976, when the Syndicat d’initiative de Ligny (local tourist office) bought it to create a historical, cultural and tourist centre. From 1981, ten years of restoration gave it its new role as a place of remembrance and historical education.

The visit route runs through the former farmer’s house, where the small rooms give the museum a human scale suited to experiencing history at eye level. The barn is linked to the museum’s upper floor by a discreet glass passage and houses a venue for cultural and gastronomic life, with a restaurant on the ground floor that showcases local produce.

Through an interactive and immersive route, the museum evokes the Napoleonic wars and the 1815 campaign in Belgium. In Ligny, a village of about 900 inhabitants, Blücher’s Prussian army (87,000 men and 216 guns) clashed with Napoleon’s French army (65,000 men and 240 guns) on 16 June 1815. For six hours fighting raged through the streets, gardens and houses, and the village was in flames by the end of the day. A rich collection of period objects, multimedia displays, a film and a virtual reality headset tell the story of the soldiers’ daily lives and the fate of the village population.

Highlights

• Interactive, multisensory route through the heart of the Battle of Ligny of 16 June 1815
• Collection of period objects and testimonies from combatants and villagers
• Virtual reality headset, film and multimedia displays
• Former 17th-century farm that witnessed the battle
• Activity booklets for families and educational workshops

Permanent exhibition

• Parcours de visite : la bataille de Ligny – Immersive route through the former farmhouse, with a collection of period objects, multimedia displays and reconstructions around the Battle of 16 June 1815.

Admission & discounts

Tickets must be reserved online.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is not accessible to people with reduced mobility. Only assistance dogs are admitted.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

The route is designed for all ages, with educational tools suited to different audiences: a family activity booklet, a virtual reality headset, a film and workshops. Several senses are engaged, including touch and hands-on handling.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Restaurant Chez Fanchon in the barn, with a terrace and group menus. Shop with books on the battle and souvenirs, local produce, and a tourist information desk with ideas for excursions and walking routes in the Ligne valley.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit