Archéa
Archaeology museum in Louvres, housed in a contemporary building facing the Saint-Rieul tower and devoted to the history of the Pays de France.
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About the museum
The Archéa museum grew out of the first archaeological finds around the Saint-Rieul tower in Louvres. It now belongs to the Roissy Pays de France urban community and holds the “Musée de France” label.
Work on the current building took place in 2008 and 2009. The team moved into the new premises in early June 2010, and the collections followed. The contemporary building, designed by the Bruno Pantz agency with Catherine Bapst, covers about 1,500 m² across three levels. Set at the back of the plot, facing a large forecourt, its large glass wall engages in dialogue with the Saint-Rieul tower. It received the Prix du Val-d’Oise in 2012.
The front two-thirds of the building are open to the public; the rear third houses the scientific team and storage. The permanent exhibition covers 234 m², and the temporary exhibition 152 m². The museum also has a 40-seat screening room, a 35-seat activity room and a documentation centre that can be consulted by appointment.
The museum received the “Tourisme & Handicap” label in 2013 for motor, intellectual and hearing disabilities, and in 2018 for visual disabilities. It also manages two outdoor sites linked to its research: the Orville site and the Archéo-site des potiers de l’Ysieux, which can be visited on guided tours.
Highlights
- Permanent exhibition on the archaeology of the Pays de France
- Contemporary building facing the Saint-Rieul tower
- Annual temporary exhibition
- Workshops for toddlers, children, teenagers and adults
- Escape game “Panique à Saint-Rieul”
- Visits to the Orville archaeological site and the Ysieux potters’ site
Permanent exhibition
- Exposition permanente – 234 m² exhibition on the archaeology of the Pays de France, presenting finds from Louvres and the surrounding region.
- Operated by
- Roissy Pays de France Communauté d'agglomération
- Visitors per year
- approx. 13,375
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Residents of the communes of the Roissy Pays de France urban community, on proof. |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 25 · Free admission for children and young people under 26, including families with children, on proof. |
| Seniors | freeFree admission from age 65, on proof. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and their companions. |
| Students & apprentices | freeFree for students of archaeology, history, art history, the École du Louvre, the École des Chartes and the Institut national du patrimoine. |
| Groups | –Adult groups of up to 30 people: €70 for a standard visit, €120 with an activity. School groups: €30 for a workshop visit per half-day within the urban community, €40 outside it. |
| Parent-child workshop (per person) | €5 |
| Toddler workshop (per child) | €5Up to two accompanying adults free. |
| “Jeunes archéos” workshop (per child) | €5One adult admission included. |
| Teenager and adult workshop (per participant) | €7 |
| Museum birthday (2 to 12 people) | €100 |
| Archéa annual pass | €10€8 for residents of the urban community; unlimited access for one year. |
Free admission: First Sunday of the month for everyone, or the following Sunday if the museum is closed; also free during national events.
The ticket gives access to both the permanent and temporary exhibitions. Admission is also free, on proof, for jobseekers, recipients of minimum social benefits, journalists, members of ICOM and ICOMOS, and staff of tourist offices. Screenings, talks and performances are often free.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum is the only establishment in the Val-d’Oise with the “Tourisme & Handicap” label for all four disability categories (motor, intellectual and hearing since 2013, visual since 2018). It provides folding seats, a wheelchair and baby changing tables. Two accessible parking spaces are on Rue de Villeron, at the foot of the museum. The visit app offers content in French Sign Language.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 25 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Baby changing facilities
- Kids’ birthday parties
Family tours and workshops for toddlers, young archaeologists, parents and children, and teenagers and adults; the “Panique à Saint-Rieul” escape game; museum birthdays and a programme during school holidays. Baby changing tables available.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Louvres RER - Centre, rue aux blés
RER D to Louvres station (towards Orry-la-Ville or Creil), about 30 minutes from Gare du Nord; bus 1616 from the station to the stop “Louvres RER - Centre, rue aux blés” (no service on Sundays and public holidays). From Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport: bus 1614 to the stop “Marie Feuchère”, then about 600 m on foot.
By car
Free parking · 200 m to the entrance
Two free public car parks on rue du 8 mai 1945, less than 200 m from the museum, signposted from rue de Paris. Another free car park at 26 rue de Paris, in a blue parking zone on weekdays and Saturdays.
- Accessible parking
On foot, Louvres station is less than 20 minutes away. By car: take the “Louvres - centre” exit on the RD317, then head towards the town hall. Coming from Paris, do not follow the “Louvres - zone industrielle” direction that satnavs often suggest.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
- Coat check
- Lockers
- Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi throughout the museum. Left luggage for bags no larger than cabin size; large bags are not allowed in the galleries. Individual lockers on request. Shop at the entrance with books, games, postcards and replicas of archaeological objects.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (FR, EN) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography allowed without flash. |
| Good to know | No physical audioguide: an online app, accessible over the museum’s Wi-Fi, provides explanations in French, English and French Sign Language. Audiovisual content from the exhibitions can be viewed on a phone via a flashcode. Guided and family tours are offered. The Orville site and the Ysieux potters’ site can only be visited on a guided tour or at an activity. A weekly “Archéo’calme” slot offers a quieter visit. |
