Musée départemental du Textile

About the museum

The Musée départemental du Textile is located in Labastide-Rouairoux, in the Thoré valley, in the south of the Tarn and at the heart of the Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park. It recalls the thriving textile industry that shaped life in this valley. It is housed in a former mill built in 1880 and belongs to the Tarn département, which counts it among its departmental museums. It holds the “Musée de France” label.

The route follows the stages of making a carded wool fabric, a former specialty of the region, from raw material to finishing: spinning, dyeing, weaving and finishing. It also presents the fancy yarns and yarn-dyed fabrics (tissés-teints) that made the sector famous, as well as knitwear and the marketing of fabrics.

Visitors discover machines that the museum team sets in motion during demonstrations, such as the carding machine, the continu à filer (continuous spinning frame), shuttle looms and lance looms. On the second floor, fabric samples for haute couture and garments by fashion designers and ready-to-wear complement the display. On the third floor, depending on the season, there is a temporary exhibition.

Highlights

• Former 1880 mill in the Thoré valley
• Machine demonstrations: spinning, weaving, finishing
• Dye laboratory and hundreds of color samples
• Shuttle loom from 1930 and lance loom from the 1970s
• Fabric samples for haute couture and designer clothing

Permanent exhibition

• Exposition permanente – Route through several rooms on spinning, the dye laboratory, weaving and finishing, with machine demonstrations and a floor devoted to knitwear and marketing.

Operated by

Département du Tarn (Conservation départementale)

Visitors per year

approx. 7,232

Admission & discounts

Free admission: The first Sunday of each month, from March to November

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• 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

Access for people with reduced mobility is listed at 1 rue de la Rive.

Kids & families

• Hands-on stations

Baskets of materials let visitors touch fibers of animal, plant, artificial or synthetic origin.

Getting there & parking

Main entrance at 8 parc Simone Veil; access for people with reduced mobility at 1 rue de la Rive.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit