Écomusée du Haut-Beaujolais

About the museum

The ecomuseum is located in Thizy-les-Bourgs, in a former blanket factory founded in 1881 at Marnand by the merchant Louis-Étienne Naton-Demonceaux. In 1899 it became a joint-stock company, the Manufacture de Couvertures et Molletons de Thizy, run for three generations by the Boizet family. The “Le Chameau” brand was registered in 1914. At its peak, the factory employed up to 150 workers and produced nearly 1,200 blankets a day, before closing in 1981.

The scientific and cultural project to convert the site into a territorial museum was approved in 2019 by the Ministry of Culture, and the industrial chimney was saved in 2020. The works created, over more than 2,000 square metres, a reception area, a three-part permanent circuit, a temporary exhibition room, a Micro-Folie, a fablab, a visible store of old machines and a teaching room. The Manufacture du Haut-Beaujolais opened to the public on September 20, 2025, during European Heritage Days.

The permanent circuit, run by the Communauté d’agglomération de l’Ouest Rhodanien, tells the story of the Haut-Beaujolais textile industry, from the lives of the workers to the workshop of the façonnier (subcontract finisher), and the local speciality of the blanket made from textile waste.

Highlights

• Permanent circuit on the Haut-Beaujolais textile industry
• Blankets made from textile waste
• Visible store of old machines
• Micro-Folie (digital museum) and fablab on the same site
• Audiovisual devices and hands-on activities for all ages

Permanent exhibition

• Exposition permanente sur l'industrie textile du Haut-Beaujolais – A circuit through the great moments of the textile industry and daily life at the factory, from the workers’ changing room to the façonnier’s workshop and the blanket factory.

Operated by

Communauté d'agglomération de l'Ouest Rhodanien (COR)

Admission & discounts

Free admission for, among others, the companion of a person with a disability, ICOM card holders, members of partner associations, press and professional guides (proof required). Schools and leisure centres: €2 per guided visit (€3 with a workshop) for the COR area, €3 (€4 with a workshop) outside the area.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

The site is recognized as a family-friendly cultural venue (“Musée Joyeux”; Môm’Art charter signed at the end of 2025). Hands-on activities, a materials library and educational videos line the permanent circuit. Game booklets for children aged 6 to 14 are available at reception, along with activities during the holidays and performances for young audiences. The site is stroller-accessible.

Getting there & parking

The Manufacture is 25 minutes from Roanne and 1 hour from Lyon and Saint-Étienne.

Amenities & dining

• Wi-Fi

Free public Wi-Fi in the factory’s spaces. Picnic area and an indoor lounge with a microwave and snacks for lunch on site.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Spaces renovated in 2025 for meetings, seminars, conferences and workshops, from €50 per half-day depending on the space; private visits of the ecomuseum or a screening at the Micro-Folie are possible; catering or tastings of local products on request.

Plan your visit