La Cité des Insectes

About the museum

La Cité des Insectes was founded in 1994 in Nedde, in the Millevaches en Limousin regional nature park, near Lake Vassivière. Its collection was partly built in the 1970s by the Limousin entomologist Didier Mazeau. Mike Evans developed it from 1994, and in 2006 Jim and Régine Elliott took over the venue.

The museum occupies about 400 m² and brings together around a dozen exhibitions. It displays around 15,000 specimens from around the world, including beetles, butterflies, dragonflies and stick insects. The route begins with a cabinet of curiosities inspired by those of the 14th to 17th centuries, then recalls the golden age of 18th-century illustrators and the rise of natural history museums in the 19th century. An entomologist’s room explains the profession and lets visitors observe through a microscope. Other areas are devoted to the biodiversity of the Limousin, to social insects with a live ant nest, and to the relationships between humans and insects.

Donations have enriched the collection, notably from the Palais de la Découverte in 2009, Frédéric Hauwel in 2010, Jacques Priouret in 2014 and Éric Brandibas in 2015. A vivarium displays arthropods in heated terrariums. The gardens, managed using permaculture, include a flower-and-vegetable garden, a forest garden, an orchard, a pond and an apiary. The site is looking for a new operator.

Highlights

• Around 15,000 insects from around the world in the museum
• Vivarium with live arthropods
• Live ant nest and interactive giant grasshopper
• Permaculture gardens, pond and apiary
• Beekeeping, honey tastings and handling insects

Permanent exhibitions

• Le musée de l'entomologie – Around 15,000 specimens, a cabinet of curiosities, an entomologist’s room, a live ant nest and a room on the biodiversity of the Limousin.
• Le vivarium – Arthropods from here and elsewhere, displayed in heated terrariums, with a breeding room.
• Les jardins en permaculture – Flower-and-vegetable garden, forest garden, orchard, pond, compost heaps and apiary, with a guided walk to discover small creatures.

Founded

1994

Operated by

Société privée (inscrite au RCS de Limoges)

Admission & discounts

The individual guided visit has the same rate as the self-guided visit. The site accepts bank card payments, ANCV holiday vouchers and Visiter Malin discounts.

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

The coach park is accessible. The site does not publish information on wheelchair accessibility.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

“Expériences Famille” from 14:00 to 17:00 at the apiary, with hives, honey and insect tasting and handling live insects, depending on staff availability; family treasure hunts; birthday package. School packages for nursery (maternelle), primary, secondary (collège) and sixth-form (lycée) pupils, with a day of workshops and activities.

Getting there & parking

GPS coordinates: 45.701144; 1.816625. The site is 50 km from Limoges, 15 minutes from Lake Vassivière and 10 minutes from Eymoutiers.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Snack bar with shaded terrace, open even without visiting the museum; shop and apiary with regional beekeeping products; free toilets; picnic area; Wi-Fi on site.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit