Le Chronographe
Archaeology center in Rezé near Nantes, devoted to the Gallo-Roman city of Ratiatum, with interactive displays and an archaeological site to visit.
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About the museum
Le Chronographe opened in 2017. It is presented as an interpretation center for architecture and heritage devoted to local archaeological history, and it is run by Nantes Métropole. It stands on the remains of Ratiatum, a Roman port city that flourished on the Loire from the 1st to the 3rd century, on the site of present-day Rezé, and it is linked to the neighboring Saint-Lupien chapel.
Excavations carried out between 2005 and 2016 at Saint-Lupien uncovered a quay nearly 200 meters long, built on an arm of the Loire that has since disappeared. The port declined in the 3rd century, probably because the channel silted up. The museum also reports on the excavations currently conducted by the metropolitan archaeology mission and Inrap.
The permanent exhibition tells the story of this city in nine sequences laid out as a walk around a forum. It combines maps, models, casts, original objects, often from the Rezé excavations, and hands-on displays. It covers the port, trade, housing, cooking, personal care, gods and the dead, and presents archaeology as an interpretation that visitors can test alongside researchers. A new temporary exhibition is presented every year.
Highlights
- Gallo-Roman city of Ratiatum and its port on the Loire
- Virtual walk through the ancient port
- Odorama: smell spices, garum and olive oil
- Amphora and Roman house puzzles to assemble
- Archaeological site and Saint-Lupien chapel
Permanent exhibitions
- Ratiatum, cité gallo-romaine – Permanent exhibition in nine sequences on the port, trade, daily life, cooking, personal care and beliefs of the ancient city of Ratiatum.
- Le site archéologique et la chapelle Saint-Lupien – A visit to the remains of the port and commercial quarter of Ratiatum and the Saint-Lupien chapel.
- Founded
- 2017
- Operated by
- Nantes Métropole
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €1.50Ages 18 to 25, teachers, holders of certain cards (large families, works councils and partner cards, Cezam, Tourisme et Loisirs 44), visitors to the Maison Radieuse, and any visitor in the hour before closing |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free for under-18s. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and their companion. |
| Museum pass (one year) | €15One year of unlimited access to the Musée d’arts de Nantes, the Musée d’histoire de Nantes (château of the Dukes of Brittany), the Musée Jules Verne and Le Chronographe. |
Free admission: First Sunday of the month, except in July and August, and exceptional events
Free admission with proof for job seekers and recipients of the RSA, veterans and war invalids, holders of the Carte blanche, the Pass le Chronographe, the Pass Nantes or the Pass Inter-musées, holders of leisure staff cards, FDOTSI or ICOM cards, staff of the Ministry of Culture and the Musées de France, journalists, archaeologists and archaeology students. School groups by booking: free self-guided visit; free guided tour for primary schools in Nantes Métropole, €26 for secondary and higher education in Nantes Métropole, €36 outside the metropolitan area; workshops from €10 to €46 depending on level and origin. Payment by card, cash, check, holiday vouchers and culture vouchers.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials
- Audio description: no information
The entire building is wheelchair accessible, including for powered wheelchairs, as are the tables, screens and interactive devices. Both exhibition levels, the terrace and the viewpoint are served by elevator; toilets are accessible on both levels and on the terrace. A manual wheelchair is lent at reception, and walking sticks with a seat are available for self-service. Two reserved spaces are at the end of the esplanade, about 150 m from the building, where the Proxitan shuttle also stops. Easy Read guides (FALC) for the permanent exhibition and the archaeological site, a bag of sensory objects called “Chronofeel”, and an induction loop. The archaeological basement of the Saint-Lupien chapel is not wheelchair accessible.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
Hands-on workshops all year round to step into an archaeologist’s shoes, a treasure hunt, the family tool “Chronambule” for exploring the permanent exhibition, and interactive displays (puzzles, Odorama, tactile tables). Children’s workshops are booked through the online ticketing system; the treasure hunt by phone.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Le Corbusier
Bus 30 and 97 to the Le Corbusier stop (the 97 also serves Clos Bonnet); tram 3 from Espace Diderot or 8 Mai, tram 2 from Pont Rousseau station. A new tram stop is planned for around 2027, less than 5 minutes’ walk away.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
No parking on site, as the museum is on a protected archaeological site. Two spaces for people with reduced mobility along rue Saint-Lupien; the Hôtel de Ville/Saint-Lupien car park is about 5 minutes’ walk away, and the larger rue Victor Hugo car park is a few minutes away.
- Accessible parking
By bike: close to the Vélodyssée and the Loire à Vélo; two bike parks with 8 spaces each, Bicloo stations nearby (Place Jean-Baptiste Daviais), repair kit, pump, and charging for e-bikes and phones at reception.
Get directionsAmenities & 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
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours of the archaeological site and the Saint-Lupien chapel for groups (1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, outdoors), and workshops on archaeobotany (2 hours) and archaeoanthropology (about 1 hour) for adults, by reservation. Le Chronographe is open to school, out-of-school and adult groups. |
