Au cœur du Roc

About the museum

The site was conceived and created in 1960 by Marc and Jeanne Châtaignier under the name Aquarium du Roc. Originally it combined an aquarium with a maritime museum. Later the site was redesigned to present the personal creations of Jeanne Châtaignier, made from minerals and shells, and an area devoted to insects was added.

In the 2010s, the business was taken over by a former school principal, who continued the activity first under the name Roc des Harmonies and then as Roc des Curiosités. A sixteen-month renovation, begun in January 2025, turned the site into Au cœur du Roc.

The works enlarged the aquatic section and created a nursery to showcase breeding. The insect area was moved to a new room, while the mineral and shell areas were kept. The café was installed on the second floor, with panoramic views; a screening room was added, and the outdoor pool can now be viewed from a walkway. The museum reopened on June 1, 2026.

Highlights

• Jellyfish gallery displayed in four tanks
• Twenty-two living tableaux, each representing an aquatic ecosystem
• Collection of preserved insects and arthropods
• Mineral sculptures created in the 1970s and 1980s
• Pictures and objects made from hundreds of thousands of shells
• Café with panoramic views over the Mont-Saint-Michel bay

Permanent exhibitions

• L’espace Aquarium – Jellyfish gallery in four tanks, nursery and twenty-two living tableaux showing different aquatic ecosystems.
• L’espace Entomologie – Collection of preserved insects and arthropods from around the world, kept for decades, including a blue Morpho butterfly.
• Les espaces Minéraux et Coquillages – Mineral sculptures from the 1970s and 1980s, then pictures and objects made from many shells.

Founded

1960

Operated by

Au Cœur du Roc (société par actions simplifiée)

Admission & discounts

Chèques-vacances accepted.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The first and second floors (aquarium, café, shop) are accessible to people with reduced mobility; the third floor is not. During a guided visit, the third floor can be made accessible with a partner (RLC Sport), by reservation only. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are admitted; other animals are not.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Kids’ birthday parties

Birthday parties for up to 8 children (2 hours, snack included, €150). “Soigneur d’un jour” (keeper for a day) activity on Wednesday mornings from 10:00 to 12:00, from age 7, without an accompanying adult (€45 per person). Games are available in the café on request. Baby-friendly facilities are indicated.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the GR 223 trail and on the Promenade Marc Châtaigner. A 40-space motorhome area is nearby.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check: not available
• Lockers: not available

Café on the second floor with panoramic views (drinks and sweet or savoury snacks), accessible without a ticket, at the same hours as the museum. Dogs tolerated on the outdoor terrace, on a leash. No cloakroom or lockers.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Private hire possible for the jellyfish gallery (up to 20 people), the café (60 m² glass veranda, up to 40 people) or the entire site, on request, on Tuesdays and Thursdays outside school holidays.

Plan your visit