Maison de l'armateur
Late 18th-century merchant’s townhouse in Le Havre: Louis XVI interiors around an octagonal light well, and a reminder of Le Havre’s role in the slave trade.
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About the museum
Around 1790, Paul Michel Thibault, architect of the city’s fortifications and city fountain engineer, decided to build a house in a neighborhood that attracted the wealthiest residents. In 1800, the prosperous merchant Martin Pierre Foäche bought it as his family’s winter residence and set up his offices there. He entrusted the interior fittings to the architect Pierre Adrien Pâris.
The façade is typical of Louis XVI architecture. Inside, rare and exotic wooden parquet floors sit alongside stone floors with geometric patterns. The house is unusual for its five levels, whose rooms succeed one another around an octagonal light well. Everything was designed to recreate the atmosphere of a luxurious merchant’s home at the turn of the 19th century.
The house is listed as a historic monument and belongs to the Musées d’Art et d’Histoire du Havre, along with the Abbey of Graville and the Hôtel Dubocage de Bléville. It has been open to the public for about twenty years. Its collections illustrate maritime trade, precious and unusual objects of the period, and the slave trade and slavery, to which the house itself bears witness.
Highlights
- Louis XVI interiors across five levels around an octagonal light well
- Reconstruction of life in a merchant’s home around 1800
- Collections on maritime trade, the slave trade and slavery
- Precious and unusual objects, including a clock “au verseur de café”
Permanent exhibition
- Parcours dans la demeure du négociant – A visit through reconstructed rooms across five levels, with collections on maritime trade, the slave trade and slavery, and precious everyday objects.
- Founded
- 1787
- Operated by
- Ville du Havre (Musées d'Art et d'Histoire)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5Large families, groups of six or more, and holders of a disability card |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 25 · Free for visitors under 26, with proof. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €5companion free · Reduced rate with a disability card; the companion enters free if the card carries the note “besoin d’accompagnement”. |
| Students & apprentices | –Free for visitors under 26, with proof. |
| Groups (6+ people) | €5 per personReduced rate for groups of six or more; group bookings through the museums’ contact form. |
| Families | –Reduced rate for large families. |
| Pass musées Le Havre (unlimited access for one year) | €20Valid at the Maison de l’armateur, the Abbey of Graville, the Hôtel Dubocage de Bléville, MuMa, the Muséum, the Appartement Perret and the greenhouses of the Jardins suspendus. |
Free admission: The first Saturday of every month
Free with proof for visitors under 26, job seekers, recipients of minimum-income benefits, and holders of the Pass Tourisme Le Havre – Étretat, the Pass musées, an ICOM card, a Culture card or a Muséopass. Payment by bank card, cash, check and holiday vouchers (chèques-vacances).
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- 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
According to the tourist portal, access for visitors with reduced mobility is partial. A film about the restoration of the house and a visit film are shown on the first floor.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 25 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
The house holds the Famille label. The museums’ website offers a children’s section and visits adapted for younger visitors.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Grand Quai · 130 m
Buses 16 and C2: Grand Quai stop (130 m); tram: Palais de Justice stop (850 m).
By car
Paid parking in the immediate vicinity, in the historic Saint-François quarter.
The Hôtel Dubocage de Bléville, also run by the museums, is about a four-minute walk away.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Shop shared by the Musées d’Art et d’Histoire, open Wed–Mon, 10:00–12:30 and 13:45–18:00; sales on site only.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Corporate events
Spaces can be rented for corporate events; contact mah@lehavre.fr or +33 2 79 92 77 70.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided tours and self-guided visits by timed reservation. Some days offer visits for children, such as “Visite à petits pas”. |
