Maison de Louis Pasteur à Arbois

About the museum

The Arbois house is the only property Louis Pasteur ever owned. It occupies his father’s former tannery on the banks of the Cuisance. The scientist returned there every summer to rest and work; he made it more comfortable and called it his “château de la Cuisance”.

Pasteur set up a personal laboratory there, which remains intact. It was in this wine-growing region that he studied fermentation and developed the process that bears his name, pasteurization. He also carried out experiments in his vineyard at Montigny-les-Arsures.

The house has belonged to the Académie des sciences since 1992. It is a listed historic monument and has carried the Maisons des Illustres label since 2011. A first restoration campaign began in 1995; a second phase of restoration and extension has been under way since 2021. In September 2026, a new permanent exhibition on today’s microbiology opened there, and the second floor, with Pasteur’s personal library, is now open to visitors.

Highlights

• Pasteur’s personal laboratory, preserved intact
• Living quarters: billiard room, drawing room, dining room and bedroom
• Garden on the banks of the Cuisance, with the “Louis Pasteur” rose
• Permanent exhibition “Les microbes, c’est la vie !”
• Pasteur’s personal library on the third floor

Permanent exhibitions

• Les microbes, c'est la vie ! – Exhibition in French and English on 21st-century microbiology, with interactive screens showing microorganisms in motion. The four-part route covers health, agriculture, climate and food.
• Maison et laboratoire de Louis Pasteur – A visit through the living quarters, the scientist’s personal laboratory and, since 2026, the third floor with its library.

Operated by

EPCC Jura Terre de Louis Pasteur (propriétaire : Académie des sciences)

Admission & discounts

Free admission for under-10s, Friends of Pasteur, members of the Institut de France, holders of ICOM cards and press cards, and for the fifth visit with the Pass Juramusées.

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 house is not fully accessible, so it is advisable to check with the front desk. Wheelchairs are admitted to some areas depending on the model, and folding seats are available for visitors with reduced mobility. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are admitted; other animals are not.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Family workshops of about two hours are offered during school holidays (pneumatic rockets, pond micro-fauna, the world of microbes), open to all by reservation, with limited places. The new exhibition uses interactive screens. Lightweight, compact strollers are admitted if crowding and the safety of the premises allow.

Getting there & parking

TER partnership: with a valid TER travel ticket, one admission ticket is offered free with each one purchased.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check
• Lockers: not available

Large bags are not allowed in the rooms; they can be left free of charge at the front desk (no lockers).

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit