La Maison du Marais

About the museum

The Marais audomarois around Saint-Omer is one of the last market-garden marshes in Europe and the only marsh in France designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve. For more than thirteen centuries, people have shaped this landscape of water and gardens, and they continue to maintain it.

The Maison du Marais is the gateway to this area, very close to the center of Saint-Omer. The site includes a reception area, two permanent exhibitions, a park with a conservatory vegetable garden, a shop selling regional products and a restaurant. The free exhibition “Chez Capiau” introduces the life of a market gardener through family photographs, tools and old films.

The exhibition “L’aventure Sous-Marais” takes place in a 24-meter-long freshwater submarine, where an imaginary crew tells the story of the water, the trades and the nature of the marsh; aquariums display some of the 29 fish species that live there. The visit continues with a guided trip in a bacôve, a large traditional flat-bottomed boat, through the more than 3,700 hectares of the marsh.

Highlights

• Free exhibition “Chez Capiau” on the life of a market gardener
• “L’aventure Sous-Marais” exhibition in a 24-meter-long freshwater submarine
• Guided bacôve trip through the Marais audomarois
• Aquariums with fish from the marsh
• Park and conservatory vegetable garden, open access
• “Les Bols du Marais” restaurant serving locally sourced food

Permanent exhibitions

• Chez Capiau, la vie d’un maraîcher – Free exhibition in the reception area: a market gardener from the marsh shares family photographs, tools and films from his youth.
• L’aventure Sous-Marais – A visit aboard a 24-meter-long freshwater submarine, where an imaginary crew presents the history, trades and biodiversity of the marsh, plus aquariums of local fish.

Admission & discounts

The exhibition “Chez Capiau” is free all year. The prices shown apply to the exhibition “L’aventure Sous-Marais”. Online payment by bank card only; on site by card, cash, bank checks, ANCV vouchers, ANCV Connect or Dailyn.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• 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 site has held the State “Tourisme & Handicap” label for motor, intellectual and visual disabilities since 2023. The bacôve trip is not suitable for visitors with reduced mobility; two operators on the marsh offer labeled boats. An accessibility plan showing toilets and reserved parking spaces can be downloaded from the website.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Kids’ birthday parties

Birthday parties for children aged 6 to 10 (10 children maximum) on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons during the school term: treasure hunt (1 hour, €100), boat expedition (1 hour, €100) or both (2 hours, €175), with snack included. Workshops for ages 2 to 5 and 6 to 10 are on the program, along with offers for schools and leisure centers.

Getting there & parking

By car: from Calais via the A26 (40 minutes), from Dunkerque via the A16 (47 minutes), from Lille via the A25 (1 hour).

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Restaurant “Les Bols du Marais” with indoor seating and terrace (bowls, café gourmand, drinks), open all year. Shop with local and regional products, books and postcards.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 56 guests.

Auditorium with 56 seats, the “Marais et Caps” room (35 places for conferences, 20 for meetings), the restaurant room (10 people, available for private hire from October to March) and the hanging garden (20 people). Screen with HDMI connection, Wi-Fi access and flipchart available in the rooms.

Plan your visit