Maison-école du Grand Meaulnes

About the museum

The Maison-école in Épineuil-le-Fleuriel is the school that Alain-Fournier attended from 1891 to 1898 and where the character of Le Grand Meaulnes took shape. His parents, Monsieur and Madame Fournier, were the schoolteachers there. The long red house with its courtyard, covered playground, well and gate has remained as the novel describes it. It was listed in the supplementary inventory of the Monuments historiques on April 27, 1972.

In 1991 the last pupils left the school. Since 1994 the rooms have been reconstructed as Alain-Fournier knew them. They include Monsieur Fournier’s large classroom, Madame Fournier’s small classroom, the former town hall, the teachers’ kitchen, the dining room, the red parlor, the parents’ bedroom, the attic and the lofts. Visitors are received in a reception building erected in 1992, about fifty meters from the school.

The school is now a writer’s house, which has held the “Maison des Illustres” label since 2012. The visit can be extended by a walk through the village in the footsteps of the novel’s hero, with a map or an audio-guide app.

Highlights

• Classroom and living quarters of the Fournier family
• Attic and lofts described in the novel
• Courtyard with covered playground, well and gate
• Audio-guided walk through the village in the footsteps of Le Grand Meaulnes
• “Maison des Illustres” label

Founded

1994

Admission & discounts

Rates for self-guided visits: adults €7, reduced rate €6, children aged 8 to 15 €4. Rates for guided visits: €9, €8 and €5. A self-guided adult rate of €6 is also listed on the pages for people with disabilities.

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

The reception and shop are accessible. In the school museum, the courtyard, the first-floor rooms and the garden are accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

According to the museum, there is no real minimum age; the visit is accessible from a very young age. An audio-guided game route lets families discover the school together. A dictation activity is possible for groups.

Getting there & parking

The reception and shop is on the square next to the town hall, and the museum is about 50 meters away, at the far end of this square. From the A71, take exit 9 Vallon-en-Sully, then the D2144, D11 and D64 to Épineuil-le-Fleuriel; from Saint-Amand-Montrond (25 km), the D2144, D28 and D4; from Montluçon (28 km), the D2144, then the D11 and D64. The reception holds the Accueil Vélo label: bike racks, luggage storage, a repair kit and charging point at the reception.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

Reception and shop. Garden with three picnic tables behind the school, restrooms in the school courtyard. No food service on site; restaurants and accommodation nearby are listed.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit