Minérail, puits Saint-Louis
Mining museum of Messeix in the Saint-Louis shaft: headframe, showers and winding engine, left as the miners left them in 1988.
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About the museum
The Minérail museum occupies the Saint-Louis shaft, the last extraction site of the Messeix anthracite mine, in Puy-de-Dôme. The history of the mine begins on November 23, 1831, when a royal ordinance granted a coal concession to Jean-Baptiste Sablon. Exploitation became industrial under the Vazeille company, then under the Société anonyme des Houillères de Messeix, founded in 1878 when the Clermont-Ferrand–Tulle railway line arrived.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Teyras de Granval shaft (1900–1902) and electrification made it possible to raise output to 100,000 tonnes a year. During the First World War the Cité des Gannes was built to house miners. The Saint-Louis shaft was dug from 1923 to 1927 and commissioned in 1928, with output of around 120,000 tonnes a year. After nationalization in 1946, the mine became an operation of the Houillères du Bassin d’Auvergne. It closed in 1988.
The name Minérail combines mine and rail, the rail that carried the ore up and then away. A volunteer-run association under the 1901 law maintains the site and enriches the collections; it organizes guided tours and events. The site is listed as remarkable industrial heritage of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Visitors discover in particular the headframe with its original winding engine, the original showers and a small train that returns to service on certain days.
Highlights
- Headframe of the Saint-Louis shaft with its original winding engine
- Shower building and changing room (salle des pendus)
- Animated reproduction of how the mine worked
- “L’Auvergne en miniature” model covering over 40 m²
- Miners’ train on the surface on certain days
Permanent exhibitions
- Le chevalement et la machine d’extraction – Headframe of the Saint-Louis shaft with its cages, loading platform and winding engine, as the miners left them.
- Le bâtiment des douches – Original installations, the changing room (salle des pendus) and an animated reproduction of how the mine worked.
- Salle d’accueil et « L’Auvergne en miniature » – Video footage shot on site during operations, and a large model of the Auvergne covering over 40 m².
- Operated by
- Association du musée du puits Saint-Louis – mine de Messeix
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | €4Child rate for ages 3 to 12. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €6 per personAdult rate per person for groups of 10 or more, paid together; reservation required. Children and school groups: €4. Free admission for the driver and accompanying adults is possible depending on the group; ask before the visit. |
Continuous guided visit in the afternoon; no reservation needed for individual visitors. From April 1 to September 30, a discount applies to the second museum in Messeix (the rural school museum) on presentation of the ticket to one of the two museums.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
The museum presents the mine in a playful and educational way for adults and children alike; child rate from age 3 and visits adapted to school groups.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided and commented tours by the museum’s guides, about 1 hour 30 minutes, run continuously in the afternoon. Visits adapted to the age of school pupils, by reservation. |
