Musée africain de l'île d'Aix
Museum on the Île d’Aix showing hunting trophies and African objects collected by Baron Gourgaud, set in a 1930s interior.
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About the museum
The African museum is the creation of Baron Napoléon Gourgaud, who settled on the Île d’Aix from 1925. A keen big-game hunter, he organized three expeditions to Africa with his friend Robert Rychner, in 1913–1914, 1928 and 1930–1931. The animals he brought back were mounted by the London firm Rowland Ward, the most famous of its day.
To display them in a setting that recalled their homeland, the baron commissioned a landscape painter to create several dioramas of the wildlife and landscapes of East Africa, such as Mount Kenya, Kilimanjaro or Sudan. Another companion, Armand Van Mons, gave him numerous ethnographic objects, including very rare masks from Gabon and an exceptional collection of edged weapons and shields.
The museum opened in 1933 in former low fishermen’s houses, and the Parisian architect Léo Polin laid out two long galleries set at right angles. The 1930s presentation that the baron wanted, very characteristic of the period, has been kept. The museum reopened in July 2022 after restoration, with a route devoted to Bonaparte’s dromedary.
Highlights
- Animals mounted by the London firm Rowland Ward
- Dioramas of East Africa (Mount Kenya, Kilimanjaro, Sudan)
- Rare masks from Gabon
- Collection of edged weapons and shields
- Original 1930s presentation
Permanent exhibition
- Le musée africain du baron Gourgaud – Two galleries set at right angles display mounted animals, East African dioramas and ethnographic objects in a 1930s museum display.
- Founded
- 1933
- Operated by
- État, rattaché au musée national de Malmaison
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6 |
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| Reduced | €4 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 25 · Free for residents of the European Union under 26. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €5 per personPrice per person for groups of 10 or more. |
Free admission: On the first Sunday of every month.
A single ticket gives access to the Napoleonic museum and the African museum on the Île d’Aix.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 45 min |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 25 |
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Débarcadère de l'île d'Aix · 300 m
Boat from the Pointe de la Fumée in Fouras to the Île d’Aix (crossing about 20 minutes).
The island has almost no car traffic: the museums are reached on foot, by bicycle or by horse-drawn carriage from the landing stage. Boat timetables at service-maritime-iledaix.com.
Get directionsAmenities & 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
| Good to know | The visit takes about 45 minutes for the museums on the Île d’Aix. Booking through the Affluences platform is recommended; groups book by email with the ticket office (regie.ile-aix@rmngp.fr). |
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