Musée archéologique de Chelles Alfred Bonno
Archaeological museum of Chelles, reopened in 2026: more than 300,000 years of local history, from prehistory to the Merovingian abbey of Queen Bathilde.
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About the museum
The museum owes its existence to Abbé Alfred Bonno, who in 1921 gave his personal collection of antiquities to the City of Chelles. The collections were later enriched, notably through archaeological excavations carried out in the commune over roughly the past forty years. The museum reopened in 2026 in entirely redesigned premises at 58 rue Louis Éterlet.
The permanent exhibition “Chelles à travers les âges” follows a chronological route: the role of the Marne in the first settlements, the hunters of the Palaeolithic and the first farmers of the Neolithic, the Gallic settlement and then the Merovingian royal abbey, and finally the Revolution and the disappearance of the abbey, which opens the urban era.
Among the most remarkable pieces are the garments of Queen Bathilde, founder of the abbey of Chelles in the 7th century, including the chasuble, listed as a historic monument since 1948. The museum also holds works by Guy-Pierre Fauconnet, an artist from Chelles at the beginning of the 20th century who worked with the couturier Paul Poiret and with Jean Cocteau.
Highlights
- Merovingian garments of Queen Bathilde, including the chasuble listed as a historic monument
- Knapped flint, Neolithic and Gallic objects, elements of the medieval abbey
- Chronological route “Chelles à travers les âges”
- Works by Guy-Pierre Fauconnet
- Family visits and workshops for children
Permanent exhibitions
- Chelles à travers les âges – Chronological route from prehistory to the contemporary period, with the city’s archaeological and historical collections.
- Trésors mérovingiens : Bathilde et l'abbaye de Chelles – Garments of Queen Bathilde, including the silk-embroidered chasuble listed as a historic monument, witnesses of the 7th-century royal abbey.
- Founded
- 1950
- Operated by
- Ville de Chelles
- Visitors per year
- approx. 6,090
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Under 21s, students, groups of more than 10 people |
| Children & teens | €2free up to age 11 · Free for children under 12; reduced rate from age 12 up to age 20. |
| Students & apprentices | €2 |
| Groups | €2 per personAdult group of 10 to 25 people with guided tour: flat rate of €60. School groups and leisure centres: free for Chelles, flat rate of €25 for the Paris-Vallée de la Marne urban community, €35 outside the community. |
| Children’s workshop (ages 5–12, admission ticket included) | €5An accompanying adult is required; admission is free for them. |
| Four-hands workshop (one child and one adult, tickets included) | €9 |
| Workshop for adults and teenagers aged 14 and over (ticket included) | €9 |
Free admission: First Sunday of the month: free admission for everyone
Advance registration is required for the workshops.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
A sign-language tour is scheduled for Saturday, November 28, 2026, from 14:30 to 16:00. The public service is working with groups with disabilities to develop adapted activities.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 11 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
Family visits from age 7, four-hands workshops for a child and an adult, workshops for children aged 5 to 12 during school holidays, storytelling, workshops for teenagers and adults. A booklet of games for children is available at the entrance to the temporary exhibition room.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Mairie (bus)
RER E, Chelles-Gournay station (10-minute walk); line P, Chelles station (10-minute walk); buses 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 113 and 613, Mairie stop.
By car
Parking available
Car parks shown on the museum map around Chelles town hall.
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 |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The museum holds the “Musée de France” label. Family visits of one hour from age 7 are included in the admission ticket, with on-the-spot registration on the same day. Themed tours and workshops by reservation with the public service. The museum takes part in the Museum Night, the Journées européennes de l’archéologie and the European Heritage Days. |
