Musée Ampère

About the museum

The museum is housed in Poleymieux-au-Mont-d’Or, in the house where André-Marie Ampère (1775–1836) spent his childhood and youth. This large stone residence, built of Couzon stone, dates from the second half of the 17th century and is very well preserved. It is surrounded by a large meadow and a vineyard that is still cultivated. It was here that the young Ampère read widely, including Diderot and d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie, before becoming one of the founders of electromagnetism.

The Société de l'électricité, de l'électronique et des technologies de l'information et de la communication received the house as a gift in 1928, and the museum was founded in 1931. It is now run by the Société des Amis d'André-Marie Ampère, the partner of this learned society, which remains the owner of the premises.

The circuit comprises 14 rooms and nearly 1,000 m² of exhibition space. It traces Ampère’s life and work, offers interactive experiments on electrical and magnetic phenomena, and follows the history of electricity from antiquity to today’s challenges such as wind turbines, photovoltaics, particle accelerators and the quantum computer. The collections include early scientific instruments, rare electrical machines and objects linked to radio, lighting and medicine, including several pieces of Lyon’s local technical heritage.

Highlights

• Childhood home of André-Marie Ampère, a 17th-century mansion
• “L’électrodynamique d’Ampère” collection with twelve experiments to try yourself
• History of electricity from antiquity to today’s energy
• Rare electrical machines and early scientific instruments
• Lyon’s technical heritage, including a 1916 radio amplifier
• Gardens, meadows and hiking trails in the Monts d’Or

Permanent exhibitions

• L'électrodynamique d'Ampère – Visitors repeat twelve of Ampère’s major experiments using simple controls, with written explanations and animations accessible by QR code.
• La maison d'Ampère – The rooms of the 17th-century mansion evoke the life of a middle-class family at the end of the 18th century and the scientist’s youth.
• Histoire de l'électricité – This route runs from antiquity to today’s challenges of energy and technology production, with rare machines and objects from radio, lighting and medicine.

Founded

1931

Operated by

Société des Amis d'André-Marie Ampère

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free on Saturdays for holders of the Carte Culture pour Tous

Accepted: Lyon City Card, Pass’Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Pass Culture. Payment by cash, cheque or bank card. Admission is free at certain events, for example the Science Festival (Fête de la science).

Accessibility

• 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 museum is listed as accessible to people with reduced mobility.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

The museum offers children a fun quiz and many hands-on interactive experiments. Family workshops are held during school holidays and announced a few weeks in advance. The gardens and meadows around the museum serve as a place to relax.

Getting there & parking

Address: 300 Route d’Ampère (D73), 69250 Poleymieux-au-Mont-d’Or. Bus 82 is a small shuttle between Neuville and Poleymieux with very limited timetables.

Amenities & dining

The museum does not have a café on site; several restaurants and shops in Poleymieux-au-Mont-d’Or are within walking distance, including the Auberge de Poleymieux and the Épicerie des Carbones. The gardens and meadows are suitable for picnics.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Three rooms for businesses, associations and public bodies: the Ampère room with 50 seats and an outdoor amphitheatre of 25 seats, a 25-seat cinema room and a 25-seat reception room, all with Wi-Fi, plus the gardens and terraces.

Plan your visit