Musée-atelier du verre de Trélon
Former glassworks in Trélon devoted to the art of blown glass and the glass industry, a site of the Écomusée de l'Avesnois (ecomuseum), temporarily closed.
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About the museum
The Atelier-Musée du Verre occupies the former glassworks of Trélon in northern France. From 1823 the site made bottles, notably for Champagne wine, and after the First World War it turned to vials and flacons, especially for major perfume houses. The factory closed in 1977 and the museum opened in 1980. It has since been a site of the Écomusée de l'Avesnois, which also runs the Musée du Textile et de la Vie sociale in Fourmies.
The museum presents an industrial heritage that combines history, craftsmanship, contemporary creation and the passing on of know-how. Before its closure, glass-blowing demonstrations were offered during guided tours. The collection comprises more than 46,000 inventoried objects: workstations, tools, around 300 semi-automatic moulds, pharmacy bottles, laboratory glassware, perfume bottles and opal glass.
Following the storms of June 2026, the building showed structural damage, and the site closed to the public on June 30, 2026. Technical assessments are under way, and a programming study entrusted to PAW Architectes is to define the future museum. No reopening date has been announced.
Highlights
- Former glassworks listed as a historic monument
- Collection of more than 46,000 objects from the Parant glassworks
- Furnaces and halls of the glassworks
- Glass-blowing demonstrations before the closure
- Transformation project for the museum under way
- Founded
- 1980
- Operated by
- Écomusée de l'Avesnois
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5Young people aged 8 to 17, students, people with disabilities, job seekers, large families |
| Children & teens | €5free up to age 7 · Free for children under 8; reduced rate for ages 8 to 17. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €5 |
| Students & apprentices | €5 |
| Families | –No family rate; large families receive the reduced rate. |
| Pass Eco (two sites of the Écomusée) | €12.50 |
Free admission: First Sunday of the month, European Heritage Days and Museum Night
Rates of the Écomusée de l'Avesnois. The price specific to the Trélon site is not stated, but the TER culture reduction brings admission down to €5 instead of €7.50. Free admission is also available with the ICOM card and the press card. As the site is closed, these rates do not currently apply.
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 building, collections and exhibitions are stated to be accessible to visitors with reduced mobility, with caution at Trélon because of an old floor. Folding seats, walking sticks and wheelchairs can be borrowed at the ecomuseum’s reception. The kiln hall in Trélon is not heated.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 7 |
|---|
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities: not available
Strollers are admitted in all areas. A baby-changing area is indicated only in Fourmies.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Gare d'Avesnes-sur-Helpe
Nearest train station: Avesnes-sur-Helpe, about 25 minutes by taxi.
By car
Parking available
Parking at 12 rue Clavon Collignon, on the heights above the site; rue Gambetta is about 5 minutes' walk away via rue de la Halle.
“Accueil vélo” site (bicycle-friendly). Travelers on the TER receive a culture discount at the entrance.
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
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Before the closure, admission included a one-hour guided tour. |
