Musée d'art et d'archéologie de Cluny

About the museum

The museum occupies the Palais abbatial Jean de Bourbon, built in the second half of the 15th century. Confiscated as national property during the Revolution, the building later passed through several private owners. The physician and archaeologist Jean-Baptiste Ochier gathered there remains of the great abbey church of Cluny, and his widow bequeathed the palace to the town in 1864 to house a museum and a library.

The museum, first called the Musée Ochier, opened on August 15, 1866. It closed for restoration from 1988 to 1992 and reopened in June 1992. Today it is a municipal museum run in partnership between the town of Cluny and the Centre des monuments nationaux, which also operates the neighbouring abbey.

Its collections are among the most important ensembles of Romanesque sculpture in Europe, drawn from excavations at the abbey and from building sites in the town, including capitals and carved fragments. Also on display are a reconstructed fragment of the tympanum of the great portal, a model of the Cluny III abbey church, a library of more than 4,000 works and excavation archives, including the notebooks of Kenneth John Conant.

Highlights

• Major collection of Romanesque sculpture from the Abbey of Cluny
• Capitals and carved fragments from the abbey church
• Reconstructed fragment of the tympanum of the great portal
• Model of the Cluny III abbey church
• 15th-century Palais abbatial

Permanent exhibition

• Collections lapidaires de l'abbaye de Cluny – Capitals, fragments of the great portal and Romanesque sculptures from excavations of the abbey and the town, with a model of the Cluny III abbey church.

Founded

1866

Operated by

Ville de Cluny, en partenariat avec le Centre des monuments nationaux

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of January, February, March, November and December; European Heritage Days.

The Bernon ticket at €11 gives access to the abbey and the museum of art and archaeology. Free for job seekers and holders of the Pass éducation, on site and with proof. The Passion monuments subscription from the Centre des monuments nationaux gives unlimited access to more than 80 monuments for one year.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum's lift is currently out of order. Assistance dogs and strollers are allowed on the route. Comprehension aids for the monument are available at the reception, and tours in French Sign Language are organised. A public accessibility register is available in French, English and German.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly

Activity booklet with stickers for ages 6 to 12, sold for €2 at the reception. During school holidays, storytelling tours, workshops and family visits are offered by reservation.

Getting there & parking

By car from Beaune or Lyon: motorway A6 to the Mâcon Sud exit, then N79 and D980. Cyclists can use the Voie Verte.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check: not available

Abbey bookshop and gift shop, open all year, with more than 500 items. No cloakroom in the monuments: luggage can be left at the tourist office. Picnics are not allowed in the garden.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit