Musée de Blain
Association-run museum in Blain, in the former town hall, with archaeology, the largest fèves collection in France, woodworking planes and a reconstruction of life around 1900.
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About the museum
The Blain museum is an association-run museum in the town centre, housed in the former town hall, a building that ceased to be the town hall in 1962. Its official opening took place in 1985. It is also known as the Musée de la fève, de la crèche et des traditions populaires. The local tourist office also occupies part of the building.
The second floor is devoted to fèves and nativity scenes from around the world. The former wedding hall of the town hall houses the Gallo-Roman remains of the Blain region. On the third floor there is a reconstruction of the village of Blain in the 1900s.
The collections include a room on prehistory and the Gallo-Roman period, with the Décébale vase and the statue of the god Cernunnos, as well as an important coin collection. The fèves collection comprises several tens of thousands of pieces and traces the history of this tradition since the 1880s. The museum also holds the woodworking plane collection of M. and Mme Genoist, purchased by the town, and carefully reconstructed shops and stalls from 1900. A fèves exchange fair is held every year.
Highlights
- Largest fèves collection (figurines for the Epiphany cake) in France
- Archaeology room with the Décébale vase and the statue of Cernunnos
- Collection of more than a thousand woodworking planes
- Reconstructed shops, stalls and classroom from around 1900
- Nativity scenes from around the world
Permanent exhibitions
- Archéologie et monnaies – Room devoted to prehistory and the Gallo-Roman period, with the Décébale vase, the statue of Cernunnos and a coin collection.
- Fèves des rois et crèches – Tens of thousands of fèves trace the history of this tradition since the 1880s; nativity scenes from around the world.
- Rabots et vie vers 1900 – Collection of planes and reconstruction of the village around 1900: grocery shop, café-tabac, butcher’s shop, bakery, post office, hairdresser, clog maker and classroom.
- Founded
- 1985
- Operated by
- Association (loi de 1901)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups (10+ people) | €2 per personGuided tour by reservation for adult groups of 10 people or more: €2 per person. School groups from outside Blain: €1 per pupil. |
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Free admission for individual visits.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
The museum has a museum shop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
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| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours for groups by reservation. The museum adapts its visit to the school curricula for primary and lower secondary school (collège). Every month, exhibitions of local artists are shown in the first-floor hall. |
