Musée de l'Éphèbe et d'archéologie sous-marine

About the museum

Archaeology on the Agde coast began in 1948, when André Bouscaras obtained the first state authorization for underwater excavations. For several decades, divers and archaeologists of the GRASPA group explored the Hérault River, the sea and the Étang de Thau.

The Éphèbe, a Hellenistic bronze statue, was discovered during a dive in the Hérault. It was restored in Lorraine and then at the Louvre, where it stayed for some twenty years. Its return to Agde depended on the creation of a museum.

The building was constructed between 1982 and 1984 around an 18th-century farmhouse on La Clape hill, at Cap d’Agde. It opened in 1985 under the name Musée de la Clape; the bronze returned in May 1987, when the museum received its current name. The museum holds the “Musée de France” label.

The collections, drawn from some sixty years of discoveries, document Agathé, a Greek city 2,600 years old, as well as ancient maritime trade: cargoes of ceramics, naval equipment, amphorae and raw materials.

Highlights

• The Éphèbe, also known as Alexander of Agde, the only Hellenistic bronze found in French waters
• Bronze department: Caesarion, Eros, oenochoe
• Underwater archaeology: anchors, amphorae and pierriers (stone-shot cannons) from Brescou
• Holographic displays of the young Roman and the Éphèbe
• History of the Greek city of Agathé

Founded

1985

Operated by

Ville d'Agde

Visitors per year

approx. 24,616

Admission & discounts

Free admission: The first Sunday of every month

Group escorts enter free of charge. The museum’s activities in Agde are free unless otherwise indicated; only admission to the museum is charged. Payment in cash, by check or by card.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• 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 has held the Tourisme et Handicap label since 2006 (motor, intellectual and hearing disabilities). All collections are accessible, via an outdoor walkway on the side of the boules court and via an interior elevator. Guided tours are offered to groups of 10 people or more.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Children’s workshops during school holidays (for example, during the All Saints’ break). The education department also offers tours and workshops for school groups and leisure centers.

Getting there & parking

By car: from the A9, take exit 34 Agde-Pézenas, then follow signs to Cap d’Agde; in Cap d’Agde, follow Centre-port / Avant-port / plage de la Roquille, then the direction “Musée de l'Éphèbe / la Roquille”. GPS coordinates: 43.287101, 3.513383.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop. A lounge area with a cafeteria is announced at reception; food service is not yet offered. Animals are not allowed, except assistance dogs.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit