Musée de la Chapellerie
Museum devoted to the felt hat industry that made Espéraza famous, with machinery, a film and a shop.
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About the museum
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, hat-making brought prosperity to Espéraza, in the upper Aude valley. Production grew mainly from 1830, and then with the arrival of the railway in 1878. Around 1929, the trade employed nearly 3,000 workers in the local factories, and the town became one of the very first world centres of wool felt hats.
Fashion, which gradually abandoned the hat, then led to a continuous decline: only one small factory remains, in the neighbouring commune of Montazels. To preserve the memory of this expertise, the association “Les Amis du Musée de la Chapellerie” founded the museum in 1992.
The route brings together the machines and equipment of production, from the felt cone to the finished hat, in two spaces designed as workshops. Photographs, books and hat models complement the visit, which relies on multilingual leaflets and a film showing the stages of manufacture.
Highlights
- The machines and equipment of the entire felt-hat production chain, from the felt cone to the finished hat
- A film on the stages of making a hat
- Two workshop-style rooms: fulling and finishing
- Photographs, books and models of headwear
- A shop with hats of various shapes and materials
- Founded
- 1992
- Operated by
- Association « Les Amis du Musée de la Chapellerie »
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €2 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 11 · Free for under-12s accompanied by an adult. |
| Groups | €3 per personGuided visit by reservation, €3 per person; for schools and leisure centres, €4 to €5 per pupil or child. |
| Guided visit (by reservation) | €3Available in English. |
Free admission: Free admission during school holidays.
Payment by bank card, check or cash.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 11 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Playground / play area
Playful and educational workshops for schools and leisure centres, plus a play area listed by the tourist office.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Espéraza – Gare SNCF · 1-min walk · 96 m
SNCF station at Espéraza nearby; liO lines Axat – Quillan – Limoux – Carcassonne.
By car
Access for coaches and motorhomes.
Espéraza lies 45 km south of Carcassonne. Bus or TER connection between Carcassonne and Quillan.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Hat shop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided visits by reservation only, including for adult groups, tour operators, families, schools, leisure centres and visitors with disabilities; visits are possible in English. Multilingual leaflets make it possible to follow the manufacturing process. |
