Musée de la Nacre et de la Tabletterie
Museum in the Fessart-Dégremont factory in Méru, devoted to tabletterie (the craft of small objects made from natural materials) and mother-of-pearl, with steam engines and manufacturing demonstrations.
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About the museum
The town of Méru in the Oise is known for its tabletterie, the art of making small objects from bone, wood, ivory or mother-of-pearl. A first exhibition on the subject, “Au temps des boutonniers” (In the Time of the Button-Makers), was organised in 1978 by a local association. Several associations in the Méru area then came together to create a permanent place dedicated to this heritage.
The museum is housed in the former steam factory built in 1859 by Louis Fessart, later taken over by the Dégremont family. After industrial activity ceased, the buildings were listed as Monuments historiques in 1994, and the Sablons district became the owner in 1995. The main building opened to the public on May 22, 1999, the west wing ten years later, and the former factory shop was renovated in 2016.
The museum has held the “Musée de France” label since 2008. Its industrial collection includes button-making machines, technical equipment and raw materials, kept in working order. Alongside it, objects made by tabletiers illustrate fashion (fans, buttons, adornments), decorative arts and natural history with shells. In 2025 the museum received the Prix Liliane Bettencourt pour l’Intelligence de la Main, in the Parcours category.
Highlights
- Reconstructed workshops with a century-old steam engine in operation
- Demonstration of making a mother-of-pearl button and an ebony and bone domino
- Collection of fans, displayed on a rotating basis
- Buttons, jewellery, boxes, games and necessaires made from natural materials
- 19th-century factory listed as a Monument historique
Permanent exhibition
- Collections de la tabletterie et ateliers reconstitués – The route presents steam engines, reconstructed workshops and objects made of mother-of-pearl, bone, ebony and ivory: fans, buttons, jewellery, games and necessaires.
- Founded
- 1999
- Director
- Florentin Gobier
- Visitors per year
- approx. 21,815
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5.50Holders of certain cards (Cézam, Société des Amis du Louvre, Carte Moisson, Club Inter-Entreprises, Pass’ Education, CNAS), on proof |
| Children & teens | €3.50free up to age 4 · Half price from age 5 to 18; free for children under 5. |
| Students & apprentices | €3.50Half price on proof, as for holders of the Pass’Oise Découverte. |
| Groups (20+ people) | €6.50 per personGroups are welcomed in the morning by reservation; one free place per 35 people and one for the coach driver. Rate of €6 for coach operators, travel agencies and contracted tourist offices. |
| Holiday workshop (children and families) | €4.50By registration. |
| Escape game “Prisonniers du temps”, from age 10 (per person, group of 3) | €34Price per person decreasing: €28 for 4 people, €26 for 5, €24 for 6; booking required at least 15 days in advance. |
Free admission: Every Friday afternoon during the summer holidays
The ticket includes a guided tour of about one hour and access to the collections and the temporary exhibition. Discounts on proof. Offers: “one adult ticket bought, one ticket free” with the Pass Proscitec (adult), and one child ticket free with an adult ticket. Free admission notably with the ICOM card and the Pass’ Pro Hauts-de-France Tourisme. Payment methods: cash, cheque, bank card, Chèques Vacances and administrative order (mandat administratif).
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The collection and exhibition areas are fully accessible; a lift serves the first level. Wheelchair access is via rue Roger Salengro or the garden side. Only assistance dogs are allowed in the museum.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
The route is designed for younger visitors too, with playful discovery furniture and a digital table. During school holidays, holiday workshops (storytelling tours, treasure hunts, workshop visits) are offered by registration, and in summer the “Jeu(x)dis d’été” workshops from age 6. A virtual reality escape game is open from age 10.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Méru railway station, about 10 minutes on foot.
By car
Parking available
One parking space is reserved for visitors with disabilities.
- Accessible parking
About 50 minutes from Paris via the A15, N184 and A16 (Méru exit), 30 minutes from Beauvais via the D927, and 1 hour from Amiens via the A16.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Museum shop. A café area is available for groups (breakfast or afternoon snack by reservation).
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (FR, EN, DE, NL, ES) |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours every day except Tuesday at 15:00 and 16:15, included in the ticket. A mobile app offers routes with texts, videos and sounds; it is adapted for people with hearing, visual or intellectual disabilities. Two-hour group visit, shop included. |
