Musée Promenade

About the museum

The Domaine Saint-Benoît, where the museum stands, is crossed by a spring that has been depositing tufa for millennia. The ramparts date from the 13th century, and two twin caves dug into the cliff may have served as a dwelling for monks. From the 15th to the 19th century, the site was a farm estate, a tufa quarry and, for nearly three centuries, a wool-cloth workshop with a fulling mill powered by the spring's water.

In the 20th century, the estate became a holiday camp for the city of Aix-en-Provence from 1949 to 1970, and was then abandoned. In 1979, the city of Digne acquired it to create a centre for geological studies. The Réserve naturelle géologique de Haute-Provence, created by decree on 31 October 1984, officially moved in there, with a geology museum and exhibitions.

From 2014, when the geological reserve was entrusted to the Departmental Council, the Musée Promenade became the seat of the Haute-Provence UNESCO Global Geopark. Its rooms display hundreds of fossils, including a full cast of an ichthyosaur skeleton, landscapes of the geopark in an immersive projection, butterflies and natural hazards. A butterfly garden, a Japanese garden, waterfalls and contemporary artworks complete the visit in the park.

Highlights

• Hundreds of fossils and a full cast of an ichthyosaur skeleton
• Immersive room with 360° videos of the geopark's landscapes
• Butterfly garden with around 130 species to observe
• Park with waterfalls, a Japanese garden and contemporary artworks
• Seat of the Haute-Provence UNESCO Global Geopark

Permanent exhibitions

• Exposition des fossiles du Géoparc – Several hundred fossils trace 300 million years of Earth's history, with a cast of an ichthyosaur skeleton.
• Exposition immersive dans les paysages du Géoparc – Introductory room on twenty emblematic sites, followed by a 360° projection room showing videos of landscapes seen from the sky.
• Papillons de Haute-Provence – Exhibition on the second floor of the Maison des Remparts, which complements the visit to the butterfly garden in the park.

Founded

1984

Operated by

Géoparc mondial de Haute-Provence (service de Provence Alpes Agglomération)

Admission & discounts

The guided visit of the butterfly garden is included in the price of the ticket.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• 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 site has a height difference of about 60 m (around 20 minutes' climb on laid-out paths). Visitors with reduced mobility are invited to contact the museum before the visit (+33 4 92 36 70 70). For young children, a baby carrier is recommended rather than a pushchair, given the many steps and paths.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Kids’ birthday parties

Free activities in July and August for 7- to 12-year-olds (palaeontological digs on Tuesday, treasure hunt on Wednesday, discovery of the butterfly garden on Thursday). Children's birthday parties on Wednesday afternoons. A pushchair is not recommended because of the stairs and paths.

Getting there & parking

By car or bike from the town centre: avenue Demontzey, then front de Bléone in the direction of Barles, about 3 km. On foot: the Caguerenard footpath from the Digne-les-Bains tourist office.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shop with bookshop, souvenirs, cold drinks and ice cream. Shaded picnic areas. Dogs are allowed on a lead in the park, but not in the exhibition rooms.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties

Children's birthday parties with palaeontological digs on Wednesday afternoons (€100 per group, from age 6) and wedding photo shoots in the park (€50, with two museum tickets included).

Plan your visit