Musée de la Résistance de Limoges
Municipal museum in a former convent in Limoges, devoted to the Resistance, the Occupation and deportation in Haute-Vienne and Limousin.
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About the museum
The museum is an establishment of the City of Limoges. It was formerly called the Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation Henri-Chadourne. It was entirely redesigned between 2009 and 2012 and gradually became a broader museum of 20th-century history, while keeping the memory of the Resistance at the heart of its purpose.
It occupies the former convent of the Sisters of Providence, built in the 17th and 18th centuries in the Cité district at the foot of the Saint-Étienne Cathedral. Over about 1,400 square meters, the permanent display, with nearly 800 objects, is spread over two levels. The building also houses a temporary exhibition room, an educational room and a documentation center open to researchers. The scientific program was designed with the historians Olivier Wieviorka and Pascal Plas.
The display follows ten chronological sequences, from the entry into war in 1939 to the Liberation. It covers the exodus, the Vichy regime, the beginnings of the Resistance around Georges Guingouin, daily life under restrictions, the Service du travail obligatoire, repression and deportation. Among the best-known objects are an Italian Reggiane RE-2002 aircraft that crashed in Haute-Vienne on June 6, 1944 and was brought back to Limoges by Resistance fighters, Georges Guingouin's Luger pistol, and the outfit of Thérèse Menot, a Resistance fighter deported to Ravensbrück.
The municipal archives entrusted the museum with their holdings for the 1939–1945 period. With about 10,000 documents, underground newspapers and the private archives of several Resistance fighters, the collections have a strong documentary dimension. Since 2012, many donations have further enriched the reserves. Part of the works kept in storage can be consulted online.
Highlights
- Permanent display in ten sequences, from 1939 to the Liberation
- Italian Reggiane RE-2002 aircraft that crashed in Haute-Vienne in June 1944
- Objects linked to Georges Guingouin, including his Luger pistol
- Outfit of Thérèse Menot, Resistance fighter deported to Ravensbrück
- About 10,000 archive documents covering 1939–1945
Permanent exhibition
- Parcours permanent du musée de la Résistance – Ten sequences trace the Second World War in France and the Limousin, from 1939 to the Liberation, with objects, archive films, testimonies and documents.
- Operated by
- Ville de Limoges
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3On presentation of proof; groups of 10 or more, Friends of the Limoges Museums and the FRAC, holders of the Opéra's patron card |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 25 · Free admission for under-26s. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission with a disability card; the companion of a person with a disability also enters free. |
| Students & apprentices | freeFree admission for students. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €3 per personReduced rate for groups of 10 or more; group companions are free. Educational mediation is free for school groups. |
| Combined ticket for the Musée de la Résistance and Musée des Beaux-Arts (valid 3 days) | €6 |
| Reduced combined ticket for the Musée de la Résistance and Musée des Beaux-Arts (valid 3 days) | €4 |
| Audio guide rental (with deposit) | €2 |
| Annual pass for residents of Limoges | €18 |
| Annual pass for non-residents of Limoges | €24 |
Free admission: First Sunday of each month
Free admission also for job seekers, recipients of social assistance (minima sociaux), ICOM card holders, teachers, veterans, widows and orphans of war or of the press, donors, and members of the Friends of the Musée de la Résistance and the Musée des Beaux-Arts. The guided visit by reservation costs €1 more than admission.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum has held the Tourisme et Handicap label for all four types of disability since 2017. An elevator serves all three floors, and two reserved disabled parking spaces are near the entrance. Braille and large-print documents, audio guides and touch tours using reproductions are available. A hearing loop is installed at reception, audio content is transcribed, and sign-language tours are possible. Adapted visits exist for people with intellectual disabilities. All these services are free; book at 05 55 45 84 40.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 25 |
|---|
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
The app “Résistance en poche” invites 8- to 13-year-olds to explore the permanent display through games; tablets are lent at reception. The board game “Réseaux” is for young people aged 12 and over. A discovery booklet for ages 8 to 12 accompanies the current temporary exhibition.
Getting there & parking
By car
- Accessible parking
The museum is in the Cité district, at the foot of the Saint-Étienne Cathedral. Two disabled parking spaces are reserved near the entrance.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Bookshop and museum shop open during museum hours: books and DVDs on the Second World War, posters, postcards and medals from the Monnaie de Paris. Payment by bank card, check or cash.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 45 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (FR, EN, ES, DE) |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Self-guided visit with audio guide, or guided visit by reservation at 05 55 45 84 40. On Fridays at lunchtime, short themed tours are offered (prisoners of war, women in the war, repression in the Limousin, etc.). School classes from CM1 to the final year of secondary school (terminale) receive free activities with an educator. |
