Musée de la Révolution française

About the museum

The Musée de la Révolution française was created in 1983 by the Isère Departmental Council ahead of the 1989 bicentenary. It occupies the château of Vizille, the 17th-century residence of the dukes of Lesdiguières, then of the Perier family from 1782 to 1895, and a presidential residence from 1925 to 1960. The château has belonged to the Department since 1973 and stands in a 100-hectare park.

The site was chosen because the Assembly of the Three Orders of the Dauphiné met there on July 21, 1788, a political gathering that prepared the events of 1789. The museum is presented as the only one in the world entirely devoted to this moment of modern history.

It tells the story of the Revolution and of the regimes that followed through the art produced at the time and later: paintings, sculptures, prints, patriotic faience, and historical objects such as stones from the Bastille or sabres of the National Guard. Busts of Barnave, Bailly, Mirabeau and Robespierre complete a collection that also opens out to French regions and neighboring countries.

Highlights

• Patriotic faience from the Revolutionary period
• Summer 1789 room: the Bastille, the National Guard and weapons
• Busts of Mirabeau, Robespierre, Bailly and Barnave
• Revolutionary paintings and sculptures
• Château of Lesdiguières in a 100-hectare park

Permanent exhibition

• Collections du Musée de la Révolution française – Works of art and historical objects from the Revolution and the regimes that followed, displayed in the rooms of the château (museum temporarily closed for works).

Founded

1983

Operated by

Département de l'Isère

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission to the museum and the park, as in the other departmental museums of Isère. Some children’s workshops are charged (€5–6 per child).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is accessible to people with reduced mobility: the entrance on the château forecourt is at ground level, and a lift serves all three levels. Folding seats are lent for groups. The park entrance is accessible; on the Place du Château side the paved surface may be difficult, so the entrance on the route d’Uriage is recommended. Dogs are not allowed in the park, except guide dogs.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Kids’ birthday parties

Creative workshops and tours for young audiences, free activity booklets at reception (for example “La Révolution en musique” or “Stylé !”), an orienteering trail across the estate, and the option of holding a birthday party at the museum.

Getting there & parking

Vizille is a 20-minute drive south of Grenoble; from Lyon, take the A480 towards Sisteron, exit no. 8 Vizille.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Restaurant Le Floréal in the mill near the Place du Château entrance (homemade cooking, ice cream), open during park hours. Shop at the museum reception with books, postcards and children’s items. No bag storage for individual visitors; large bags and suitcases are not admitted.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit