Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation de l'Ain

About the museum

The building is a former prison built in Nantua between 1840 and 1848. The first inmates arrived in 1864, and the prison closed permanently in 1953. It served first as a house of correction, then as a house of detention; during the Second World War some resistance members were held there before being transferred to Lyon.

In 1983 an association was founded to create a museum of the Resistance and deportation; the town of Nantua allocated it the prison. The museum opened to the public on August 12, 1985, with a team of volunteers, and was officially inaugurated on October 18, 1986. It then became municipal, and departmental in 2004.

Major extension and accessibility works took place between 2015 and 2017, with an entirely renewed scenography. The route presents the Ain during the war, the commitment of women and men, repression and persecution, and the construction of memory after 1945. The collection has more than 15,000 objects and documents: propaganda posters, weapons, uniforms, everyday objects, photographs and archives.

Highlights

• Route on the Ain during the Second World War
• Exceptional collection of propaganda posters from 1939 to 1945
• More than 2 h 30 min of testimonies at five documentary points
• Immersive show on parachute drops in a reconstructed Hudson
• Seven objects to touch, with Braille labels

Permanent exhibition

• L'Ain dans la guerre – Permanent route on the Ain during the Second World War: occupation, the Vichy regime, the Resistance, the maquis, repression and deportation.

Founded

1985

Operated by

Département de l'Ain

Admission & discounts

The ticket is valid all day and gives access to the collections and temporary exhibitions. Admission is also free, on proof, for war veterans, disabled veterans and war victims, job seekers and recipients of social minima, and for several categories of professionals. The Pass'Découvertes de l'Ain is accepted.

Accessibility

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

The museum has been fully accessible to people with reduced mobility since 2017, with a step-free entrance and a lift serving both levels. Induction loop at reception, subtitled audiovisuals, French Sign Language (LSF) translation of most films, tactile paving, a Braille plan, an audio-described route, and documents in easy-to-read language. The museum holds the Tourisme & Handicap label. There is no car park: one accessible parking space is 50 m in front of the courthouse and two more in the municipal car park 100 m away; a drop-off point (dépose-minute) is possible in front of the entrance.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Creative workshops for children during the Easter and All Saints' holidays, and a route for all ages with adapted materials.

Getting there & parking

The road leading to the museum has a continuous gradient of up to 13%. From Lyon, take the A42 then the A40, exit 8 Saint-Martin-du-Fresne; from Geneva, the A40, exit 9 Sylans.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Bookshop open to visitors during opening hours. Luggage, except a small backpack, is not accepted.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit