Musée des Commerces d'autrefois
Museum of more than 1,000 m² in a former Eiffel-style warehouse, with recreated shops and thousands of advertising objects from the 1900s.
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About the museum
The museum grew out of the passion of Christine and Jean-François, a couple who have been collecting objects linked to trade and crafts since the early 1980s: small items, furniture, enamel signs, posters and advertising material. In 1988 they decided to create a museum that would recreate, at full scale, the shops and workshops of the first half of the 20th century.
In 1989 they bought, in the heart of Rochefort, a former hardware warehouse from the early 1900s. Its Eiffel-style architecture was well suited to recreating some twenty shops.
The building has four levels and more than 1,000 m² of exhibition space. The visit takes visitors back to the age of advertising, before the first supermarkets and today's consumer society.
Highlights
- Around twenty shops and workshops recreated at full scale
- Thousands of advertising objects, enamel signs and posters
- Former Eiffel-style warehouse over four levels
- Visit game for children
- Visit of about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes
Permanent exhibition
- Boutiques et ateliers du début du XXe siècle – Some twenty recreated shops and craftsmen's workshops, with thousands of advertising objects, spread over four levels of a former warehouse.
- Director
- Sébastien Bourbigot
- Visitors per year
- approx. 26,000
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6.90 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5.90Job seekers and holders of a disability card, the Cézam card, the Privilège Rochefort Océan card or a Gîtes de France card |
| Children & teens | €4.50free up to age 7 · Children's rate for ages 8 to 12, including a visit game for children; an adult must accompany children. |
| Students & apprentices | €4.50Students after the baccalauréat, with proof of status. |
Accepted means of payment: bank card, cash, cheque and chèques-vacances. Online tickets are available on the museum's website.
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 museum lists access for people with disabilities among its services; animals are welcome.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 7 |
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
A visit game is included in the youth rate. An adult must accompany children.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Average visit duration: 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Guided tours are for adult and school groups only, by reservation; groups should contact the museum directly. The audio guide and guided tour are not included in the individual ticket price. |
Museums nearby
Musée Hèbre
Musée de la Vieille Paroisse
Musée national de la Marine de Rochefort
Maison de Pierre Loti à Rochefort
Musée de l'aéronautique navale
Maison du Transbordeur
All 6 museums in Rochefort All museums in Nouvelle-Aquitaine