Musée des Papeteries Canson et Montgolfier
Paper museum in the birthplace of the Montgolfier brothers at Vidalon, with a full-size paper machine that is run during visits.
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About the museum
The museum is housed in the birthplace of the Montgolfier brothers, in the heart of the Manufacture royale de Vidalon in Davézieux. It tells the story of papermaking from the 17th century to the present day. Guides show how a sheet is formed by hand in an old vat, and the museum presents itself as the only one in the world to operate a full-size paper machine.
The rooms cover the Montgolfier, Canson and Seguin families, who for more than three centuries took papermaking in the north of the Ardèche from craft to industry. They also deal with the calculations of the Montgolfier brothers that led to the hot-air balloon, the inventions of the Canson family, the paternalistic organization of the paper town with its chapel, warehouses and school, and the daily life of papermakers and of the Johannot family, talented papermakers.
The visit includes ten rooms, a video on papermaking and a 500 m² vaulted workshop where machines are set in motion and paper is made by hand. The paper mill buildings have been listed as historic monuments since 2012.
Highlights
- Full-size paper machine in operation
- Handmade paper in an old vat
- Birthplace of the Montgolfier brothers
- 500 m² vaulted workshop with working machines
- 17th-century chapel of the manufacture
- History of the Montgolfier and Canson families
Permanent exhibition
- Du papier à la main aux machines – Route through the Montgolfier birthplace and the vaulted workshop: handmade papermaking, printing, the paper machine in motion and a sheet-cutting machine.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €6.50 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | €5free up to age 5 · €5 for ages 6 to 16; free for children under 6 (outside groups). |
| Groups (15+ people) | €6.50 per personStandard guided visit: €6.50 per adult and €5 for under-16s; guide free of charge. Free admission for the driver and one accompanying person per 20 paying visitors. Booking at least ten days in advance. |
| Groups: guided visit with handmade papermaking or paper hot-air balloon making, adult | €8Price per person |
| Groups: guided visit with handmade papermaking or paper hot-air balloon making, under 16 | €6.50Price per person |
Group visits by appointment only, for at least 15 people.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- 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
Only part of the museum is accessible: the ground floor (video, Montgolfier room, shop) and the basement (machine room, handmade papermaking workshop). A small car park near the museum is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
- Kids’ birthday parties
During school holidays, handmade papermaking workshops for children (for example in July and August 2026 at 09:30, by contacting the museum). Workshops can also be arranged for a family celebration or a birthday.
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available · 2-min walk to the entrance
Large car park on the square in front of the church, a 2-minute walk from the museum; it is mandatory for buses and motorhomes. A small car park for cars near the museum is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.
- Accessible parking
From the car park, continue on foot along a sloping pedestrian path (about 2 minutes); beyond that, vehicle manoeuvres are difficult.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
The shop is open during visiting hours: paper, books, documents and souvenirs related to the hot-air balloon.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Suggested visit length: 1 hour 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on interest. In the basement, all visits are guided (making a sheet at the vat, starting up the machines); the upper floors can be visited independently. Multilingual digital terminals. Educational workshops for groups: making an individual printed sheet of paper, or a collective paper hot-air balloon. |
