Musée des Tumulus de Bougon

About the museum

The museum is the culmination of fifteen years of excavations of the megalithic necropolis of Bougon, carried out until 1987 under the direction of Claude Burnez and Jean-Pierre Mohen. The Deux-Sèvres department has owned the site since 1873. In 1991 it decided to build a museum to present these discoveries, based on a design by architect Jean-François Milou. The museum was inaugurated and opened to the public in June 1993.

The building is designed as a large display case surrounded by a metal peristyle, transparent between inside and outside. It was built around the remains of a Cistercian priory: the Notre-Dame de Vaugénérault chapel, a 14th-century sharecropper's house and a 17th-century barn. These buildings were used as a farm until the Revolution and were sold as national property in 1791.

The route covers prehistory across six rooms, from the first humans to the Neolithic: evolution, archaeological gallery, Neolithic, megalithism, the Puyraveau dolmens and the Bougon necropolis. A discovery trail then leads to the archaeological site, where several tumuli, built in the 5th millennium BCE and reused later, are among the oldest megalithic structures on the Atlantic coast. The site has been listed as a historic monument since 1960, and the museum holds the “Musée de France” label.

Highlights

• Six rooms on prehistory, from the first humans to the Neolithic
• Reconstruction of the interior of the Gavrinis cairn
• Models of the tumuli and objects from the necropolis excavations
• Tumulus necropolis around 6,000 years old, visited by a discovery trail
• Neolithic botanical garden and stone labyrinth

Permanent exhibitions

• Parcours permanent sur la Préhistoire – Six rooms from human evolution to the Neolithic, with a reconstruction of the Gavrinis cairn, the Puyraveau dolmens and models of the Bougon tumuli.
• Nécropole de tumulus de Bougon – Open-air archaeological site of tumuli from the 5th millennium BCE, reached by a discovery trail from the museum.

Founded

1993

Operated by

Département des Deux-Sèvres

Visitors per year

approx. 35,907

Admission & discounts

Free admission: The first Sunday of the month, from April to November; other free days are listed in the museum's 2026 calendar (for example May 23, September 19 and 20, October 10 and 11).

The prices shown are for the 2026 low season. In high season: full price €10, reduced rate €5, family package €30, groups €5. High season runs in particular from early July to late August; the detailed calendar is on the prices page. Free for under-6s, annual pass holders, ICOM card holders and holders of the tour guide card. Payment by cash, bank card, cheque and chèques-vacances. A reduced rate is offered at the Gallo-Roman site of Sanxay on presentation of the ticket, and vice versa.

Accessibility

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

The museum is wheelchair-accessible, with a dedicated entrance to be announced by buzzer and a lift serving all levels. The paths of the archaeological site are passable, but the gradient makes assistance preferable. A wheelchair and seat-canes can be lent; a braille visitor booklet and audio guides with braille keys are available on request. Assistance animals are accepted on presentation of a certificate.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

Free investigation booklets are offered for ages 7 to 9 and 10 to 12. During zone A school holidays, workshops for ages 3 to 12 are offered for an extra charge on top of the ticket. The discovery route includes a stone labyrinth with two levels of questions, a Neolithic garden and a prehistory amphitheatre for children. A baby-changing table is available in the museum and high chairs in the restaurant area.

Getting there & parking

The museum is about 40 minutes from Niort and 45 minutes from Poitiers. Via the A10 motorway, take exit 31 towards Pamproux, then Bougon. The V94 cycle route passes 150 m from the museum; the museum holds the “Accueil Vélo” label and offers 5 bicycle parking spaces, a repair kit on request and a charging point.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The museum café is open from July 1 to August 31, 2026, Tuesday to Sunday (11:00 to 14:30 and 15:15 to 18:00). Picnic tables are available; picnicking is not permitted outside this area. Toilets in the car park. Pets are not allowed.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit