Maison Rouge – Musée des vallées cévenoles

About the museum

The museum was born from the passion of Daniel Travier, a Cévennes collector who for more than fifty years gathered objects, testimonies and know-how of life in the Cévennes. A first exhibition took place in 1964, followed by a permanent exhibition in 1969 in private premises. In 1982 the town of Saint-Jean-du-Gard opened the museum in a former 17th-century relay station, and on that occasion the museum organised a colloquium on social history museums.

As the collections outgrew the site, the Alès Agglomération chose the former Maison Rouge silk mill, bought in 2002. The site was the first industrial silk mill to heat its basins with steam, and it closed in 1965. Its older part, the “Grande Rouge”, built between 1836 and 1838, is listed as a Monument historique. A contemporary extension, sober and clad in chestnut wood, was added by the Pierre Vurpas architecture practice.

The new museum opened on September 16, 2017, during the European Heritage Days. It holds the “Musée de France” label and presents ethnographic, historical and folk art collections on the rural society of the Cévennes, with routes devoted in particular to wool, silkworm rearing, spinning and weaving.

Highlights

• Former 19th-century silk mill, listed as a Monument historique
• Ethnographic collections on rural Cévennes society
• Route on silkworm rearing, spinning and weaving
• Audio guide with playful content for children
• Adventure game “Les Aventuriers de l'Extra-Monde”
• Park and shop with products from the Cévennes

Permanent exhibition

• Collection permanente – Route through the rural and traditional society of the Cévennes from the 17th to the 20th century: daily life, wool, silkworm rearing, spinning and weaving.

Operated by

Alès Agglomération

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of the month, European Heritage Days and Museum Night.

Free admission also for school groups, journalists, friends of the museum, recipients of social minimum benefits and job seekers. For the adventure game, the entrance ticket is paid the first time; subsequent games are free on presentation of the first ticket. Payment by cash, cheque, bank card and holiday vouchers.

Accessibility

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

The museum states that it is fully accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. Wheelchairs can be borrowed at reception on presentation of an identity document. Parking spaces are reserved in the car park. Reception staff can guide and accompany visitors. An easy-to-read visit guide is available.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Audio guide with playful content for children and the adventure game “Les Aventuriers de l'Extra-Monde” (about 45 minutes per route). Visits and workshops for classes from nursery school to upper secondary school. Free for children under 18; family pass at €18.

Getting there & parking

The pedestrian entrance is at 5 rue de l’Industrie, the car park at 35 Grand’Rue. The museum encourages car-sharing, the bus and soft modes of travel. A bicycle parking area is installed at the entrance.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi via a public access point at reception. The museum’s Taverne serves platters of local products and pastries; in low season it becomes a tearoom. The shop offers a selection of Cévennes products and follows the museum’s opening hours. Picnicking is possible in the park.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

The conference rooms and the education room can be rented for corporate events, lectures or general meetings.

Plan your visit