Musée du château de Lunéville

About the museum

A fortified castle is mentioned in Lunéville around the year 1000. In the 13th century it became a country residence of the Dukes of Lorraine. At the beginning of the 17th century Duke Henri II had the old fortress demolished to build a more modern residence. From 1698 Duke Leopold and his wife Élisabeth-Charlotte d’Orléans made it their home. The architect Germain Boffrand completed the works in the early 1720s, and the château was nicknamed the “Versailles of Lorraine”.

In 1737 Stanislas Leszczynski, former King of Poland, settled there and became the last Duke of Lorraine. Voltaire stayed there several times; Émilie du Châtelet completed her translation of Newton’s Principia there and died there in 1749. After Stanislas’s death in 1766, Lorraine was annexed to France.

In the 19th century the château became a cavalry barracks. Its chapel was listed as a historic monument in 1901, and the whole estate in 1998. On January 2, 2003, a fire that started in the chapel’s attic caused major damage, including to the museum’s collections, and triggered a large-scale restoration programme that is still under way.

Today the château houses a museum with the “Musée de France” label and preserves the heritage of the court of the Dukes and Duchesses of Lorraine.

Highlights

• Restored apartments of the former residence of the Dukes of Lorraine
• Permanent exhibition “The Beautiful Hours of the Château de Lunéville” in three acts
• Lunéville faience from the 18th to the early 20th century
• Parc des Bosquets, 19 hectares, listed
• Immersive virtual reality tour of the ducal apartments

Permanent exhibitions

• Les Belles Heures du château de Lunéville – Permanent exhibition in three acts: a palace in the country in the restored apartments, Lunéville faience in the Art Nouveau period in the former ducal cellar, and the legacy of the Enlightenment at the court of Stanislas.
• Salle du Puits – Models based on the plates of Diderot and d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie on the building trades in the 18th century, with a tactile area.

Operated by

Département de Meurthe-et-Moselle

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of the month (no guided tours on those days)

The “entrée journée” day ticket gives access to all the restored rooms and exhibitions. Free entry also for holders of an ICOM card or Museum Pass, and for holders of a press card or a guide-lecturer card. Horse-drawn carriage rides, video mapping and “L’Hiver au château” are not included. The gallery of the CRI des Lumières and the Conservatoire des Broderies de Lunéville are free to access.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

An activity booklet, a secret garden map and an ornament game are given out free at reception. The Well Room (salle du Puits) has a tactile area. In summer and during the All Saints’ holidays, family tours are offered. Schools have free workshops (monogram, secret garden map, Enlightenment architect, theatre workshop).

Getting there & parking

By car: about 35 minutes from Nancy (A33), 60 minutes from Épinal (N57) and 42 minutes from Saint-Dié-des-Vosges (N59).

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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