Musée du Grand Siècle
Museum in preparation devoted to the 17th century and the Pierre Rosenberg donation, presented at the Petit Château de Sceaux before its opening in Saint-Cloud.
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About the museum
In 2019 the Hauts-de-Seine department launched the project of a museum devoted to 17th-century France and the taste for collecting. It is based on the donation by art historian Pierre Rosenberg, former president and director of the Louvre, signed in September 2020: around 700 paintings, 3,500 drawings, Murano glass and a library of several tens of thousands of books.
The future museum is to be located in Saint-Cloud, in the former Sully barracks, built in the 19th century at the foot of the Saint-Cloud estate and acquired by the department in 2016. The institution will bring together three entities: the Musée du Grand Siècle, a collectors' cabinet and a Nicolas Poussin research centre. Work is ongoing, and the website announces an opening in Saint-Cloud in 2027, without a precise date.
In the meantime, since 2021 a preview pavilion has welcomed the public at the Petit Château de Sceaux, a mansion built around 1660 at the entrance to the departmental estate. The permanent display presents, across two floors and seven rooms, an overview of the collections: power, the art of living, faith, society, the art of painting, a cabinet of curiosities and a tribute to the donor.
Highlights
- Pierre Rosenberg donation: paintings, drawings and Murano glass
- Portraits of the king, the royal family, military men and parliamentarians
- Room devoted to the art of painting with recent acquisitions
- Cabinet of curiosities linked to literature and the sciences
- Petit Château de Sceaux, a 17th-century mansion at the entrance to the departmental estate
Permanent exhibition
- Parcours permanent du pavillon de préfiguration – Seven rooms on two floors give an overview of the collections: power, art of living, faith, society, art of painting, cabinet of curiosities and tribute to Pierre Rosenberg.
- Operated by
- Département des Hauts-de-Seine
- Director
- Alexandre Gady
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups (10+ people) | –School and after-school groups visiting on their own: free; with a mediator: €40; social, educational and cultural organisations serving remote audiences, with a mediator: €15. Groups of 10 to 24 people, on Fridays, by reservation. |
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Free admission for individual visitors.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- 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 Petit Château has a ramp and a lift. The presentation film has subtitles. Mediation for visually impaired visitors (guided tours or readings) is offered on Fridays for groups of 10 or more, by reservation.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
Free activity booklets are available at reception or as a download, including a booklet for children aged 6 and over.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Sceaux (RER B) · 10-min walk
RER B, Sceaux station (about 10 minutes on foot), Bourg-la-Reine station (about 20 minutes on foot) or Parc-de-Sceaux station (about 30 minutes on foot through the park). Bus 192, stop “Église de Sceaux”, and bus 6, stop “Docteur Berger”.
By car
Parking available
Nearest paid parking: Place du Général-de-Gaulle in Sceaux. Several free car parks around the Parc de Sceaux, including the park esplanade (avenue Claude Perrault / avenue Le Nôtre).
By car from Paris (Porte d'Orléans) via the RD920, then the D77 and D60 to rue du Docteur Berger; from the A86, exit 28 at Verrières-le-Buisson. A Vélib' station “Parc de Sceaux – Centre-Ville” is in front of the Petit Château.
Get directionsAmenities & 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 · approx. 75 min |
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| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Self-guided visits with a free visitor booklet available at reception or as a download. Guided tour of the permanent collections on the first weekend of each month, Saturday and Sunday at 15:00, without reservation, limited to 25 places. School visits on Fridays only. |
