Musée du Vieux Toulouse
Association-run museum housed in the Hôtel Dumay, which presents the life and history of Toulouse through about 500 objects, paintings, costumes and ceramics.
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About the museum
The museum is the work of the association Les Toulousains de Toulouse, which began gathering collections in 1907 by launching an appeal for donations. It first occupied several temporary premises, including a barracks on the Quai de la Daurade, then the École Fabre on Rue Saint-Jean, where it opened in 1921.
In 1948 Dr Siméon Durand bequeathed the Hôtel Dumay to the association. This fine mansion was built from 1590 onwards by Antoine Dumay, physician to Marguerite de Valois, and by his son. It is protected as a historic monument. The museum settled on the first floor and reopened to the public in 1955. Temporary exhibitions began in the 1960s, and the museum received the “Musée de France” label in 2003. After the association’s centenary, it closed for works from 2006 to 2012.
The route presents about 500 works in eight rooms furnished in the taste of the 18th century. It follows themes: the city’s development, local institutions such as the Capitouls and the Jeux floraux, regional costumes, trades, portraits of magistrates, local faience and porcelain, and mementos of Toulouse personalities.
Highlights
- The Hôtel Dumay, a late 16th-century mansion with its inner courtyard
- Old views of Toulouse and portraits of magistrates
- The gold and silver flowers of the Jeux floraux
- Faience, porcelain and pottery from the region
- Traditional costumes and scenes of rural life
Permanent exhibition
- Parcours muséographique de l'hôtel Dumay – Eight rooms on the second floor present about 500 works on the history of Toulouse, its institutions, its trades and its costumes.
- Founded
- 1907
- Operated by
- Association Les Toulousains de Toulouse et Amis du Vieux-Toulouse
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Students, under 18s, job seekers and holders of the Toulouse+ pass |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 9 · Free admission for children under 10; reduced rate up to age 18. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freeFree admission for holders of the mobility inclusion card. |
| Students & apprentices | €3Reduced rate for students. |
| Groups (11+ people) | €7 per personRate of €7 per person for groups of more than 10 people. |
| School class (flat fee, by appointment) | €25Up to 35 pupils at a time. |
Also free for members of the association and holders of the Pass Tourisme, sold at the tourist office.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: no information
- 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 museum is on the first floor and is not accessible to people with reduced mobility. The temporary exhibition room on the ground floor is accessible.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Capitole
Metro or bus to the Capitole or Esquirol stops.
By car
Paid parking
Capitole or Esquirol car parks.
On foot: Rue du May runs at right angles to Rue Saint-Rome, on the right when coming from the Capitole.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
Postcards and books on sale on site.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Free guided tours, included in the ticket, take place on Wednesdays and Fridays at 15:00 during opening periods. For school classes, three one-hour visits are offered (Discovering Toulouse, Toulouse in 1900, the monuments of Toulouse); a tailor-made route can be prepared with the teacher. Group and school visits are booked by telephone. |
