Villa Arnaga – Musée Edmond Rostand

About the museum

After the success of Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmond Rostand bought a plot of land in Cambo-les-Bains in 1903 and commissioned the architect Albert Tournaire to build on it. He wanted a villa in the Basque style on the outside and a palace on the inside. The villa is built of concrete and had electricity, hot and cold running water and coal heating. The family moved in in 1906, and the interior decoration as well as the French and English gardens were completed in 1913.

Rostand died in Paris in 1918. The furniture was auctioned in 1922. In 1923 the property passed to the Brazilian industrialist couple Souza-Costa, and then to the Fleyshman family, its last private owner. In 1961 the commune of Cambo-les-Bains acquired the estate, and the villa opened as a public museum.

The villa has been a listed historic monument since 1995; in 2014 the protection was extended to the entire estate, including the stables. In 2002 it received the “Musée de France” label. The visit takes in salons, including the Chinese salon, with traces of the Rostand family’s life in the Belle Époque, as well as the orangery, the stables and the gardens, which are labeled “Jardins remarquables”.

Highlights

• Basque-style villa with Belle Époque interiors
• Chinese salon and salons of the Rostand family
• French and English gardens, “Jardins remarquables”
• Orangery and stables
• Listed monument and Musée de France

Permanent exhibitions

• Villa Arnaga et collections – Visit to the first floor and second floor of the villa: salons of the Rostand family and Belle Époque decor.
• Jardins d’Arnaga – French and English gardens, labeled “Jardins remarquables”, with orangery and stables.

Founded

1958

Visitors per year

approx. 92,540

Admission & discounts

2026 rates for the villa, the museum and the gardens.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The villa entrance has about ten steps: a wheelchair user must be helped by a companion, and a guide can then lend a wheelchair inside. There is no elevator to the upper floor (listed monument); a photo file of the rooms on the second floor is available at reception. The stables, the orangery and the French gardens are accessible; the English garden is not. Reserved space in the stables courtyard. Benches inside and in the gardens. Dogs are not admitted, except assistance dogs.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities

Free observation game (ages 5 to 10) at reception and a puzzle booklet (ages 7 to 12, €2) at the ticket office. Children take part in guided tours accompanied by an adult. No strollers in the villa (no elevator): baby carrier recommended. The French garden is accessible by stroller, the English garden is not. Baby changing table in the toilets of the orangery.

Getting there & parking

By car via the A63 or A64, then the D932. From Cambo-les-Bains station, the villa is about 2 km away.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shop: books on the Rostands and the gardens, objects inspired by the decor of Arnaga made in France, creations by local artisans. Toilets with baby changing table in the orangery.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Only the outdoor areas of the estate (notably the French garden) are offered for hire; requests via the contact form.

Plan your visit