Musée Hector-Berlioz

About the museum

Hector Berlioz was born on December 11, 1803, in La Côte-Saint-André, where he spent the first eighteen years of his life. His birthplace, where his father, a doctor, gave him his first lessons, is now home to a museum devoted to the composer, a major figure of European Romanticism.

The first museum opened here in 1935, inaugurated by Édouard Herriot. It was rearranged several times and fully renovated in 2003 for the bicentenary of Berlioz’s birth. The interior follows the descriptions left by the composer’s father and preserves the painted decorations of his childhood bedroom.

Each room evokes a facet of Berlioz’s life, through his correspondence, scores, honors and furniture; his voice guides the visit via an audio guide. The museum holds more than a thousand autograph letters from the composer and his circle, which can be consulted through a digital device, as well as a space devoted to phonographs.

Each year a temporary exhibition is shown in the former cellars. The garden and auditorium host concerts, screenings and workshops. The museum belongs to the Isère department, and admission is free.

Highlights

• Berlioz’s birthplace, with the painted decorations of his childhood bedroom
• Free audio guide in which Berlioz’s own voice accompanies the visit
• More than a thousand autograph letters from the composer and his relatives
• Space devoted to phonographs
• Auditorium with a jukebox playing excerpts from Berlioz’s works
• Museum garden

Permanent exhibition

• Maison natale d'Hector Berlioz – Visit of the rooms of the composer’s childhood home (kitchen, small library-lounge, large lounge, child’s bedroom with painted decorations), with letters, scores and personal objects.

Founded

1935

Operated by

Département de l'Isère

Visitors per year

approx. 22,567

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission for everyone. Guided group tours by reservation: €100 (1 h), €150 (1 h 30 min) or €180 (2 h).

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• 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

Only the ground floor, the auditorium, the garden and the temporary exhibition are accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

During school holidays, workshops, film screenings, concerts and treasure hunts are offered to children; the program is listed in the museum’s agenda.

Getting there & parking

By car: A48 motorway Lyon–Grenoble, exit Rives, then the Bièvre road towards La Côte-Saint-André.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shop with CDs, exhibition catalogs, travel guides, postcards and merchandise. Bags are checked at reception (Vigipirate plan); no bag or item storage is possible, and large bags or suitcases are refused.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit