Musée Jean Garcin 39-45 : l'appel de la liberté
Departmental museum devoted to daily life under the Occupation, the Resistance in Vaucluse and freedom of mind, from 1939 to 1945.
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About the museum
The museum grew out of the collection of Raymond Granier, housed in Maubec, which from the 1970s onwards gathered more than ten thousand objects relating to wartime restrictions and daily life, from 1870 to the 1950s. In 1981 the Vaucluse Département acquired this collection, then called the “Musée des restrictions”, and installed it at Fontaine-de-Vaucluse in the buildings of the former Valdor paper mill.
The impetus came from Jean Garcin, president of the General Council from 1970 to 1992 and a former resistance fighter known as Colonel Bayard. He wanted a living place of memory where recent history would be explained and passed on. The museum opened in 1990. For the museography, the Département called on the film designer Willy Holt, who imagined streets, interiors and display cases inspired by the poetic realism of the 1930s.
The collections now number more than 8,000 objects, archive documents, first editions, graphic works and artworks on the two world wars. They focus on everyday objects, Vichy-regime posters and the clandestine publications of the Resistance. A documentation centre with more than 5,000 references can be consulted by appointment. The museum holds the “Musée de France” label.
Highlights
- Immersive re-creations of daily life under the Occupation, designed by a film designer
- First floor devoted to restrictions, shortages and propaganda posters
- Second floor on the Resistance in Vaucluse, the maquis and the Liberation
- “La Liberté de l’esprit” section with clandestine editions by poets and writers
- Matisse’s “La Chute d’Icare” (1943), shown from the entrance hall onwards
Permanent exhibition
- Vivre, résister et penser la liberté en temps de guerre – Immersive route from the pre-war years to the Liberation: everyday restrictions on the first floor, the Resistance in Vaucluse on the second floor, and freedom of mind at the end of the visit.
- Founded
- 1990
- Operated by
- Département de Vaucluse
- Visitors per year
- approx. 12,116
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4Seniors aged 65 and over, students, vocational training trainees, Service Civique volunteers, groups of more than ten people, holders of partner cards (Guide du Routard, CEZAM card, Passeport vacances des Gîtes de France) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free for under-18s. |
| Seniors | €4From age 65, on presentation of proof. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freeFree admission for people with disabilities, with proof. |
| Students & apprentices | €4Students, vocational training trainees and Service Civique volunteers. |
| Families | €4Reduced rate for any adult accompanied by a young person under 18. |
| Combined ticket with the François Pétrarque Museum-Library (full rate) | €9 |
| Combined ticket with the François Pétrarque Museum-Library (reduced rate) | €5 |
Free admission: First Sundays of the month from April to September; Saturday and Sunday mornings during the “Matinales de l’été”.
Free admission with proof for residents of Vaucluse, job seekers and recipients of minimum social benefits, teachers and journalists, museum professionals (ICOM cards and others), tourism professionals, Département staff, holders of the Vauclusemusées annual card, the Pass Culture or the e-pass jeunes, civilian and military invalids, and veterans. Guided school visit: €40 per class, by reservation.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility, with adapted toilets and a rest area on the first floor. Walking-stick seats can be borrowed at reception. Only guide dogs and assistance dogs are admitted.
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
| Family ticket | €4 · Reduced rate for any adult accompanied by a young person under 18. |
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Zou ! 914 bus from L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue station
By car
Paid parking
Paid parking near the museum.
The town is served by the A7 motorway exits Avignon Sud and Cavaillon; the nearest stations are Avignon TGV station and L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue – Fontaine-de-Vaucluse SNCF station.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
- Coat check
- Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi open to all (Vaucluse Département network, after accepting the terms of use). Reception shop with books, postcards and objects inspired by the collections. Large bags and bulky items must be left at reception.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (FR, EN, DE) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography and video for private use are permitted without flash; a ban may apply to certain works, as indicated on the label. Filming and commercial use require prior authorisation. |
| Good to know | Free audio guides in French, English and German. Groups and school classes by reservation, as a self-guided visit, a guided tour or with a workshop. |
