Musée Le Secq des Tournelles
Rouen museum devoted to the art of ironwork, housed in the former church of Saint-Laurent, with nearly 14,000 pieces from the Gallo-Roman period to the 20th century.
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About the museum
The museum grew out of the collection of Jean-Louis-Henri Le Secq des Tournelles (1818–1882), a painter who became one of the first French photographers. Commissioned to photograph historic monuments, he discovered ironwork pieces on the job and began his collection around 1865. His son Henry (1854–1925) continued it and gave it to the city of Rouen in 1917.
The city entrusted him with the church of Saint-Laurent, a late 15th-century building saved from ruin in 1893 and restored in 1911. The museum opened there in 1921. Henry Le Secq remained its curator until his death and continued to enrich the collections; further gifts and bequests were added in the 1950s.
The collection today numbers nearly fourteen thousand pieces of wrought, chased or cast iron, from the Gallo-Roman period to the 20th century, from Europe and other regions. It includes elaborate works of art, such as masterpiece locks, but also folk objects such as shop signs or cooking pots. Traditional weapons are excluded.
Highlights
- Keys, locks, chests and caskets
- Shop signs and property marks
- Cutlery and trade tools
- Door knockers, grilles and hinge straps
- Ornamental, lighting, kitchen and sewing objects
Permanent exhibition
- Collections d’arts du fer – Collections arranged by theme: keys and locks, signs, cutlery, tools, door knockers, lighting, hearth and kitchen objects, ornaments and sewing items.
- Founded
- 1921
- Operated by
- Réunion des Musées Métropolitains Rouen Normandie (Métropole Rouen Normandie)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups | –Reservation is required for any group visit, two weeks in advance. |
|---|
Free access to the permanent collections.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Entrance for visitors with reduced mobility on rue Deshays. Tactile tours and tours in French Sign Language are offered.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
Offers “Le musée des tout petits” and “Un dimanche en famille”.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & 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 |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours (for example “Les incontournables”), workshops, and group and school visits by reservation with the visitor services department. |
