Musée Massey

About the museum

The museum takes its name from Placide Massey (1777–1853), a botanist and horticulturist from Tarbes, director of the Potager and the Orangerie at Versailles. Between 1825 and 1852 he bought eleven hectares near Tarbes and built a residence in Cairene style there, designed by the architect Jean-Jacques Latour, in the middle of an arboretum of rare species. On his death he bequeathed his properties to the town. In 1858 the deputy Achille Jubinal took up the project to endow the Hautes-Pyrénées with art collections: the house was extended by two rooms for a museum and a library, and the first galleries opened in 1864, with a natural history museum and a fine arts museum.

In the late 19th century an archaeological collection of Romanesque and Gothic capitals was added. In 1955 the young curator Marcel Boulin, trained by Georges-Henri Rivière, became interested in the agropastoral society of the Pyrenees and the Tarbes horse, linked to the hussar regiments stationed in Tarbes. He created the hussar collection, which led to extension works between 1957 and 1963. A complete renovation took place from 2009 to 2011, and the reserves and municipal archives were housed in a conservation centre at the Arsenal.

Today the Musée Massey holds the “Musée de France” label and follows two major routes: the Musée international des Hussards and the fine arts museum. The hussar collection comprises nearly 17,000 objects spanning four centuries, from the 16th to the 20th, from thirty countries, with uniformed mannequins, weapons and paintings by Horace Vernet, Ernest Meissonier and Édouard Detaille. The fine arts collection, which derives from Jubinal's gift, covers the Italian, Flemish, Dutch and French schools from the 16th to the 19th century; it is currently in storage during the works on the first floor.

Highlights

• World's first museum devoted to the history of the hussars, founded in 1955
• Nearly 17,000 objects, uniformed mannequins and weapons spanning four centuries
• Military paintings by Horace Vernet, Ernest Meissonier and Édouard Detaille
• Virtual tour of the 1914–1945 period via QR code
• 19th-century Cairene-style residence in the Massey garden

Permanent exhibition

• Collection des hussards – A chronological route through the history of the hussars from 1545 to 1914, with uniforms, weapons and paintings; the period 1914–1945 is presented as a virtual tour.

Founded

1864

Operated by

Ville de Tarbes

Visitors per year

approx. 12,000

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the museum is free; only guided tours and certain workshops are paid.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• 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

Access through the main entrance, lift to the upper floor, wheelchair available in the reception hall. The museum organises workshops for visually impaired people. The Culture/Museums department has adapted reading equipment (video magnifier, reading machine, Daisy player), housed at the Arsenal conservation centre.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Free workshops for children, often during the holidays, and family workshops. Activity booklets for children accompany the guided garden tours.

Getting there & parking

Access via the D935 B road; the museum entrance is at 1 rue Achille Jubinal, in the Massey garden.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check

Shop, cloakroom and toilets on the ground floor. The museum sits in the heart of the Massey garden.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit