Musée régional de Fouras

About the museum

The Fouras museum is housed in the keep of Fort Vauban, the town’s main historic building, listed as a historic monument (Monument historique) in May 1937. The castle was built in the 11th century to control the Charente estuary and collect tolls, on the site of earlier Gallo-Roman wooden fortifications. The keep was rebuilt around 1480; after the creation of the Rochefort naval arsenal in 1666, it became a key point in the defense of the river approaches. Between 1689 and 1693, the king’s engineer François Ferry, working with Vauban, transformed the former feudal residence into a “fort à la mer” (fort at sea).

The museum was founded in 1956 by the Association des Amis du Musée, which still runs it. It received the “Musée de France” label in 2004 and has grown considerably since its beginnings. The thematic route covers 600 m² across the whole keep and presents the history of Fouras and its inhabitants, from antiquity to the present day.

The collections include Gallo-Roman and medieval archaeological finds from excavations carried out between 1967 and 1972, weapons, uniforms and medals relating to military history, ship models of warships, trawlers and sailing boats, tools for shore fishing and oyster farming, regional costumes and headdresses, and a holding of works by regional painters and graphic art. One section is devoted to Fouras’s rise as a seaside resort in the 19th century, thanks to the railway and the fashion for sea bathing.

Highlights

• Keep of Fort Vauban, remodeled by François Ferry, engineer to Louis XIV
• Gallo-Roman and medieval archaeological finds from the 1967–1972 excavations
• Ship models of warships, trawlers and sailing boats, including the launch “La Fourasine”
• Works by regional painters such as Gaston Balande and Gaston Corbier
• Panoramic terrace at the top of the keep

Permanent exhibition

• Parcours permanent du donjon du Fort Vauban – Thematic route across 600 m² on the history of Fouras, from antiquity to the present day: archaeology, military and maritime history, fishing, everyday life and the rise of the seaside resort.

Founded

1956

Operated by

Association des Amis du Musée de Fouras

Visitors per year

approx. 17,809

Admission & discounts

Free admission for Friends of the Museums of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, holders of the Office de Tourisme Rochefort-Océan card, Ministry of Culture staff, ICOM members, journalists and members of the Association des Amis du Musée. For school groups, pupils, teachers and up to 5 accompanying parents are admitted free.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• 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

The museum states that it is not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. The lower vaulted rooms (crypt) can only be visited on a guided tour.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The museum runs a cultural programme with workshops, lectures, night walks, treasure hunts and theatrical evenings on Sundays in summer. Every temporary exhibition comes with an offer for families.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Bookshop and museum shop with open access, no entry ticket required, during the museum’s opening hours.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit