Urêka

About the museum

The history of uranium in France began in Limousin in 1948. For more than sixty years, men and women worked, often under very harsh conditions, in the mines beneath which the Urêka site now stands. The museum pays tribute to these pioneers and tells, in a playful and educational way, the story of the extraction of this resource found in the Limousin soil.

The museum grew out of the territory, the imagination and the passion of its initiators, who worked for three years to design it. It is run by the association Énergies Limousines and is located in the same building as the Orano company restaurant.

The visit combines a 3D film (film en relief), a reconstruction of an underground mine workings from the 1950s to the 1990s and of a prospector-geologist's camp, a room devoted to the SIMO ore processing plant and an interactive area. A section also presents uranium mining abroad, notably in Niger, Kazakhstan and Canada. Outside, a machinery park brings together former mining vehicles recovered from the mine.

Highlights

• 3D film “Il était une fois l'uranium” with archive images and scientific interviews
• Reconstruction of an underground mine workings from the 1950s to the 1990s
• Room devoted to the SIMO ore processing plant in Bessines-sur-Gartempe
• Interactive area “Le noyau de la connaissance”
• Machinery park with former mining vehicles
• Escape game on the theme of the vanished galena

Permanent exhibition

• Parcours Urêka : l'aventure de l'uranium – 3D film, underground mine workings, the SIMO processing plant, an interactive area and the machinery park trace the history of uranium in Limousin.

Operated by

Association Énergies Limousines

Admission & discounts

Rates in force before the temporary closure. Payment at reception by bank card, cash, check or ANCV holiday vouchers (chèques-vacances).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• 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

Spaces reserved for people with reduced mobility at the back of the car park, then access to the machinery park and the museum by ramps; this route is recommended for wheelchair users. For people who have difficulty walking without a wheelchair, a shorter access route is possible by calling the museum. Animals are not admitted.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

The museum is presented as a playful and interactive adventure for the whole family. Escape game from age 8. Free for children under 7.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the A20, midway between Paris and Toulouse, 20 minutes from Limoges. Car park is unshaded.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

Museum shop with original products and souvenirs. No food service on site; restaurants in the center of Bessines-sur-Gartempe and nearby.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 150 guests.

Auditorium with 85 seats, with sound system and video projection, and a reception space for up to 150 people for seminars, colloquia and conferences. Rates: €600 per day, €300 per half day.

Plan your visit