
Maison de la Mine et du Tourisme de Saint-Éloy-les-Mines
Mining museum at the foot of the Saint-Joseph pithead headframe, devoted to anthracite mining and the lives of miners in the Saint-Éloy basin.
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Over het museum
The Saint-Éloy coalfield, the largest in western Auvergne, belongs to the great coal trough of the Massif Central. Anthracite was mined here from the French Revolution until the mine closed on January 15, 1978.
The Saint-Joseph shaft was sunk in 1897. Its headframe (chevalement), 40 metres high and weighing 160 tonnes, dates from 1926; it remains the great symbol of two centuries of mining in the town and in the Combrailles.
The Maison de la Mine was built in 2011 at the foot of the headframe after a long project, and was inaugurated on the feast day of Saint Barbara. The building houses both the museum and the town’s tourist office. The route describes the daily life of miners, their trades, the risks of underground work and the evolution of techniques. An immersive room screens a film of around fifteen minutes that brings the descent into the mine to life. An outdoor courtyard displays the heaviest machinery and equipment.
Hoogtepunten
- Saint-Joseph headframe: 40 metres high, built in 1926
- Immersive room with a film of around 15 minutes on the descent into the mine
- Outdoor courtyard with large mining equipment
- Activity booklets for children and an investigation for teenagers
- Meetings with former miners for groups, by reservation
Vaste collectie
- Parcours permanent de la Maison de la Mine – The route tells the story of miners’ lives, their trades and extraction techniques, with an immersive room and an outdoor yard of mining equipment.
- Opgericht
- 2011
Toegangsprijzen & kortingen
De toegang is gratis.
Free admission according to the Combrailles tourist office.
Toegankelijkheid
- Rolstoeltoegankelijk
- Lift: geen informatie
- Aangepast toilet: geen informatie
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
- Hulphonden welkom: geen informatie
- Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
- Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
- Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
- Audiodescriptie: geen informatie
Accessible to wheelchair users who can move around independently, according to the Combrailles tourist office. The neighbouring headframe is not accessible by wheelchair.
Kinderen & gezin
Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen
- Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
A booklet for children explains coal mines through games and quizzes, and a surprise is given at the end of the visit. Teenagers can investigate an explosives theft with a booklet, and a treasure hunt on mining trades is offered.
Bereikbaarheid & parkeren
The museum is on Rue du Chevalement, at the Carreau Saint-Joseph (pithead site), near the town centre of Saint-Éloy-les-Mines.
Route plannenService & horeca
The building also houses the town’s tourist office. Animals are welcome.
Evenementen & zaalverhuur
Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.
Je bezoek plannen
| Goed om te weten | Immersive room with a film of around 15 minutes. Former miners answer visitors’ questions, by reservation for groups of at least 10 people. Visits are possible in French and English. |
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