Maison du marais poitevin

Over het museum

The Maison du Marais poitevin opened to the public in 1988 under the name Maison des Marais mouillés, on the initiative of a local association. It is located in Coulon, on the Place de la Coutume, in a manor house whose north façade features a dovecote and a Renaissance window. The name of the square recalls the tolls once levied on goods travelling along the Sèvre niortaise.

The museum was extended and redesigned in 1995, and an educational department was created at the same time. In 2015 it received the Qualité Tourisme label. The buildings belong to the Deux-Sèvres département, the collections to the Marais poitevin regional nature park; a non-profit association runs the site.

The route presents life in the wet marsh from the 19th century to today: the uses of boats and the trade of the boatwright, the mysterious fishing of the eel, a reconstructed maraîchin house and the Maraiscope, a sound-and-light projection on a model that traces the formation of the marsh. Temporary exhibitions complement the visit.

The museum will close on November 1, 2026 for a complete renovation. The Deux-Sèvres département plans to open a new museum space at the end of 2028.

Hoogtepunten

• Marsh boating and the construction of traditional boats
• The mysterious life of the eel and its fishing
• The Maraiscope: sound-and-light projection on an animated model
• A reconstructed traditional maraîchin house

Vaste collectie

• La batellerie dans le Marais poitevin – This room presents all the uses of boats and the trade of the boatwright.
• À la rencontre des anguilles – A room devoted to the mysterious life of the eel and its fishing in the marsh.
• Le Maraiscope et la maison maraîchine d'autrefois – A sound-and-light projection on a model traces the evolution of the marsh, and a reconstructed interior shows the daily life of a maraîchin.

Opgericht

1988

Beheerder

Association à but non lucratif (loi 1901) ; bâtiments du Département des Deux-Sèvres, collections du Parc naturel régional du Marais poitevin

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Holiday vouchers (chèques-vacances) are accepted for admission and purchases in the shop. School rates with one guide-animator per class (15 pupils minimum): €4.50 per primary school pupil, €5.50 per middle or high school pupil, €6.50 per student.

Toegankelijkheid

• Rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The museum is accessible to people with reduced mobility: a lift to the upper floor and adapted toilets on the ground floor. Clean, leashed animals are welcome. A tactile guided visit is offered to visually impaired visitors, with a relief model and objects to touch (1 hour 30 minutes, €10 per person, by reservation).

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Kinderwagenvriendelijk

A family visit is offered, with observation games and question-and-answer activities for children. The museum is accessible with strollers thanks to the lift. The online Pack Tribu lets four people enter for €24.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

In Coulon, follow the direction of Arçais to reach the car park; the museum is 300 metres away on the left, along the Sèvre.

Service & horeca

• Museumwinkel

Shop selling products from the marsh (books, souvenirs, crafts, delicacies).

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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