Musée de la mine de La Machine

Over het museum

The town of La Machine, in the Nièvre, takes its name from a heavy horse-powered winch, the baritel, installed in 1689 to haul coal to the surface and familiarly called “la machine.” For nearly three centuries mining was the town's main source of income. It employed up to 1,600 people, nearly two-thirds of them underground, who came from all over France and then, in the 1920s, from countries such as China, Poland and Italy. In 1869 the mine was bought by the Schneider company of Le Creusot, and in 1890 the disaster at the Puits Marguerite killed 43 people.

The coal mines were nationalized in 1946, and production declined from the 1960s onward. The last shaft closed in 1974. Many former miners wanted to preserve the memory of their trade, and two sites were saved that have housed the Musée de la Mine since 1983.

The museum is located in the former headquarters of the Houillère (mining company). Some rooms have been kept in their original state, such as the director's office, the gatekeeper's lodge and the storekeeper's area. It also covers the formation of coal, miners' housing, women's work and social life, with collections of fossils, minerals and lamps. The second site is the Puits des Glénons, where a mine gallery lit only by period lamps can be visited with a guide.

The museum building is closed in 2026 for renovation and is due to reopen in 2027, while the Puits des Glénons remains open.

Hoogtepunten

• Guided visit to the Puits des Glénons and its mine gallery
• Gallery lit only by period lamps
• Collections of fossils, minerals and miners' lamps
• Director's office and gatekeeper's lodge of the former Houillère headquarters
• Mining housing estate (cité minière) of La Machine

Vaste collectie

• Visite guidée du puits des Glénons et de sa galerie de mine – Route on the surface and then through a gallery lit with period lamps, covering miners' work, coal extraction and safety.
• Collections du musée de la Mine (fermé en 2026) – History of coal, miners' housing, women's work, fossils, minerals and lamps; reopening announced for 2027.

Opgericht

1983

Beheerder

Sud Nivernais Communauté

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

2026 prices for the guided visit to the Puits des Glénons and its gallery. The museum is a partner of the City-Pass of the Nevers tourist office. Payment in cash, by bank card, by check or with Chèques vacances.

Toegankelijkheid

• Rolstoeltoegankelijk: geen informatie
• 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

The museum describes the Puits des Glénons as a site accessible to as many people as possible, without details on wheelchair access.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops

Reduced rate from age 6 and free admission for children under 6. The museum offers a catalog of activities for schools and a program during the school holidays.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

In 2026, visitors should go directly to the Puits des Glénons on Rue Louis Lanoizelée. The museum is about 8 km from Decize.

Service & horeca

• Museumwinkel

Mini souvenir shop at the reception of the Puits des Glénons (books, children's games, postcards, mine lamps, minerals), until the main shop reopens after the renovation.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

Je bezoek plannen