On the occasion of Museum Night, the Musée d'Archéologie Nationale - Domaine National de Saint-Germain-en-Laye will be opening its doors free of charge on Saturday May 17, 2025. Numerous activities are planned for the whole family. Here's your chance to find out what's in store for this 21st edition!
Why not take advantage of Nuit des Musées to escape the capital and discover a royal castle, the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye? With free access to the rooms, the Nuit des Musées is a great opportunity to take a stroll, on May 17, 2025, through this château rebuilt in the 16th century by François I. It was the main royal residence until Louis XIV deserted the"Château Neuf" for the Château de Versailles in 1682.
This magnificent monument has been home to the Musée d'Archéologie Nationale since 1862, bringing together masterpieces of Celtic and Gallo-Roman antiquity- three million objects, including 30,000 on display - from the Paleolithic to the early Middle Ages.
Traditionally, the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye offers a free tour of its permanent collections. Unique in the world, the Édouard Piette collection contains a fabulous array of prehistoric tools, weapons and art objects, discovered in the 19th century by Édouard Piette during excavations in the Pyrenees. Numerous masterpieces are on display, including the famous "Dame à la Capuche" discovered at Brassempouy, in the Landes region of France. The scenography has remained unchanged since the 19th century, at the request of the collector who bequeathed his collection to the museum on condition that its presentation be defined by him and unchanged over time.
For this new edition, the museum is unveiling a special program of visits and events. Find out more about what's in store for this unique evening.
On the program for this Nuit des Musées 2025 at the Domaine National de Saint-Germain-en-Laye:
- L'os dans tous ses états
11:30 am - 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Children aged 8 and over (adults welcome)
Duration 1h
By reservation
Accompanied by Inrap and CNRS archaeologists, specialists in fauna and bone tools, come and observe the cutting marks on archaeological bones with a magnifying glass.
- Les collections racontées par les étudiants
11am to 9:30pm - Continuous
Any public
Free admission
A dozen students will introduce you to the museum's permanent collections through a mediation program based on emblematic works from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, First Iron Age (Celtic period) and Second Iron Age (Gallic period), and a presentation of the history of the site in the château courtyard. Students from Paris Dauphine-PSL University, SAMAN (Société des Amis du musée d'Archéologie nationale), and the Terra Antiqua - Études des Sociétés association at Sorbonne University will be on hand to guide visitors through the rooms.
- Un château et un jardin remarquables
11:30 am and 2 pm - Duration 1h30
From 13 years
By reservation
Led by a GrandPalaisRmn lecturer, this bucolic tour sheds a different light on the history and architecture of the château, and provides an opportunity to discover the history of the national estate during a stroll through the gardens.
- Visit the Piette Room
By appointment only
At 4pm - Guided tour with a GrandPalaisRmn tour guide
From 6pm to 9:30pm - Continuous
Free access
With Catherine Schwab, chief curator of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic collections. Climb aboard a veritable time machine for a one-of-a-kind visit! Many masterpieces are on display, including the famous Dame de Brassempouy, discovered in 1894.
- Balades narratives
5pm to 8pm - Continuous
Any public
What true stories, anecdotes or special moments have you experienced in connection with the museum, château or national estate? Mathieu Simonet, in writing residency at MAN, invites you to put your story in writing during this free-access workshop.
- History of the château
6pm to 9:30pm - Continuous
Any public
Free access
Guided tour by Corinne Jouys-Barbelin, chief curator in charge of the documentary resources department. Today a museum, once the residence of kings! Saint Louis, Charles V, François I, Louis XIV, Molière, Lully... The Château Royal de Saint-Germain-en-Laye has been home to many historical figures and events. Around a model of the estate in the mid-17th century, discover the fascinating history of the château and its evolution.
- Painting like prehistoric man
6:30 pm to 10 pm - Continuous
From age 6
Free admission
This workshop, led by Archéologos mediators, introduces children to the themes and techniques of Paleolithic painting, and lets them create an individual colored work, followed by a collective fresco. Children choose a drawing and reproduce it on kraft paper using grease chalks, then all the drawings are grouped together to create a fresco.
- Restitution d'un projet d'éducation artistique et culturel " À travers les époques "
18h et 19h30 - Durée : 20 minutes
All public
Accès libre
Two teenagers, visiting the MAN with their parents, get lost and find themselves thrown back to the time of François Ier and then into the future. Will they find their way back through the corridors of time? This film was produced as part of the CNC (Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée) artistic and cultural education program "Les Enfants des Lumière(s)" by students in 5th and 4th grade at Jean Lurçat secondary school in Achères.
- General visit of the collections in LSF
6.30pm
Duration 1h30
Reservation on reservation.man@culture.gouv.fr
Accompanied by a deaf guide who speaks French sign language, discover the exceptional collections from the Neolithic to the end of Gaulish independence, and be surprised by the technical, human and artistic wealth of these men and women of the past.
Le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
Let's meet at the Domaine National de Saint-Germain-en-Laye to enjoy this unique night!
