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MAISON DES MUSEES

The Maison des Musées: a museum space at the heart of the renovation project

 

The City of Bourges has launched an ambitious programme to renovate its museums. This project aims to bring museums into the 21st century by making them more inclusive, open to the local area, and responsive to the current expectations of the public as well as societal and environmental issues.

In this context, the Musée des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France is becoming the Maison des Musées: a place for welcoming visitors, exchange and cultural mediation. Designed as a space open to all, it offers a dynamic programme (workshops, conferences, debates, collection presentations) to help visitors discover the museums of Bourges in a different way.

The Maison des Musées also allows visitors to follow the progress of the renovation project, understand the issues at stake and actively participate in it. It is open to everyone: residents, tourists, the curious and enthusiasts.

A place for exchange and discovery

On the ground floor, the Maison des Musées has a central space dedicated to exchanges with the public, which includes:

  • A timeline tracing two centuries of history of the museums of Bourges,
  • Short animations detailing each phase of the museum renovation project,
  • Videos and podcasts on the heritage collections,
  • A modular space for conferences, debates, participatory workshops, concerts and readings,
  • An illustrated epic describing the stages in the life of a work of art in a museum,
  • A modular educational and recreational workshop,
  • A selection of works presented and chosen by invited guests.
  • A presentation of museum professions, with a focus on archives in 2025,
  • A space dedicated to works known as ‘MNR (Musées Nationaux Récupération)’, presenting works recovered at the end of the Second World War and now on loan to the museums of Bourges by the Louvre Museum. Based on current research, their provenance has not been established, but in the event of proven spoliation, the work will be returned to its rightful owners.

Thematic exhibitions on the mezzanine

The mezzanine of the Maison des Musées is renewed each year with a thematic exhibition showcasing masterpieces from the Bourges collections and previously unseen objects.

In 2025, the Maison des Musées will present the exhibition ‘Bourges, centre of Europe. Journey to the heart of the collections’. Through a selection of works and objects from the reserves, this exhibition offers a unique journey through the European history of Bourges, from protohistory to the present day.

Practical information

From 1 July to 1 November 2025

Open every day except Sundays from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00

From 3 November to 3 January 2026

Open Tuesday to Saturday from 14:00 to 17:15

Annual closing days: 1 January, 1 May, 1 November and 25 December

Admission: Free

Contact: 02.48.57.82.45 or maisondesmusees@ville-bourges.fr