Museums in Seine-et-Marne
Five cultural venues can be visited in Seine-et-Marne, each offering a unique experience. Here are 5 museums to discover during your holiday at our campsite in Seine-et-Marne.
The Île-de-France Departmental Museum of Prehistory
Nestled on the edge of the Nemours-Poligny forest, this museum is a truly exceptional place. It reveals a fascinating heritage, with remarkable prehistoric sites located in the south of the département.
The collections, discoveries and scientific insights into the Prehistory and Protohistory of the Île-de-France region are showcased here. Visitors can explore 600,000 years of history, presented in a way that captivates both children and adults.
The building, designed by Roland Simounet and completed in 1981, combines raw concrete and glass. Since 2002, it has been listed as a historic monument and carries the “20th-century Heritage” label. The museum strives to be a vibrant cultural hub, offering activities and events around Prehistory and archaeology. It regularly enhances its programme with temporary exhibitions covering a wide range of themes. Since September 2020, a new window has opened with free virtual tours, allowing visitors to discover the museum and its temporary exhibitions from home.
The Departmental Museum of the Barbizon Painters
Visitors to the Departmental Museum of the Barbizon Painters are invited on a journey back in time, into the artistic heart of the 19th century.
Recognised as a “Musée de France”, the museum is spread across two historic sites.
First, the Auberge Ganne – where painters stayed to capture the landscapes of the plain and the Forest of Fontainebleau – offers an immersive glimpse into their daily lives. Restored rooms display furniture and panels decorated by the artists, recreating the atmosphere experienced by the painters of the time. Upstairs, former dormitory rooms reveal murals, graffiti and iconic works from the Barbizon School, including pieces by masters such as Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Jean-François Millet and Théodore Rousseau.
Second, Théodore Rousseau’s studio house opens its doors, hosting temporary exhibitions and enriching the visitor experience. The museum’s collections have grown through acquisitions, donations and bequests, and are complemented by prestigious loans from the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the museum in Melun and the Château de Fontainebleau.
The museum is not only about displaying artworks – it also comes to life through a varied programme.
Anecdote-filled guided tours, unique events and hands-on art workshops, such as introductions to watercolour, painting or engraving, are offered for an enriching cultural experience.
Bourdelle Museum-Garden
Open since 2005, the Bourdelle Museum-Garden showcases 57 bronze sculptures by the renowned Antoine Bourdelle, a contemporary of Rodin, and has been awarded the “Remarkable Garden” label. Bourdelle’s creations come to life outdoors, in the heart of a 7,000 m² garden.
This green haven is a harmonious composition featuring flowerbeds framed by boxwood or roses, conifers trimmed into hedges or shaped into columns, as well as fruit trees, ornamental trees and shrubs forming natural screens. It is an invitation to wonder, where each step guides you through a landscape in which art and nature meet in perfect harmony.
The Bourdelle Museum-Garden welcomes visitors of all ages for moments of creativity and artistic discovery. Workshops for children and adults are organised regularly. For more information, visit the official Bourdelle Museum-Garden website.
Stéphane Mallarmé’s former home: preserved heritage
Listed as a historic monument and recognised as a “Maison des Illustres”, the former inn for boatmen that now houses the Stéphane Mallarmé Museum reflects a rich cultural past. The famous poet Stéphane Mallarmé lived here from 1874 until his death in 1898, finding a peaceful refuge for himself and his family.
Here, as the seasons went by, he devoted himself to writing, river boating, gardening and hospitality, surrounded by the beauty of the Seine. From the moment you step inside, you are immersed in the poetic, timeless atmosphere of this 19th-century residence, located not far from Fontainebleau. The visit continues with Mallarmé’s apartment, carefully reconstructed with period furniture, personal belongings, memorabilia and paintings by artist friends such as Manet, Gauguin and Whistler.
The tour ends in a lush garden, a source of inspiration, where it is a pleasure to stroll and read, surrounded by fruit trees and flowerbeds lovingly tended by the poet himself. Throughout the year, the museum offers a wide variety of activities for all ages: temporary exhibitions, creative workshops, guided visits, conferences, live performances and much more. For further information, the Stéphane Mallarmé Museum website is available.
Seine-et-Marne Museum: a cultural gem in the heart of the valley
Nestled in the green setting of the Petit Morin valley, this social-history museum is dedicated to the history of eastern Île-de-France.
Recognised as a “Musée de France”, it highlights the richness of its collections of objects, photographs and film footage, which reflect local history and ethnography. Its prestige is further enhanced by the “Regional Heritage of Interest” label.
The first public collection dedicated to writer Pierre Mac Orlan, who lived in the village of Saint-Cyr-sur-Morin for more than four decades, is carefully preserved here. Visitors can consult this collection on site, showcased through regular exhibitions as well as through Mac Orlan’s house, open to the public in the village and awarded the “Maison des Illustres” label since 2013.
The museum is also a place for learning and community life, with temporary exhibitions, fun activities and workshops designed for all ages and needs, including schools, visitors with disabilities and leisure centres.
It is fully accessible to visitors with reduced mobility and proudly holds four “Tourism & Disability” labels as well as the Qualité Tourisme certification. The programme also includes events designed to encourage interaction and cultural discovery.