The municipal museums of Compiègne

▪▪▪ Antoine Vivenel Museum

This museum of fine arts and archaeology owes its existence to the generosity of a local patron, Antoine Vivenel (1799–1862), who assembled a significant collection reflecting his passion for antiquity and the Renaissance. As early as 1839, he donated his entire collection to his hometown and spared no expense in establishing a model institution, the Musée des Études, which housed over 4,000 works of art, a gallery of plaster casts and a free school for the teaching of the arts.
Housed since 1952 in the mansion bequeathed by Count René Personne de Songeons, the museum has been enriched by various donations as well as finds from local archaeological excavations. Spanning from prehistory to the 19th century, its collections bear witness to the richness of European and non-European cultures.

▪▪▪ Saint-Corneille Cloister Museum

Drawn from the collections of the Antoine Vivenel Museum, a superb collection of religious sculptures from the medieval and Renaissance periods has been on display since 2012 in the renovated cloister of this former abbey.

▪▪▪ Figurine Museum

The significant figurine collections of Alfred Ternisien and Arthur de Marsy, bequeathed to the City of Compiègne between 1901 and 1927, along with the immense diorama of the Battle of Waterloo created by Charles Laurent, led to the establishment of a museum dedicated to historical figurines in 1949.
Moved to the former Hôtel de la Cloche, the museum became, upon its reopening in 1984, the first museum of its kind dedicated to the world of historical figurines. It houses a collection of nearly 155,000 items, 45,000 of which are on display, offering a vast overview of the history of France and Europe.

Find all the latest news about the museums at: www.musees-compiegne.fr

Facebook page of the museums of Compiègne

and on the Facebook page Les musées de Compiègne

Museum news

▪▪▪ Opening of the Figurine Museum

The new Figurine Museum is now open.

Closed since May 2024, the new Figurine Museum opened its doors to the public on 23 May 2026.

Located in the heart of the regenerated École d’état-major district, the museum is housed in the historic building of the former officers’ mess.

With this reopening, the City of Compiègne is reaffirming its cultural ambition and offering an unmissable destination in a new museum where heritage, creativity, sharing and transmission come together. The reopening promises to be the first highlight of a venue set to become a permanent fixture in the cultural and tourist landscape.

Panic at the museum.

Cowboy, Indian and Horse have prepared for the reopening of the Figurine Museum.

Self-guided tour of the Figurine Museum

Designed for visitors of all ages, the museum places a special focus on families, who are invited to enjoy a shared visitor experience. Tailored exhibition routes, interactive areas and hands-on workshops have been designed to spark the curiosity of both children and adults, and to make exploration a fun, educational and intergenerational experience.

Figurine Museum
1 Place d’Orléans
60200 Compiègne

Openinghours:

Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday: 10am–1pm and 2pm–6pm

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: 2pm–6pm

Closed on Mondays

▪▪▪ Historical immersion site

The Antoine Vivenel Museum reopened to the public on Saturday 13 May 2023 at 8 pm as part of European Museum Night.
This provided an opportunity to discover the renovation of its entrance area (visitors now enter via Songeons Park) as well as the creation of the multimedia space on the history of Compiègne (Historical Immersion Site or SIH).

This space offers visitors a narrative of the history of Compiègne and its region, through an introductory film and a virtual tour of major sites via interactive stations. An independent experience to enjoy at the museum before exploring the local area, thanks to the ‘exploration booklet’ included with the admission ticket.

Prices:
SIH only: €4 / €3 concessions (free for under-6s)
SIH + Museum Pass: €7 / €5 (concessions) (free for under-6s)
Information: 03 44 20 26 04

■ Exhibitions

▪▪▪ Things are rolling along with Joujoulac

Focus on lacquered wooden rolling toys made in the Compiègne area.

Exhibition ended, no new exhibition at present.

From the early 20th century until 1969, these ride-on toys were manufactured at the Lacroix-Saint-Ouen factory. Carefully lacquered wooden lorries, tractors, buses and boats made the brand famous. In 1956, the ‘Oscar of Toys’ even recognised the wooden reproduction of the famous Citroën DS 19, the iconic car model celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. A testament to the industrial history of the Compiègne region.

Exhibition as part of the permanent collection at the Antoine Vivenel Museum
2 rue d'Austerlitz (entrance via Songeons Park), 60200 Compiègne

Events at the museum

■ Sundays at the museum

Entry to the museum is free on the first Sunday of every month at museums in the town of Compiègne.

▪▪▪ Stone treasures

Guided tours of the collection of medieval and Renaissance sculptures in the Saint-Corneille cloister

Free entry to the museum and guided tours.

Sunday 4 October at 3.00 pm and 4.30 pm

Booking required : 03 44 20 26 04

Lapidary Gallery of the Saint-Corneille Cloister
9 Rue Saint-Corneille
60200 Compiègne

■ Science Festival

▪▪▪ Plastic – is it really that fantastic? Preserving and restoring plastics.

Sunday 4 October 2026 at 3.00 pm

Lecture by Thomas Kammer, conservator-restorer specialising in furniture and contemporary materials.

MuMuseum of Figurines
(Jean-Baptiste Clémence Room)
1 Place d’Orléans
60200 Compiègne

Groupe de figurines de soldats en plastique

The Figurine Museum houses a collection of nearly 155,000 items dating from the Neolithic period to the present day.

Led by specialist Thomas Kammer, this talk – bridging the worlds of art and science – will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of deterioration in synthetic materials within museum collections, the identification of these materials, and the methods employed to preserve them as effectively as possible.

Free admission (subject to availability)

▪▪▪ Albert Robida and Artificial Intelligence!

Sunday 11 October 2026 at 3.00 pm

A lecture to mark the centenary of the death of Albert Robida (1848–1926) and as part of the Science Festival.
By Laurent Antoine Le Mog, consultant on the history of World Expositions, author, lecturer and vice-president of the Association des Amis d’Albert Robida.

CuratedAntoine Vivenel
(entrance via Songeons Park)
2 Rue d’Austerlitz
60200 Compiègne

Affiche réalisée à partir d'un dessin d'Albert Robida

A 19th-century visionary, Albert Robida constantly imagined technological advances and their impact on society. Today, artificial intelligence offers us a unique opportunity to engage with his work, explore its many facets and gain a fresh perspective on it.

Combining science, culture and interactive demonstrations, this talk invites you to discover how 21st-century technologies intersect with the imagination of an author who already seemed to be looking ahead to our own time.

Free admission (subject to availability)

■ All Saints’ Day holidays at the museum

■■ Antoine Vivenel Museum

2 Rue d’Austerlitz (entrance via Songeons Park)
60200 Compiègne

▪▪▪ S.O.S. ghosts at the museum!

Help the museum get rid of its mischievous ghosts.

Sessions for children aged 5 to 7.

Tuesday 20 and Tuesday 27 October 2026, from 10.00 am to 11.30 am.

Special rate: €6 per child.

Booking required : 03 44 20 26 04

▪▪▪ Fantastic yokai

In search of the Japanese spirits that haunt the museum.

Sessions for children aged 8 to 12.

Tuesday 20, Thursday 22, Tuesday 27 and Thursday 29 October 2026 from 2 pm to 4 pm.

Special rate: €6 per child.
Please note: children will be on their own with the guide for the duration of the activity. Their parents must collect them from the museum at the end of the session.

Booking required : 03 44 20 26 04

■■ Saint-Corneille Cloister Museum

9 Rue Saint-Corneille
60200 Compiègne

▪▪▪ Halloween amongst the cloister sculptures

A ‘spooky’ walk through the stone sculpture gallery: riddles, spells and treats.

Saturday 31 October, running continuously throughout the afternoon (2pm–6pm).

Free entry for all.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Practical information

● Antoine Vivenel Museum
2 bis, Rue d’Austerlitz
60200 Compiègne

● Saint-Corneille Cloister Museum
9 Rue Saint-Corneille
60200 Compiègne

● Figurine Museum
1 Place d'Orléans
60200 Compiègne

● Antoine Vivenel Centre
17 Rue James de Rothschild
60200 Compiègne

For these four sites,
there is a single telephone number:
03 44 20 26 04
https://www.musees-compiegne.fr

Museums are closed on Mondays; on 1 January, 1 May, 14 July, 1 November and 25 December.

The museums are open:
Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm and from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm;
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 2 pm to 6 pm.

Museum admission prices:
▪▪▪ Full price: €4
▪▪▪ Concession: €3
▪▪▪ Free for under-26s, association members and on the first Sunday of the month.
Single ticket granting access to the Antoine Vivenel Museum, the Saint-Corneille Cloister and the Historical Figurine Museum.

Historical immersion site:
▪▪▪ SIH only: €4 / €3 reduced (free for under-6s)
▪▪▪ SIH + Museum Pass: €7 / €5 reduced (free for under-6s)

Further details on the Compiègne Municipal Museums website:
https://www.musees-compiegne.fr/information-pratique/horaires-acces-tarifs/

Updated
on 30 September 2026

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