Cultural outings organised by the association
Registration for outings opens approximately four weeks in advance.
To register for an outing, simply print and return the form available under the description of each outing, accompanied by a cheque made payable to the Friends of the Museums, to the following address:
Association des Amis des Musées
Antoine Vivenel et de la Figurine
2 bis, rue d’Austerlitz
60200 Compiègne
(The various registration forms are in PDF format, which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader or Preview)
Outings 2026
▪▪▪ The Conquest of the Skies, from yesterday to today
Thursday 19 November 2026
Photo: Eric Salard, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Roissy CDG – You’ve no doubt flown before. But how much do you know about how the Roissy CDG mega-hub operates? We invite you to take a behind-the-scenes look at an airport that never sleeps!
➢ Guided coach tour of Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Right next to the runways, we’ll explore the cargo areas, the terminals, the Roissypôle business park, the technical areas and the control towers, all with commentary from aviation professionals who’ll share their experience and passion with us.
Right next to the runways, we’ll explore the cargo areas, the terminals, the Roissypôle business park, the technical areas and the control towers, all with commentary from aviation professionals who’ll share their experience and passion with us.
Photo: Pline, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Built for the 1937 World’s Fair, the historic Art Deco terminal at Paris-Le Bourget Airport has been restored to its original condition.
Mankind has always dreamt of flying: balloons, aeroplanes, helicopters, rockets, satellites… It is the realisation of this dream that will be recounted to you at Le Bourget, in the world’s oldest aviation museum.
➢ Guided tour of the collections at the Air and Space Museum in Le Bourget. Led by Friends of the Museum – former professionals or simply aviation enthusiasts – we will trace the journey from the early days of aviation to the conquest of space.
➢ Self-guided tour of the Grande Galerie, an exceptional space dedicated to the origins of ballooning, aviation and the Great War. You’ll also have access to the Concorde prototype, the Concorde Sierra Delta, the Dakota – an iconic aircraft of the Second World War – and the ‘inner workings’ of the Boeing 747.
▪▪▪ Saint-Denis: the basilica and the reconstruction site of the north spire.
Wednesday 14 October 2026
Photo: Chabe01, west façade of the Basilica of Saint Denis, CC BY-SA 4.0
The basilica stands on the site of the tomb of Saint Denis. An initial building, constructed in the 5th century, would go on to become one of the most powerful Benedictine abbeys of the Middle Ages. Its history is intertwined with that of the monarchy: the royal necropolis houses the oriflamme, the royal standard, and preserves the regalia, the objects used in the coronation. The basilica was elevated to the status of cathedral in 1966 (with the creation of the Diocese of Saint-Denis).
The present building is regarded as a masterpiece of early Gothic art. The rose window on its façade is the first of its kind, and the rib-vaulted ceiling is seen here for the first time executed with perfect mastery, allowing for an exceptional expanse of glazing. The basilica houses more than 70 recumbent statues and royal tombs, an exceptional collection of funerary sculptures which we shall also explore.
Struck by lightning in the 19th century, the spire was dismantled. Since 2025, various tradespeople have been working on its reconstruction in the tradition of medieval builders. You will be able to chat with them, as well as attend a presentation on the project at the immersive interpretation centre and view the digital model that has been created.
▪▪▪ The new Figurine Museum
Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 September 2026
Following the reopening of the Figurine Museum last May, we are offering a free, private tour organised especially for Friends.
You will be given a behind-the-scenes look at the rebirth of this new museum. You will discover the work carried out by the team led by Delphine Jeannot to overcome the venue’s constraints, design the new exhibition layout, relocate the collections and showcase them using modern techniques.
The association has made a financial commitment to the restoration of the diorama of the Battle of Waterloo, which stands at the entrance to the main exhibition hall.
This tour serves as an introduction to the tour focusing on the collections themselves, which will be offered next December.
▪▪▪ Day trip to the Château de Fontainebleau
Thursday 2 April 2026
Fontainebleau Castle, with 800 years of history, 1,536 rooms spread across five courtyards, and 130 hectares of parks and gardens, tells a multitude of stories from its foundation by Louis VII the Younger right up to the Second Empire.
Over the centuries, kings such as Francis I, Henry IV, Louis XIV and Louis XVI, and the emperors Napoleon I and Napoleon III, developed and embellished it to turn it into a place for court life, hunting and holidaying.
In 1927, it became a museum palace, housing a vast collection of artworks. Since 1981, it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Morning: Self-guided tour, with audio guide, of the State Apartments.
Located on the first floor, they were fitted out by various sovereigns to serve as venues for court life and the display of power.
Located on the first floor, they were fitted out by various sovereigns to serve as venues for court life and the display of power.
Lunch on site at the restaurant ‘Les petites bouches de l’empereur’
Afternoon: Guided tour of Napoleon I’s Small Apartments and the Imperial Theatre.
The Small Apartments on the ground floor were intended for daily life. We thus gain an insight into the emperor’s private life by visiting the bedroom with study, a testament to Napoleon I’s great capacity for work.
Napoleon III’s Imperial Theatre, inaugurated in 1857, is in an exceptional state of preservation. It has retained its original décor. In addition to the sumptuously decorated auditorium, visitors can also see the foyer and adjoining salons. This theatre is considered the last court theatre in French history, as the one in Compiègne, begun ten years later, was never completed
The Small Apartments on the ground floor were intended for daily life. We thus gain an insight into the emperor’s private life by visiting the bedroom with study, a testament to Napoleon I’s great capacity for work.
Napoleon III’s Imperial Theatre, inaugurated in 1857, is in an exceptional state of preservation. It has retained its original décor. In addition to the sumptuously decorated auditorium, visitors can also see the foyer and adjoining salons. This theatre is considered the last court theatre in French history, as the one in Compiègne, begun ten years later, was never completed
▪▪▪ The Louvre-Lens and the mining region
Thursday 22 January 2026
The Louvre-Lens: guided tour of the ‘Gothic’ exhibition.
The museum presents a comprehensive overview of the Gothic period, from the 12th to the 21st century, ranging from cathedral art to contemporary culture, through a variety of works (sculptures, drawings, paintings, stained glass, manuscripts, etc.). A journey through time to better understand this historic artistic language, which is still very much alive.
Self-guided tour of the Galerie du Temps, the permanent collections area.
Spanning 3,000 m², the Galerie du Temps presents 250 masterpieces from the collections of the Louvre and other major national museums, in a chronological and multidisciplinary exhibition. Twelve years after its creation, the museum has completely renewed the works on display, rekindling visitors’ curiosity.
Guided tour of the mining town of Lens.
Bus tour with stops.
Lens lies at the heart of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais mining basin, which has been listed as a World Heritage Site since 2012. Our tour will provide an in-depth look at the industrial and social life linked to the mine, the preserved heritage and the challenges of its regeneration. This exploration will also help you understand why today the Louvre-Lens National Museum, built on a former mine shaft, embodies the hope of social and economic renewal for the mining basin.
Lens lies at the heart of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais mining basin, which has been listed as a World Heritage Site since 2012. Our tour will provide an in-depth look at the industrial and social life linked to the mine, the preserved heritage and the challenges of its regeneration. This exploration will also help you understand why today the Louvre-Lens National Museum, built on a former mine shaft, embodies the hope of social and economic renewal for the mining basin.
Outings 2025
▪▪▪ The Ardennes, around Rethel
Thursday 20 November 2025
Novion-Porcien: guided tour of the War and Peace Museum.
The Ardennes have been at the heart of the Franco-German conflicts that shaped modern Europe on three occasions. This museum is dedicated to them, focusing on the human and material aspects of the wars of 1870, 1914–1918 and 1939–1945.
Juniville: guided tour of the Paul Verlaine Museum.
Located in the former Lion d’Or inn, where the poet wrote from 1880 to 1882. Preserved in its original state and designated a Maison des Illustres, this site allows us to explore the turbulent life and work of the ‘cursed poet’.
Asfeld: a guided tour of Saint-Didier Church.
One of the most surprising churches in France. At the request of its patron, the building, rebuilt in 1680, was to be inspired by the shape of a musical instrument. Its curvilinear forms echo those of a viola da gamba. Furthermore, the use of brick in its construction makes it unique in the region.
▪▪▪ Reims: the cathedral and the art of reconstruction
Thursday 16 October 2025
Notre-Dame Cathedral and walking tour.
Guided tour of Notre-Dame Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Burned down three times and rebuilt three times, the coronation cathedral has been restored to its original state, but also in an innovative way, as its framework is made of concrete.
A walking tour will then focus on the heritage of the 1920s, symbolising the city’s ability to rise from the ruins of the First World War. Reims thus offers an architectural eclecticism blending Neoclassicism, late Art Nouveau, and Art Deco.
Chemin Vert garden city and Saint-Nicaise Church.
Guided tour of the Chemin Vert garden city, designed according to the principles of hygienist urban planning and modern architecture, and ofSaint-Nicaise Church, an example of 1920s religious architecture. The church features frescoes by Maurice Denis, stained-glass windows by René Lalique, and paintings by Gustave Louis Jaulmes, renowned artists involved in the revival of sacred art.
▪▪▪ Life in the Castles
Thursday 3 April 2025
Condé-en-Brie: guided tour of the château of the Princes of Condé, Bourbon and Savoy.
Purchased by the Marquis de la Faye in the 18th century, this Renaissance hunting lodge was transformed by G. N. Servandoni, an architect, painter and theatre set designer.
Listed as a Historic Monument, the château is a private residence, inhabited year-round. We will be welcomed by its owner.
Listed as a Historic Monument, the château is a private residence, inhabited year-round. We will be welcomed by its owner.
Nesles: tour of the remains of the medieval castle (early 13th century).
This castle is one of the finest examples of military architecture under Philip Augustus. Captured by the English during the Hundred Years’ War, the castle became the property of Guillaume de Flavy, former captain-governor of Compiègne.
Guided tour by the owner.
Guided tour by the owner.
▪▪▪ Matisse, the master of colour
Thursday 30 January 2025
Bohain-en-Vermandois: guided tour of Henri Matisse’s family home.
Born in 1869 in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, Matisse spent his youth in Bohain-en-Vermandois at the family seed shop. Designated a “Maison des Illustres”, the house has retained its late 19th-century atmosphere and features a reconstruction of the painter’s studio and bedroom.
Le Cateau-Cambrésis: guided tour of the Henri Matisse Departmental Museum.
Housed in the former Palais Fénelon, the museum, founded in 1952 by Matisse himself, reopened in November 2024. Renovated and expanded, it offers an insight into the diversity of the painter’s work, which spanned sculpture, printmaking, illustration and stained glass. It houses one of the world’s most significant Matisse collections.
Updated
12 October 2026
© AMAVFH 2010–2026
Association of Friends of the Antoine Vivenel Museums and Figurines