Plan your visit

Informations to help you prepare your visit to the Mayenne Castle Museum

A unique castle in Europe

Enriched with a history of more than 1000 years, the castle of Mayenne has never ceased to evolve over the centuries: seigniorial residence, castle, prison, its walls bear witness and bear the traces of the lives it has sheltered.

Built shortly before year 1000, the castle is an exceptional example of a palace dating from the Carolingian period. Reception room, tower and cellar are remarkably well preserved. The dungeon and ramparts, built in the 13th century to transform the castle into a fortress, still proudly dominate the river and the town of Mayenne. The chapel dating from the 19th century with its baroque decoration bears witness to the long period of time he was a prison.

Now a museum, the castle is discovered thanks to a lively and interactive scenography.

A medieval inspired garden with aromatic and medicinal plants enhances the castle’s high courtyard.

A museum with exceptional collections

The castle houses a museum featuring extraordinary collections from the Middle Ages related to the site, the town of Mayenne and the Département. These artefacts bear witness to the daily life of the lords and knights who followed one another in Mayenne. During the excavations of the castle, a real treasure was brought to light: a collection of a hundred game pawns dating from the 10th-12th centuries. Unique, for the quality of workmanship as for the quantity found, these chess and backgammon pawns constitute the most important collection discovered in France.

Exhibitions

Rich and varied exhibitions! Every year the museum holds a temporary exhibition on different themes, times and backgrounds.

Entertainment activities

Activities for everyone and for all kinds of tastes are available all year round in various forms: theme based days and medieval night market in summer, family activities in winter, medieval lunches, children’s workshops…

Within an hour or in an afternoon, on a weekend or in an evening everyone can discover the castle in their own way!

For more information, visit “La programmation” section of this website (in french).

Days and hours of opening

Duration of the visit: 1 hr to 2 hrs
Last admission: 30 minutes before closing time

 

 

January February March April
May June July August
September October November December

 

Annual closing (except groups with reservation)
10:00-12:30am and 2:00-5:00pm, closed on Mondays (unless Monday is a public holiday)
10:00-12:30am and 2h00-6h00pm, closed on Mondays (unless Monday is a public holiday)
10am-6pm daily
Annual closing days: May 1st and December 25th

 

Groups

Groups from 10 up to 50 person
Reservation is required for all groups ( +33 2 43 00 17 17 or contact@museeduchateaudemayenne.fr)

Guided tour in english :
Masterpieces and buildings (1h30) – 3€ per person
From the 1100 years old Carolingian palace to the prison, from the 10th-12th century pawns to the Middle Ages archaeological collections, discover the treasures of our museum !

Little extras :
In addition to the guided tour – 30min – 3€ per person
L’apéro médiéval : salted amuse-bouches and appetizers, with Hypocras (a spicy medieval wine)
↘ Le gouter médiéval : sweet medieval delicacies, with a medieval beverage

Fees

Per person: 4€ / 5€ during temporary exhibitions

Reduced fee: 3€

↘ 18 – 25 year olds
↘ Disabled person
May’ N PASS (in French)
↘ Groups of 10 or more

Free entrance: 0€

↘ Members
↘ Children under 18
↘ Unemployed
↘ Holders of guide card
↘ Holders of ICOM card
↘ Holders of press card

Access to the permanent collections is free for all visitors on the first Sunday of each month !

Membership card:

↘ Adult : 15€
↘ Children : 12€

Combined ticket with the Memorial of Mayenne’s deportees:

↘ Normal 7.00€

Contact informations

Musée du château de Mayenne
Place Juhel
53100 Mayenne
FRANCE

+33 (0)2.43.00.17.17 or contact@museeduchateaudemayenne.fr

To get here


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Getting to the museum

Lat. 48.3022 / Long.  -0.620161

By bus: Bus station “Place Juhel” (Timetable available here, website in French)

By taxi: Place Juhel

Park your car: Car park “Quai de la république” / Other car park : Quai Carnot & Place Juhel

Getting to Mayenne

By car: 30 km north of Laval. Via the A81 Motorway : exit n°3 Laval Mayenne, bound Rennes from Le Mans.

By train:The nearest train station is in Laval (30km)

By bus:

From Laval, Réseau Aléop Pays de la Loire stoping at “MAYENNE Léonard de Vinci”. Timetables available on this website.

            – Ligne 102 – Navette Express Mayenne / Martigné-sur-Mayenne / Laval

            – Ligne 110 – Lassay-les-Châteaux / Mayenne / Laval descendre à l’arrêt “MAYENNE Léonard de Vinci”

            – Ligne 111 : Gorron / Mayenne / Laval

            – Ligne 117 : Ambrières-les-Vallées / Mayenne / Laval

Plan your journey from and to anywhere in the region “Pays de la Loire”

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