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
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”