Dive into history at the Musée de l’île d’Oléron

The Musée de l’île d’Oléron, inaugurated in April 2006, is housed in a large building dating from the 18ᵉ century located in Saint Pierre d’Oléron.

At the heart of history and ethnology

The Musée de l’île d’Oléron has developed two main themes:history andethnology. This makes it an excellent introduction to the island.

Exhibitions

Its permanent exhibitions retrace the history of man and his life on an island territory from the Neolithic period to the present day.

The exhibition rooms are arranged according to themes such as saliculture, viticulture, gemmage, peaches …

In the field of ethnology, a very large number of objects have been collected, all from the island, where they have been carefully preserved. These include traditional costumes, tools and trades, and documents relating to old homes.

The museum’s dynamic atmosphere is enhanced by the use of soundscapes featuring oral testimonies from former Oleron residents, interactive technologies and films. A tactile model of a salt marsh provides a better understanding of the salinization process.

A discovery tour of the museum is available for children, complemented by educational workshops. Guided tours are also available.

In addition to its permanent collections, the museum organizes two temporary exhibitions a year.

Thanks to its dynamism and the richness of its collections, the museum has been awarded the “Musée de France” and “Tourisme et Handicap” labels, and is fully accessible to all disabled visitors.