With more than 70 museums and interpretation centers in the Sarthe, a wide choice of cultural visits is available to you. From major art and history museums to small unusual museums, find a selection of exhibitions to discover during your holidays in Sarthe.
Discover rich collections
Are you a lover of history, antiques and works of art? Go to one of the museums in Le Mans labeled “Musée de France”. Fine Arts, archeology or medieval history you will be surprised by their large collections.
The Tessé Museum and the Egyptian Gallery
Do you dream of a trip to Egypt? Go to the basement of the museum of art and history of the city of Le Mans. The Tessé museum reserves a space of 600 m 2 dedicated to Egyptian antiquity. Stroll through a life-size reconstruction of the tomb of Queen Nefertari , royal wife of Pharaoh Ramses II.
Nearly 250 works and objects, sometimes dating back more than 4,000 years, can be discovered in this surprising place.
The Carré Plantagenêt and its archaeological remains
Immerse yourself in the history of Sarthe, from prehistory to the Middle Ages at the Maine Museum of Archeology and History. Over 1,400 m 2 you can discover a multitude of objects and remains from recent excavations that allow you to better understand the way of life of our ancestors.
Don’t miss the flagship objects of the Jean-Claude-Boulard-Carré Plantagenêt museum such as the treasure of Cenoman coins and Plantagenêt enamel.
Explore contemporary arts
Do you prefer modern architecture and contemporary art? Visit the Sarthe art centers dedicated to design and contemporary arts.
The FIAA, a collection of more than 200 contemporary works
The Fonds International d’Art Actuel is an art center located in the heart of Le Mans in a large building with contemporary architecture. The place offers permanent exhibitions of contemporary artists such as Guy Ferrer, Bernard Pras or Charlotte de Maupeou.
Exhibitions by internationally renowned artists are regularly scheduled.
Piacé the Radiant, Espace Bézard-Le Corbusier
Between Le Mans and Alençon, Piacé le Radieux is an art center dedicated to architecture, design and contemporary art. It is today a reference site for the development of the countryside following the utopian project of Ferme radieuse imagined in the 1930s by Le Corbusier and Norbert Bézard.
A journey of 45 contemporary works installed in the village invites us to renew our view of the countryside.
Relive the emotion of a major sporting event
Fan of car racing or cycling competition, don’t miss the 24 Hours of Le Mans museum or the Belle Échappée museum, which pay homage to the two greatest French sports races.
The 24 Hours Museum
With more than a hundred vehicles on display, a visit to the museum allows you to understand the fervor that prevails each year during the mythical race of the 24 Hours of Le Mans . Visit the circuit on your own or with a guide and discover behind the scenes.
Access the race management, the press room, the podium and relive the thrill of a triumph at Le Mans.
La Belle Échappée, the whole history of the Tour de France
The Cycling Museum, primarily dedicated to the Tour de France, retraces the history of the bicycle and cycling competition from 1868 to the present day. You can discover around a hundred bicycles, jerseys, advertising items and posters collected by Ivan Bonduelle, a fan of the famous race who founded the museum.
An interactive space allows you to immerse yourself in the world of cycling.
Popular arts and unusual museums
What would you say to learning the art of traditional ceramics, rediscovering with nostalgia the enamelled coffee pots of our grandmothers or humming tunes of yesteryear around a barrel organ?
The Earthenware and Ceramics Museum
Around a resolutely modern scenography, discover the history of Malicorne earthenware and its manufacturing techniques. Remarkable pieces are presented there, some dating back to 1747.
The tour is intended to be fun and interactive with games for children and pottery workshops.
A retro journey in music
Go back in time and dive into the quirky universe of the Mechanical Music Museum located in Dollon in the Perche Sarthois. You enter by pushing the door of a 1930s bistro still in operation! From the ballroom, to the small cinema, passing by the cave of treasures, we discover piano-bastringues, barrel organs, phonographs, jukeboxes, accordions and music boxes.
This very lively museum is a little gem!
Coffee makers and company
In an old 17th century mansion in Château-du-Loir there is a strange museum of old household objects in enamelled sheet metal. A colorful collection of 800 everyday objects brought together by a couple of enthusiasts presents a string of coffee makers, teapots and kitchen utensils.
This unusual little museum nestled in a magnificent half-timbered building is worth a visit!