This monastery turned museum, which dates from the 14th and 15th centuries exhibits the town's largest selection of medieval sculptures (Romanesque and Gothic) and paintings. The collection contains works from the Italian, Flemish and Dutch schools including pieces by Rubens and Le Perugin and French artists from the 16th-20th centuries. The monastery itself has a chapel with two beautiful cloisters as well as a unique collection of Romanesque capitals. The museum also organizes guided tours and lectures.
Established in 1997, La Cité de l'Espace brought space within people's reach in Toulouse. An outdoor museum dedicated to the exploration of space, the massive theme park is a dream come true for budding astronauts. Interactive exhibits and a truly unique landscape have drawn millions of visitors since the museum's doors opened, and tourists and locals alike continue to be drawn to this unique establishment. Visitors can zoom past the stars in the museum's 280-person planetarium, get up close and personal with a full-scale model of the Ariane 5 rocket, and even take the controls in a simulated rocket launch. There is also a restaurant and on-site souvenir shop so you can take a little bit of space home with you.
Whether you are a connoisseur of oriental art or merely curious about Asian culture, the Georges-Labit Museum is well worth a visit. Covering more than 3,000 years of history, it displays original works from China, Japan, Nepal, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Tibet. The collection was compiled by the museum's founder, George Labit (1862-1899), who travelled the world looking for vestiges of little-known civilizations. There are regular themed exhibitions, e.g. on the subject of Tibetan art and the Tantric religious movement. There are also ancient Egyptian Coptic fabrics from the 4th to the 7th centuries on display. Inquire about guided tours.
Located in the Jardin des Plantes, the Muséum de Toulouse, or the Musée d’Histoire Naturelle, holds a wealth of exhibits and displays that both children and adults can enjoy. The entrance hall showcases huge dinosaur skeletons, but that is only the beginning of a visit into the realm of nature and the environment presented at this multi-leveled museum. The main floor of the Musée d’Histoire Naturelle has permanent, interactive exhibitions that depict the development of the earth and France over the years. As one continues, the displays become more nature-based, and visitors enter a hall that depicts the animal kingdom, with hundreds of taxidermy exhibits from every major genus on display. The second-floor hosts rotating exhibits which usually focus on particular topics affecting the world today, and there is a large outdoor garden space with a mini labyrinth in the center. Above all, the Musée d’Histoire Naturelle offers a mulch-faceted view of nature.
This museum in Rue Tripière recreates the history and spirit of the guild. The guild was formed not only to train young people in traditional skills such as cabinet making, stone cutting or carpentry, but also to share and spread knowledge. After apprenticeship, the young members toured France to meet masters in different regions. Only after several years of training could they create a masterpiece.
The Musée Départemental de la Résistance et de la Déportation (Museum of Resistance and Deportation) was established with the mission of informing generations about the struggles of the past. One of its main goals is to remember and reveal the truths of what happened during the era of the Vichy Regime and the general occupation during the Second World War. A very moving and unique museum in its own right, it is definitely worth a visit. Call or see the website for more information. Admission is free.
It was Vincent Auriol, former mayor of Muret and President of France under the IVth Republic who insisted on creating the Clément Ader Museum inaugurated in 1930 in Muret, outside Toulouse. The museum was closed during World War II, but it reopened in the 50s, closed again in the 70s has been reopened since 1983. In 1992 an archeology department was added to the existing collections on an appropriate site… at last! While locally-found tools dating from the Paleolithic era to the 19th Century can be seen in the archeology department, visitors will meet with past local celebrities: Vincent Auriol, the composer Nicolas Dalayrac, Adolphe Niel, Secretary of State in Napoleon III’s Government, Clément Ader, founder of modern aviation and a talented inventor who namely improved Graham Bell’s recent discovery, the telephone.
The Musée Départemental de la Résistance et de la Déportation (Museum of Resistance and Deportation) was established with the mission of informing generations about the struggles of the past. One of its main goals is to remember and reveal the truths of what happened during the era of the Vichy Regime and the general occupation during the Second World War. A very moving and unique museum in its own right, it is definitely worth a visit. Call or see the website for more information. Admission is free.
This monastery turned museum, which dates from the 14th and 15th centuries exhibits the town's largest selection of medieval sculptures (Romanesque and Gothic) and paintings. The collection contains works from the Italian, Flemish and Dutch schools including pieces by Rubens and Le Perugin and French artists from the 16th-20th centuries. The monastery itself has a chapel with two beautiful cloisters as well as a unique collection of Romanesque capitals. The museum also organizes guided tours and lectures.
The Saint-Raymond museum runs guided tours for 7-10 year olds on Sunday afternoons. The tour lasts about an hour, and covers one of the following subjects: "Roman Toulouse", "Greco-Roman gods and goddesses" or "Hercules, the true story of a Greco-Roman hero". Whilst the children are busy, parents can take in the archaeological treasures of this major museum. There is a gift shop at the entrance and drinks are served in the museum garden. Tours are conducted in French only.
A famous French aeronautical museum, located in Blagnac, is a favorite among local residents and tourists. This aerospace and avionics museum features a massive exhibition hall that houses close to thirty vintage aircrafts, both military and civilian, multiple models, classic engine and air parts, and other artifacts that highlight the rich history of French Aviation. They offer a range of varied tours, including discovery, free, thematic, guided and visioguidage. They also offer in-depth knowledge programs for children that includes regular visits, interactive sessions and creative workshops, along with a playful booklet titled 'Rally to the Museum'.
Designed in 1555 for the rich pastel merchant, Pierre Assézat, this beautiful private mansion in Toulouse has been superbly restored. It now houses the personal collection of Georges Bemberg. While paintings have pride of place, there are also bronze sculptures and other objects on display. The collection, which dates mainly from the 17th century and the Renaissance features European schools, including work by François Clouet, Cranach, Pieter de Hooch, Pourbus and du Tintoret. The French modern movement is also represented with pieces by Manet, Picasso, Dufy and Vlaminck.