Musee du Compagnonnage

Museum in Tours

CC BY-SA 3.0 / Guill37

Housed in a beautifully restored 19th-century industrial building, the Musée du Compagnonnage traces the centuries-old traditions of France’s master craftsmen. As you step inside, the vaulted iron-framed structure and original brick walls evoke the ateliers where men and women once perfected their trades. Light filters through tall windows onto displays of tools, workbenches and workshop dioramas, immediately transporting you into the world of the Compagnons bâtisseurs.

The heart of the collection lies in the intricate “Tours” carpentry models—miniature framework constructions that apprentices would build to demonstrate their skill and learn monumental timber-framing techniques. Surrounding these are full-scale examples of joinery, stonemasonry and metalwork, including ornately carved doorways and sculpted capitals rescued from cathedrals. Each piece is accompanied by panels that explain the rigorous “Tour de France” journey apprentices undertook, traveling to different guild houses to master each new skill.

Interactive displays let you handle traditional hand-tools like chisels, gouges and plumb bobs, giving insight into how craftsmen measured and shaped materials before power tools existed. In the restoration workshop adjoining the galleries, conservators are often at work repairing period furniture or preparing new carpentry projects, offering a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse at intangible heritage in action. Special exhibitions rotate yearly, showcasing everything from stained-glass techniques to leather-binding and tapestry weaving.

Beyond the exhibits, the museum hosts regular demonstrations and hands-on workshops for adults and children, from carving a basic wooden mallet to gilding a picture frame. A small bookshop offers guidebooks on traditional trades and reproductions of vintage tool catalogs, while a café in the former loading bay serves regional pastries and coffee. Whether you’re fascinated by woodworking, stonemasonry or simply keen to understand how France’s historic monuments were built, the Musée du Compagnonnage offers an immersive look at craftsmanship passed down through generations.

The Musee du Compagnonnage appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Tours!

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Visiting Musee du Compagnonnage

Hours:

16 September – 15 June: Every day except Tuesday, 09 :00–12 :30 and 14 :00–18 :00

16 June – 15 September: Every day, 09 :00–12 :30 and 14 :00–18 :00

Closed on: 1 January, 1 May, 14 July, 1 November, 11 November, 25 December

Price:

€ 6,60

Address: Musée du Compagnonnage, Rue Nationale, Tours, France

Official Website