FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES
Discover naturals sciences and story all the year long !
Self-guided tours of the Museum de l’Ardèche
Immerse yourself during 45 minutes in the extraordinary world of fossils and natural history on self-guided tour with a paper guide and/or an audio guide (consider bringing headphones). Thanks to digital technology, they will reveal the invisible and plunge you into extinct landscapes populated by unusual animals.
Opening hours 2025 | Self-guided tour – 7 days a week |
Winter 2025 From February 22 to 9 March | Morning: 10am, 11am, 12pm |
Spring 2025 From April 1 to July 4 | From 10 am to 4 pm |
Summer holidays 2025 From July 5 to August 31 | Morning: 10 am, 10:30 am, 11 am, 11:30 am, 12 pm |
Automn 2025 From September 1 to November 2 | From 10 am to 4 pm |
Guided tours are only in French
Tours in English are possible depending on our availability and upon reservation.
Fossil
Extraction workshops
Learn how to meticulously extract a real fossil from a rock with patience.
This is an activity for everyone, from children to adults.
Workshop hours 2025 | 7 days a week |
Winter holidays 2025 From February 22 to March 9 | 2 pm |
Spring 2025 | 11 am and 3 pm |
Summer holidays 2025 From July 5 to August 31 | 10 am, 2 pm, 4 pm |
Automn 2025 From September 1 to November 2 | 2 pm |
Fossil and mineral
Escavation workshops
During 45 minutes, look for fossils and minerals and start your first collection of shark teeth, ammonites, quartz and other minerals.
No children alone, an adult participant is required. Replaced by extraction if it rains
Workshop hours 2025 | 7 days a week |
Spring 2025 | 10 am and 2 pm |
Summer holidays 2025 | 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm |
Exploration 2.0 workshops
Welcome to the Oceans
Extend your visit with the “virtual reality” animation in the dinosaur gallery! An unforgettable experience for young and old with the use of virtual reality headsets. The 2023 thematic animation will be based on the theme “Once upon a time there were dinosaurs”.
The animation is accessible from 8 years old.
Workshop hours 2025 | 7 days a week |
Spring holidays 2025 From April 19 to May 4 | Between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. |
Summer holidays 2025 From July 05 to August 31 |
Fossil painting
and clay casting
Restore color to fossil casts: ammonites, trilobites, or even a dinosaur tooth…
Combine with clay casts to create your own!
Workshop for ages 3 and up
Workshop hours 2025 | 7 days a week |
From April 19 to May 4 | at 4 p.m. |
Guided tours
The village of Balazuc
Discover the lovely medieval village of Balazuc, an area rich in history which conceals archaeological remains such as its ramparts, its Romanesque church, its fortified houses and its narrow streets.
Guided tour hours 2025 | 7 days a week |
By reservation only
| Only in french |
Astronomy evenings
Discover astronomy between science and mythology at the beginning of the evening, then learn how to observe planets and stars by using telescopes. This is an outdoor activity, places are limited to 60 people.
Schedule 2025 | 4 days a week |
Summer holidays 2025 from July to August | Only in French |
Snack bar, coffee and ice cream parlour
100% Ardèche
During the summer, the Museum de l’Ardèche offers you, in addition to locally-made ice creams and cold drinks, a snack bar with sandwiches made in the Museum such as the Neanderthal, the Spinosaurus and the Vegeraptor… A snack bar with 100% Ardèche products, freshly prepared on site!
ACTIVITIES IF IT RAINS :
If it rains, the extraction workshops are still available as they are sheltered. The digging workshops and the “dinosaur investigation” activity cannot be maintained and are replaced by the fossil extraction workshops. If you wish to enjoy all the Museum’s workshops, we advise you to choose a day with a good weather forecast. In case of bad weather, the stargazing evenings are postponed to other days or cancelled. In such cases, we will contact you by phone at 7pm.
PARKING :
The Museum de l’Ardèche is located in the village of Balazuc. This magnificent medieval village, leaning over the Ardèche river is classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Parking lots located in the immediate vicinity (20 metres) are municipal car parks of Balazuc. These parking lots in the village of Balazuc are not free. Allow yourself 1 to 1.5 hours for a walk around the village. Balazuc also has a supervised swimming area during the summer.
The different activities
The Museum de l’Ardèche offers activities with a varied programme of guided tours, workshops, nature and geology walks as well as astronomy nights throughout the year. Let yourself be tempted by adventure and participate in activities designed for all tastes and ages!
During the school holidays, digging and extraction workshops take place every day and allow people of all ages to learn about the fascinating science of paleontology.
Tours
Fossils findings
Program
Visit our exhibition
200 m² of fossils, 100% originals
Our permanent exhibition is made of originals fossils (no copies), for 80% from the Ardèche. We tell a 300 millions years geological story, highlighted by fossils from the whole world covering a 2 billions years story.
Fossils findings
Excavations initiation
Excavation workshops allow you and your family to learn about the science of Life and Earth. Have a tour around the Museum and find fossils and minerals inside aggregates of different local rocks.
Thanks to these great activities, you will learn about the Ardèche diversity and constituate a first collection.
A dynamic program
At Muséum or outdoors
Paléodécouvertes is a registered trademarque used by the Muséum and by a non-lucrative organisation. All year round, our programs offer you the possibility to discover the Ardèche’s geology, paleontology and archeology with an important choice of activities for children and adults.
Presentations, walks, workshops, etc.. different animation forms for a large public. Most of these activities are only available in french, for english please contact us before.
Workshops
Sciences for everyone !
Our facilitators hereby offer you to learn about natural sciences through pleasant workshops with the objective of playing while learning.
From volcanoes to fossils, including dinosaurs and cavemen, prehistory will soon not be a secret anymore for your children !
Presentations
Everyone is able to understand it !
Guided walks
Near Balazuc and all around the Ardèche !
Enjoy the natural environment of Balazuc at the Gorges de L’Ardèche and go for half a day of natural wealth discoveries all along the river. Our guides offer different level of walks and explanations to apply your brand new knowledge learnt thanks to the exhibition.
The Ardèche is one of the most varied geological places in France thanks to its geographic position in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes between the Alps and the Central Massive.
Breathtaking panoramic scenery and many exceptional sites allow you to have a wonderful educational trip.
