The best museums Loire

The House of Grenadière is located in the heart of the village and opposite the church, perched on a granite spur, at 860 m above sea level, 1 km from the A 89/A 72 exit. The museum has three levels. The first allows to see the work of the embroiderers through a film retraçant their history, film composed of testimonies of embroiderers referring to their feelings in relation to the trade as well as of bosses who explain the economic organisation of the trade. The second level is devoted to the work of the embroiderers as well as all the ancient and contemporary creations of the embroidery into the gold wire. And the third floor offers a personal initiation. The technique is revealed during the meeting with the embroiderer for a demonstration and a detailed explanation. To complete the discovery of gold embroidery, small and large make their personal initiation and produce a small embroidery. Don't leave without a tour at the shop.

The Atelier-Musée du Chapeau houses a permanent exhibition, a temporary exhibition space (one exhibition per year), a production workshop, a hat fashion training centre, a resource and documentation centre, reserves, an event space, five designer workshops, a shop and a restaurant. The new museography presents all the stages of the production chain of the luxury felt hat from rabbit hair. Machines in operation, hat making, video testimonies of the workers of the time, reconstituted workshop. The museum's collections cover chronologically and thematically the female and male headgear from the 18th century to the present day. Ecclesiastical hats with the hairstyles of great chefs (Bocuse, Troisgros...), not to mention the authentic headgear worn by famous women and men such as Grace Kelly or François Mitterrand, rub shoulders with the rooms of the houses Paco Rabanne, Nina Ricci, Dior, Saint Laurent Paris, Hermès, Jean-Paul Gaultier, as well as a unique series of hats from the 1970s to the present day from Pierre Cardin, Jacques Pinturier, Marie Mercié, Stephen Jones... A unique place!

The mine was dug in 1907 and began operations in 1919. It was the largest mining operation in the basin. The site, closed in 1973, was classified as a historical monument in 2011. Rediscover the route taken by these workers who started by going to the checkroom: the hanging room, then into the underground galleries by taking the elevator. This visit offers a glimpse of the danger and fear that these miners could feel because of the numerous blasts of firedamp.

La maison des forges is above all the story of passionate people who never gave up. Indeed, it took 10 years between the initial idea and the opening of this site. But in concrete terms, what can you find inside? Here, you will be able to learn more about the blacksmith's trade. You can discover the tools used by blacksmiths and enter an interactive workshop. Note that temporary exhibitions are also proposed.

It is impossible to miss it: while arriving at Saint-Etienne from the North, the black and white walls of Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain announce it to the travellers. It is one of the most important cultural places of the city. Its collection, with works of 20th and 21st century, is rich in great names like Andy Warhol, Fernand Léger, Picasso, Miro, Wassily Kandisky, Pierre Soulages... More recent personalities of the contemporary art, such Orlan or Gilbert and George are also present at the Museum. The totality of this artistic wealth is not visible in one time: the space available does not allow to expose all of them, and a considerable part of the collections are lent to other museums in the world. The museum also offers many temporary exhibitions, to explore the most forward-thinking facets of the contemporary art. The entrance is free on the first Sunday of each month.

The house of Accordions and Ancient Instruments preserves in its walls a beautiful collection of five hundred instruments of different eras. For two hours you will be able to admire them under all the seams, they are within your reach, aligned with tables, so it is easy to compare the different models while carefully following the explanations that will allow you to better restore their evolution over time. It will inevitably create some vocations, advice to amateurs!

The hotel-Dieu de Charlieu was originally housed in the Benedictine abbey of the city where it hosted, in the Middle Ages, poor and pilgrims. In the th century, it is located in the Grand-Rue de Charlieu. Therefore, they were nuns of the Order of St. Marthe who would advice their care to the sick. The hotel-Dieu closed its doors in 1981. Its walls, a magnificent th-century building, created the Hospital Museum. This allows us to discover reconstructions of rooms dating from the end of the th to the s: the large dining room with its beds of beds, but also the rooms of care and operations and lingerie. Apothicairerie: Listed in historic monuments, retains its beautiful th-century woodwork, plant drawers and a beautiful set of th-century blue tiled pots. The religious dimension of the hospitals of the past is referred to in particular by the presence of the chapel, whose magnificent golden altarpiece (classified historic monument) is visible from the museum. " It smells the hospital… ": In the museum it smells the hospital and it is not an illusion! The smells of the different rooms were reconstituted by a specialized laboratory: plants in the apothicairerie, lavender in lingerie… This original olfactory evocation is a unique means of believing income in the time of nuns.

Located in the heart of the medieval village of Villerest, in a forézienne, this museum houses collections of objects telling the story of fire, from prehistory to today, a collection of more than 2 000 lighters and shotguns. Windows are also dedicated to the history of watchmaking. Discover the fire and cooking in Céline's kitchen! Reconstituted in a former house adjoining the ramparts of the village, discover authentic th-century authentic cuisine. Visit of temporary exhibitions to the Philosophy area.

Model, photo exhibitions.

A collection of French and foreign helmets, a unique model of the Dieppe fire station made of cardboard and newsprint, models of equipment used by the Paris fire brigade, a series of halls lined with superb trucks in the emblematic red, this museum is the third in France on the theme of fire soldiers. A permanent exhibition on the World Trade Center attacks pays tribute to the firemen who died in the exercise of their duty. A real curiosity!

This conservatory museum is run by passionate volunteers and artist-craftsmen. This temple of Saint-Etienne's know-how gathers the greatest masterpieces of the best craftsmen of France in our region in all fields: weapons, engravings, jewelry, textiles, cabinet making... If this conservatory will fill you with wonder, you can in turn take part in the workshops open to the public. A playful moment.