Top 10 museums with children in Charente-Maritime

We often tend to associate museums with long and exhausting visits, not suitable for children, and that is a mistake. In Charente-Maritime in particular, museums offer fun activities, educational visits and workshops loved by children who spend the day having fun. With family or friends , take your children to one of the 10 museums that we will present to you in Charente-Maritime.

The Top 10 museums with children in Charente-Maritime

1. Planète Exotica in Royan
2. The Miniature Museum to feel big!
3. The Gallo-Roman Museum of Fâ!
4. The Museum of Old Trade, in Rochefort
5. The Paleosite, a dive into prehistory
6. The Caves of Régulus, all in shells
7. The Aquarium of La Rochelle, unmissable
8. The Arsenal of the Seas, oh the boat!
9. The Fortified Castle of Saint-Jean-d'Angle
10. The Rochefort Transporter Bridge, unique!

Planet Exotica, an immersion in an exotic universe in Royan

10 minutes from Grande Conche beach in Royan, take your children to an extraordinary world where an impressive collection of living reptiles makes young and old alike shiver. Open all year round, it offers entertainment and fun activities in the Indian village, with the gold rush and an introduction to paleontology. Snakes, crocodiles, insects and other animals are grouped together in this children's leisure park. Visit the dinosaur museum, admire the crocodile exhibition and discover exotic curiosities with your offspring who are sure to be fascinated by all this new information.

The Miniature Museum, a unique place to visit with children

These are not playmobils or dolls, but rather characters, villages and regions recreated in miniature by Élizabeth Lapierre, a woman with magical hands who bring her windows to life. On the banks of the Charente in Saint-Savinien, she sculpts, polishes and paints figurines, furniture , establishments and situations that tell the story of life at the beginning of the 20th century. Her workshop is surprising since she uses cardboard calendars, crates, fabric, threads and paper to create her stunningly detailed and realistic models. Children are amazed by these miniatures, which are so real, and discover history in another way. Older children can even take part in workshops to create a reflection of their imagination.

The Museum and Gallo-Roman site of Fâ, an incredible archaeological site for a family outing

Go back in time on an area of 50 hectares where excavations still in progress reveal a life of yesteryear, in the Gallo-Roman era. Between temples, thermal baths, theaters, ports and warehouses, the finds are incredible and worth the detour for a family day of strolling. Accessible to strollers and babies, the aisles lead to various sections to target your information needs. The museum, interactive and modern, is ideal for showing children the tools and objects used at the time. Activities, guided tours, fun trails and digging workshops, the youngest will not be bored. A surprise is even offered to them at the end of the day if they have discovered the mystery word in their booklet.

The Museum of Old Businesses, a reconstruction of the 1900s in Rochefort

You can't go wrong, everything comes from the...1900s! It was Christine and Jean-François who had the crazy idea of opening this atypical museum which makes you so nostalgic. Passionate about this era reflecting the lives of our grandparents, they browse flea markets and garage sales in search of objects, advertising items and furniture to recreate this period in a former 20th century warehouse on 4 levels. For 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, immerse your children in a world that already seems far away, a fun and educational way to show them that today's world was once different. With family or friends, escape into your memories and share them with the little ones.

The Paléosite, an interactive museum space ideal for children in Saint-Césaire

Come early to make the most of this unusual and exciting site. Prehistory will be at the heart of your visit with life-size representations of Neanderthal habitats, animals and camps. Do your children like to go for walks? Walk through the more than 10 hectare park to observe the mammoth cemetery and the Homo Sapiens village, a path accessible to strollers for a peaceful family outing. Or maybe not since two interactive rooms show you your face prehistorically! Rest assured, the features are not fixed, but make the children laugh. And it's not finished ! A makeup studio and a gazebo are available for them to have fun and paint a reproduction of a cave wall as they wish. The little extra? The park is free for children under 6 years old.

The Grottes du Régulus, an unmissable site to take your children to in Charente-Maritime

Open 7 days a week between April and November, the Grottes du Régulus is a troglodyte site dug into the limestone cliffs in the town of Meschers. The originally natural holes were later enlarged by man to become a habitat in the 19th century. Geology, estuary, fishing and tourism, the place raises many questions that Minidik, a small shrimp and Lady Bubulle the dragonfly also ask. Throughout the visit, children are invited to help these animals find the answers, a fun and educational game rewarded with a draw and nice prizes to be won. Imagined as a walking trail, the Cagouille rally allows children to discover the Régulus Caves while walking and having fun. This is the perfect family outing if you are near Royan.

The La Rochelle aquarium, a must-visit to dazzle your children in Charente-Maritime

Facing the old port, you cannot miss this incredible building which brings together more than 12,000 marine animals. Designated as one of the largest private European aquariums, it offers 2 hours of dazzling visits through different spaces depending on their typicality. Speckled seahorses, octopuses, parrotfish, turtles and sharks, admire the ocean floor and let yourself be enchanted by the species of the Atlantic, Mediterranean and tropics. Children will love filling in the activity book to discover the marine world according to the color code of the ocean. Information, illustrations and educational games, they will quickly have unlocked all the secrets of the La Rochelle aquarium. Children, babies or teenagers, everyone can enter this soothing universe.

The Arsenal of the Seas, your children are the sailors of the day in Rochefort

Experience an extraordinary adventure on the banks of the Charente through a multitude of activities accessible to young and old alike. You will quickly be immersed in the atmosphere with a passionate storyteller disguised as Gilbert du Motier who tells you his story aboard the Hermione. The day continues with a visit to the Arsenal Factory on an immersive tour, before joining the Corderie Royale. Built by Louis 14, this incredible factory is longer than the Eiffel Tower. Discover all the secrets of stringing with your children who will be delighted to participate in the educational workshops. The Maritime Museum recounts the maritime history of Rochefort, but what attracts young people is especially the Accro-Mâts, an outdoor adventure park perfect for a family day. In summer, extend the evening in front of the luminous and multisensory night show, the Oceania Lumina, which amazes children, but also parents, every year.

The Château Fort de Saint-Jean-d'Angle, an immersion in the 12th century in Charente-Maritime

More than a visit, this medieval fortified castle offers you a real adventure. Visit the furnished castle classified as a historic monument before transforming yourself into a knight. Puzzle games, archery stands and trebuchet shooting, the day promises to be lively with the children! Disguised in period costumes, you can enjoy the many activities on offer. Rediscover touch on a path to be taken barefoot for an astonishing multisensory experience, visit the 5th century castle mound and caress the farmyard animals for an immediate plunge into the Middle Ages. Have fun with friends or family for 3 hours with young and old in a medieval atmosphere on a 15-hectare park. Even strollers can ride on these large, protected natural spaces.

The Rochefort transporter bridge, a dizzying experience in Charente-Maritime

This is a very unusual way of crossing the Charente to get to Échillais, which the children will love! Built between 1898 and 1900, this maritime ingenuity was imagined by Ferdinand Arnodin to streamline traffic between Rochefort and Échillais. After closure and renovations, it opened its doors again in 2020 to welcome cyclists and pedestrians on its steel structure. Every 10 to 15 minutes, the basket transports young and old to the other side of the Charente, a fun and playful crossing which offers a magnificent panorama of the river. The most curious can visit the ferry house to understand the functioning and mechanism of the bridge. A virtual crossing is even offered if you don't have the opportunity to do it in real life. All that's missing is the breeze in your hair, it feels like it.

The children will definitely sleep well after so many visits to museums. Be careful, they will want to do it again because they had so much fun. We told you, visiting museums with children in Charente-Maritime is a lot of fun.

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