Musée de Préhistoire
Musée de Préhistoire
4
About
The richest museum in the world for megalithic culture The Museum of Prehistory in Carnac arose from the will to keep near the place where they were discovered the archaeological collections found around the local megaliths. The founder of the museum, James Miln , was the first and the last one to undertake large scale excavations in the alignments of standing stones in Carnac. His successor, Zacharie Le Rouzic, started the excavation, restoration and classification in the name of the Government Office for the preservation of “ Monuments Historiques ” of about 120 megalithic sites. Thanks to them, the Museum of Carnac today houses reference collections concerning the Neolithic period (4 900 – 2 200 BC) and is essential to the discovery and understanding of the surrounding archaeological sites. Do not miss the large alpine jade axes, the polished ornaments imported from Spain, witnesses of the time when Carnac was a great European centre of power and wealth, in the 5th millennium BC. Information about the collection is available in English, German, Italian, Spanish and Dutch. In the summer, guided tour in English.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.0
386 reviews
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140
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138
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68
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28
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12
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Anne S
Papeete, French Polynesia106 contributions
Nov 2024 • Solo
Start your Carnac visit here ! It's better to start with understanding what you will then see all around the area of the village ( the alignments , the dolmens) and better appreciate it . You will be taken aback by the skills of those who preceded us 6,000 years ago ! See their tools and jewelry , some of it so beautiful you wished you could wear it today ! Also discover the burying rituals, and it will help you understand the rest of your visit in Carnac and its environment. The museum offers a map of all the must-see places outdoor. The museum takes a couple of hours, I highly recommend the audio guide for more context . Then take a break before visiting the sites ! What an experience ! Count a day for the museum and sites ( I personally preferred to do it in 2 different half days )
Written November 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pat S
Rockville, MD252 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
When we visited Carnac we were overwhelmed by the megaliths but learned nothing of the people that built them. Turns out that the major archaeological expedition there was way back in the 1900s and the results were turned over to this museum. This is a MUST if you want to understand the Neolithic peoples that occupied Brittany. Well laid out.
Written September 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert S
18 contributions
Jul 2023
A historic museum that displays some of the artefacts found in and around Carnac, although some are in Paris. Nicely displayed. Signs all in French. The English audio guide misses out some of the exhibits.
It could be better set out but limited by the constraints of a historic building.
It could be better set out but limited by the constraints of a historic building.
Written August 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jennyide2017
Vannes, France102 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Slightly old museum, interesting on the subject of the Paleolithic. Not a bad read. Parking nearby but paying. The museum itself is not a must, especially with children because it is not too fun compared to modern museums. On the other hand, go visit the church below, with its stained glass windows and splendid wood frescoes! The megaliths are not very far away with parking if you wish to continue the visit.
Written August 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
trgstl
Seattle, WA85 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
Disappointing. We were interested in getting this perspective as there are so many stones in the area.
Everything is in French. Except “Do Not Touch”. The English audio guide was lacking the content that was displayed on the walls. One of us could speak French. This could be a great museum but it isn’t worth it. I now know why the gift shop is before the ticket sales desk.
Everything is in French. Except “Do Not Touch”. The English audio guide was lacking the content that was displayed on the walls. One of us could speak French. This could be a great museum but it isn’t worth it. I now know why the gift shop is before the ticket sales desk.
Written June 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beetrootears
Balmoral Ridge, Australia462 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
Very informative visit. So much to learn. The audio guide in English covered a lot but obviously did not cover all the French exhibits. It was sufficient to gain an overall appreciation of the history of the discovery of the mégalithes and attempts to interpret the reasons for their existence as well as history, generally of human settlement in Carnac and Brittany.
Written July 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kaorh
London, UK67 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Weirdly huge queue to get into to what is more like a tiny village museum as opposed to a must see attraction. Everything is in French, so only good for French speakers really. Nothing for non French speaking kids to do at all.
Written August 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
מירה ק
south459 contributions
Jun 2012 • Couples
A lot of artifacts and archeological findings. The point is that the free guide booklet (at least in English), is not edited well, it hard to find the connection between the guide booklet and the exhibit. Add to this that the rooms are not signs, makes you to go lost and soon or later, you loose all the interest.
A waste of a museum for non speaking French.
A waste of a museum for non speaking French.
Written July 10, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sarumanthewhite
Wuhan, China195 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
This small museum has an impressive range of prehistoric artifacts, which is not surprising, given the location. We visited after we'd viewed the thousands of aligned stones just outside the town, but in retrospect, we should have gone to the museum first. The museum has large guides in several languages, which is a plus. Another plus is that it is easy to find, being just off the central square in the town.
Written July 4, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trvll0r
Melbourne, Australia19 contributions
Jun 2015 • Solo
This museum was closed the day I went. No notice of closure on their website or at the building. Why they would close on a Tuesday in the height of the tourist season is beyond me. If the staff need time off then employ more people to take their place. It's not that hard.
Written June 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Há estacionamento próximo ao museu ?
Written April 23, 2023
Bonjour , Etes vous ouvert dimanche 10 ou Lundi 11 Novembre ? Merci . quel sont les tarifs ? Bonne journée
Patrick
Written November 7, 2019
j'etais egalement visiteur de ce Musée
Written November 7, 2019
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