La Maison Picassiette

La Maison Picassiette

La Maison Picassiette
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.

See what travelers are saying

  • Hunza
    Paris, France113 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Visit to the Picassiette house
    It is about 2 km walk from the cathedral. But what a surprise when we get there! It’s simply surprising and moving at the same time. Isidore, the owner of the house, spent more than 30 years of his life decorating it with pieces of crockery picked up during his walks. He made something beautiful out of it. It’s a must-see for anyone who loves originality. It's not big but you can spend time there to admire all the details of his work.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written March 30, 2024
  • Boheanee
    Enghien Les Bains, France301 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A real joy
    A place full of poetry and magic. It's very calming, despite the many visitors. This is reminiscent of the horse postman's ideal palate. Many colors. Quick to make, original, very welcome. Not to be missed
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 5, 2024
  • Dom H
    Corbie, France10 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    a strange and beautiful journey
    April 7, 2024 We had the chance to visit Mr. Picassiette's house, told by a very good actress who told the story of the house and its occupants - creator Raymond and Adrienne Isidore. A great moment of beauty, discovery and above all great emotion. We do not emerge "unscathed" from this visit into the intimacy of this "raw artist" that Robert Doisneau immortalized and to whom he often visited. If you want to visit, aim for a date with a guided tour. The added value is immense.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 7, 2024
  • annmarylis
    75 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very surprising… and touching
    Go there to be surprised by the astonishing work of Raymond Isidore, his creativity, his tenacity (it took him decades!). It’s a timeless and magical place. In addition, the personality of Mr. Isidore is to be discovered. An “uneducated” worker but poet, mystic, and artist.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written April 10, 2024
  • Happy Days
    Durban, South Africa45 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A charming and beautiful experience.
    A beautiful little place. It was so lovely, to be here among the mosaic artwork, and the sculptures. Clearly all made by a man who had a drive, even an obsession, to transform his home into something like no-where else in the world. It has a very positive atmosphere, and is a nice escape from the troubled modern world.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written June 5, 2024
  • O Dcls
    Calais, France125 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful!
    Very nice surprise. A visit to Chartres. We went there on foot from the center a little far see car according to tourists but sublime little place to have a drink. Very interesting story. To see for more amenities to make the place even more attractive! (audio recordings of the man if there is, more story about him, souvenir shop more attractive .. ).
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 3, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles485 reviews
Excellent
243
Very good
186
Average
38
Poor
9
Terrible
9

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

flolanormande
Jouy-le-Moutier, France2,046 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Family
In Chartres on the occasion of the Festival of Light, we took the opportunity to visit this house. Entrance was free because it was Heritage Days weekend. We still wanted to take a guided tour and it had to be paid for (5 EUR). We did not regret having spent a little money to take the guided tour because the guide was dynamic and had a sense of humor. We had a good time. On the other hand, I had seen so many photos of the house before going there that there was no longer any surprise for me. it remains a place to see for its originality.
Google
Written September 24, 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.

more_gelato
Austin, TX154 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
This museum is unique and delightful. Read the backstory, hike through nondescript town streets and then, voila! you are inside this old frenchman's fantasy. I can't imagine the love, attention, patience and care it took to find all the pieces of broken pottery and arrange them into every kind of whimsical pattern all around the house and yard. Not an ideal destination on a rainy day since everything is outside, so plan accordingly.

Honestly, La Musee Picassiette was the most memorable place we visited in all of Chartres -- although the stained glass in the cathedral was quite beautiful.
Written November 13, 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.

Greenway1951
Pensacola, FL280 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021
A remarkable example of an individual driven to produce a realization of a vision known only to him. Just dazzling in concept and execution. Inconspicuous entrance (unless you are unlucky enough to see a tour bus disgorging a crowd of oldsters at the curb). Highly recommended. Modest walk from town.
Written September 16, 2021
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.

Seb M
Mende, France226 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • Couples
An unlikely place of naive art in the line of the postman horse. A nice discovery but an entrance fee too expensive (and I'm not talking about the tour fee which is prohibitive). Too bad for a site managed by the public authority that could display a more modest price.
Automatically translated
Written September 10, 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.

Lionel V
15 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Family
Very original and atypical site a beautiful curiosity 15 minutes from the city center
On the other hand the site is very poorly maintained, lover of flowers pass your way , many are withered I do not know if the town hall is in charge of its maintenance. Especially since the Award of entry to 9€ seems disproportionate given the quality of the site
This could be very nice with minimal care
Automatically translated
Written August 17, 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.

DecBIreland
Drogheda, Ireland170 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
When in Chartres and if you want to see something completely different give this place a visit. Raymond Isidore did an amazing job on this property over his lifetime. To find the place is a bit of a pain as you'll put the address into Google Maps but walk by it, just an non disscript entrance, so take your time when Google says you've arrived. Plan on spending 30 minutes there, it's small but all the details everywhere is unreal. Take your time to look around it.
Written May 3, 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.

Trainbleu
Brussels, Belgium39,843 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023
Maison Picassiette is an astounding piece of outsider architecture by Raymond Isidore, who was born and died in Chartres (1900–1964). Isidore was of modest origin and received little formal education, yet he spent most of his life turning his small house into a stunning masterpiece. Starting in 1938, he painstakingly covered every inch of it, from floor to ceiling, furniture included - even his wife’s sewing machine - in mosaics made of discarded broken china and glass, earning him the nickname ‘Picassiette’. Using the same technique, he later added a chapel and a summerhouse connected by a courtyard. Walking through the narrow house, the courtyards, and the garden, we kept discovering wonderful naive mosaics. When we visited, there was also an exhibition presenting pictures Robert Doisneau took of Raymond Isidore and his wife Adrienne in their house in 1953. There is no need for a car to visit the house. It is clearly indicated on the city map provided by the Tourist Office, and we had no difficulties reaching it on foot from the city centre in about twenty minutes. An alternative is to take Filibus 4 (stop Picassiette).
Written July 11, 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.

Ozzyjack
Melbourne, Australia44 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2013 • Couples
A very interesting attraction and an amusing foil for the cathedral! We visited on a Saturday in late September - it was quite quiet. We took a train from Paris leaving at 11:06am arriving 1hr layer in Chartres. Trains leave from Gare Montparnasse with 2 or 3 services per hour. We did the cathedral first as La Maison Picassiette is closed for lunch until 2:00pm.

You need a miniumum of 30 minutes there but 60 minutes would not be unreasonable. There were professional photographers there when we were there and I was not confident that the public were able to take photos - and staff do keep an eye on you. Do an image search on Google, there are plenty there! There are excellent public toilets on the premises.

You catch a number 4 bus (E1.10 fare), direction "La Madeline" - don't do what we did and jumped on the first No 4 bus we saw which went in the opposite direction! You could walk but is is 2-3 kilometers along a busy road and would not be the most pleasant of experiences... We went back to the station to catch the bus, but there is a bus stop on the main road outside the cathedral which takes you in the right direction - i.e. out of town. Look out for the correct stop, it is called Picassiette - it is announced automatically on the bus and there is an electronic display as well. Cross the road when when you get off the bus - it is in a small suburban street, well signed, You walk up the street for about 100m it's on the right.

We got back to Paris around 5:00pm after a pleasant day trip!
Written October 13, 2013
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.

Margaret W
London, UK49 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2014 • Friends
We visited the Picassiette House (Pique Assiette means broken plates) while visiting Chartres. It is free with the Chartres Pass from the Tourist Office - 18.90 euros gives entry to museums etc. and one bus trip on the Filibus. Catch the No 4 bus from the main road opposite Chartres Station in the direction of La Madeleine to Picassiette. Cross over the road, turn left and first right signposted to Picassiette and Cemetery. The owner, Raymond Isadore, was a cemetery digger. He found lots of broken crockery and glass and decorated the entire house, furniture and garden, even his wife's sewing machine. It's beautiful and fun. I see other reviews said that you could not take photos, but we took loads. No-one told us not to. Nice toilets on site. No refreshments. To catch the bus back, pay the driver 1.10 euro.
Written May 27, 2014
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.

OliverE77
Munich, Germany530 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2017 • Friends
While in Chartres in June, we visited the somewhat hidden gem of quirkyness, the Maison Picassiette. We were fascinated by the many shapes and colors of tiles and knick-knack used to create this eccentricity. I´m not too sure if I would call it art, but it´s definitely a place I would recommend you visit when in Chartres. We found it very entertaining!
Written January 3, 2018
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.

Showing results 1-10 of 103
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

La Maison Picassiette - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

All Chartres HotelsChartres Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Chartres
All things to do in Chartres
Nature & Parks in Chartres
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars