Open for fifty years, the Musée du Vieux Montpellier is going to close its doors

L’hôtel de Varennes abrite le Musée pour encore quelques semaines. ML – RICHARD DE HULLESSEN

La ville annonce la fermeture prochaine de cette institution dédiée à l’histoire de Montpellier. Les collections seront redéployées dans un nouveau lieu qui ouvrira en 2028 aux Beaux-Arts.

The Musée du Vieux Montpellier, nestled in the Hôtel de Varennes (Place Pétrarque, in the Écusson), has housed a collection of objects and documents relating to the history of the city since the mid-1970s. This collection, from the collections of the Musée Fabre and a few institutions that made deposits there in the 1980s, is at a turning point in its own history.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

The City of Montpellier, aware of the difficult accessibility of the premises and the conservation conditions that do not comply with current standards, wishes to propose a new destination for these collections. The Musée du Vieux Montpellier will therefore close its doors at the beginning of 2025.

A new place found

The City of Montpellier wishes to dedicate a new place to the history and memories of Montpellier, which will bring together the archives of Montpellier and a mediation space open to the public.

This cultural institution will open its doors in 2028, in the Beaux-Arts district, in the former Departmental Archives building that will be renovated. Some interesting pieces from the Musée du Vieux Montpellier will be able to find their place there.

The scientific project currently being developed will offer a new redistribution of certain objects from the collection, either in the permanent space or as part of the temporary exhibitions that will be offered there. The pieces placed on deposit will be returned to their original institutions. Finally, some objects will be placed in reserve in storage conditions that comply with good conservation practices.

A transitional period to prepare the future of the collections

A whole collection project involving experts from the Culture and Heritage Center of the City Metropolis, the services of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs, and possibly the National Heritage Institute with the arrival of interns in training, will support the future of the collection with the necessary care.

Thus, from January 2025, the premises will no longer be accessible to allow for preventive conservation treatment and relocation, as well as the redeployment of the objects in a new scientific project.