Visit the Tautavel Museum: tickets, prices, schedules

From the Pyrenees-Orientales? Enjoy it to visit the Tautavel Museum!

The Tautavel Museum – European Centre of Prehistory is located in the small village of the same name, in the heart of the Pyrenees-Orientales. This is the archaeological site of the most visited Prehistory in France .

The first fossils were found in the middle of the twentieth century on the site of the Caune de l’Arago and from 1964 excavations were regular, allowing to find exceptional human remains.

The museum allows to know everything about the man of Tautavel who lived on these lands, about 450,000 years ago, to see what he looked like, under what conditions he lived and how he fed.

Do you want to dive into the Prehistory and visit the Tautavel Museum? We have prepared all the information you might need!

History of the man of Tautavel

The remains of the man of Tautavel were discovered in the Caune de l’Arago in 1972. This is one homo Heidelbergensis 450,000 years old. This 20-year-old man was 1.60 to 1.65 metres. About 150 human remains were found on this site of the small village of Tautavel in the Pyrenees-Orientales.

The human fossils found on the site are estimated at 400,000 to 570,000 years. One of the main elements is a skull that was updated in 1971, the fossil Arago 21. Other human remains were also discovered, mandibles: Arago 2, 13, 89, 119 and 131 between 1969 and 2012.

They belonged to men and women who were 20-25 years old and 40-50 years old. But archaeologists also found traces of fauna and pollen, as well as sediments, allowing to see the climatic variations of the quaternary.

The occupants of the Caune de l’Arago were mainly hunters of large mammals. They killed and eat bison, horse, deer, rhinoceros, suede... The man of Tautavel could also seem to feed himself with chariots, did not yet master the fire, and traces of cannibalism were lifted.

In addition, many acheulean lithic tools, characteristic of the lower Paleolithic, were found on the site. Visiting the Tautavel Museum is therefore a dip in the Prehistory.

In addition, the oldest human remains in France were discovered, with a milk tooth: Arago 149, dating from 560,000 to 580,000 years.

Our tips to visit the Tautavel Museum

Practical information

To help you organize your visit to the Tautavel Museum, here are some practical information that will be useful to you:

• To visit the museum of Tautavel it is necessary to plan about 1:30 (classical visits);
• Also, the museum is air conditioning and accessible to persons with reduced mobility ;
• Within the museum, the various explanations are translated into 6 languages : French, English, Spanish, Catalan, Dutch and German;
• In addition, access to the museum is prohibited from animals, even if they are kept on a leash;
• Finally, you can go to the website for more information: 450000ans.com;

The animations

For an original visit, we advise you to attend one of the animations proposed each year on a fixed date. Depending on the period, you can attend:

• At the prehistoric weapon fire championships (April);
• On the days of the man of Tautavel (July);
• Or at the feast of Prehistory (August).

What to do during your visit to the Tautavel Museum?

The visit of the museum and the site of Gouleyrous

Visiting the Tautavel Museum will be an enriching experience for both adults and children. In this museum of 2,000 m2, 21 rooms allow you to know everything about the man of Tautavel, aged 450,000, and the Prehistory.

The Tautavel Museum – European Centre for Prehistory, is part of the CERP, European Centre for Prehistoric Research. In addition, it has the "Quality Tourism" label that attests to the reception and quality services of the site.

In this museum, one can observe reconstructions of nature . In particular, a reconstruction of the cave that served as habitat for the man of Tautavel, the Caune of the Arago. A projection also helps to understand what the hunt was 450,000 years ago.

The museum also put in place a touching part, with the possibility of touching archaeological elements mouldings found in the cave. And to deepen this exciting visit in the footsteps of the man of Tautavel and the Prehistory, workshops allow you to discover the pottery, the fire, the size of the stones and the firing to the thruster.

Finally, in addition to the museum, visitors will be able to visit the site of Gouleyrous . A complementary visit in the middle of nature, at the foot of the Caune de l’Arago that deserves the detour! 3 km from the village and the museum, this small oasis and its arid environment, embellished by the river du Verdouble, allows you to discover a course of scenes typical of the Prehistory.

Educational workshops and thematic visits

The Tautavel Museum therefore offers visitors educational workshops during July and August on the theme of fire , Pottery , stone size and thruster shot . These workshops, led by a specialist, help to better understand these techniques, with demonstrations in support and precise explanations.

Thematic visits to groups can also be very interesting, especially in the case of “ Prehistory and terroir in Catalan soil or of the " Survival and Prehistory "

During the holiday season, the Tautavel Museum is home to leisure centres and in school time students for educational activities. Thus, the museum organizes playful and cultural activities, as well as theme days with workshops, picnic with Gouleyrous Gorges and trail games.

One-day or half-day activities that will be exciting, on the theme “ The life of our ancestors or " Discovery of prehistoric men "

How much does a ticket cost to the Tautavel Museum?

Your ticket to visit the Tautavel Museum will cost you :

• 8€ (from 14 years old) ;
• 4€ for 7-14 years;
• Free for under 7 years;
• The rate for students is 4€ (sur justificatif).

Also know that you can book in advance your tickets, for example for classic museum tours or for "survival days in Tautavel" (in summer).

How to book an online ticket for the Tautavel Museum?

If you want to book your tickets online to visit the Tautavel Museum, nothing simpler! Just go to the museum's official website: 450000ans.com. You will find the ticket shop directly on the homepage.

On the other hand, some private operators offer special offers including the entrance of the museum and other additional services, such as the day of survival.

Are there guided tours of the Tautavel Museum?

In order to make the most of your visit to the Tautavel Museum, specialised stakeholders are present to share their knowledge in educational visits or groups.

But also, the Tautavel Museum offers a rather original guided tour experience: discovering the museum actually augmented. With your smartphone, let Cyrille guide you, or more precisely his hologram. Unpublished and playful technology that makes you discover the wonders of Prehistory from a new angle.

Opening hours

• Timetable: 10h00/12h30 and 14h00/18h00 ;
• Closing days: 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January ;
• In summer the museum is open non-stop 11 July at 21 August de 10:00 to 19:00.

How to access the Tautavel Museum?

The Tautavel Museum is close to Perpignan (30 km), Narbonne (75 km per highway A9 ) and Carcassonne (about 95 km). It is therefore advisable to take the highway A9 Perpignan/Narbonne, and use the output 41 .

Where to park near the Tautavel Museum?

If the parking is delicate to the immediate vicinity of the museum, there are several free parking lots where you can park in the village of Tautavel, a few steps from the museum. On the other hand, disabled access and a drop-off point are in front of the site.

Where to stay near the Tautavel Museum?

Small village in the heart of the Oriental Pyrenees, Tautavel will make you spend a pleasant stay by plunging you into the Prehistory. You can find accommodation in the village of Tautavel, where the museum is also located. Many cottages and guest houses are available to make you spend a warm stay in Tautavel or in the surrounding villages such as Cucugnan.

To find the solution that best suits you, do not hesitate to use a Compare hotels where to go to consult the offers available on Airbnb . And if you prefer to stay in town, opt for a stay in town Perpignan .