Musée de l'Ardoise à Trélazé

Useful Information

Location:	32 Chem. de la Maraîchère, 49800 Trélazé. (47.446820, -0.489180)
Open:	15-JAN to FEB Tue-Fri 9-12, 14-17. MAR to JUN Tue-Fri 9-12, 14-17, Sat, Sun, Hol 14:30-18:30. JUL to AUG Tue-Fri 9-12, 14:30-18:30, Sat, Sun, Hol 14:30-18:30. SEP to 15-NOV Tue-Fri 9-12, 14-17, Sat, Sun, Hol 14:30-18:30. 16-NOV to 23-DEC Tue-Fri 9-12, 14-17. Last entry 1 h before closing. [2023]
Fee:	Adults EUR 8, Children (6-16) EUR 5, Children (0-5) free, Students EUR 6.50, Disabled EUR 6.50, Unemployed EUR 6.50. Groups (10+): Adults EUR 7.70, School Pupils EUR 4.70, Disabled EUR 6.20. Groups (20+): Adults EUR 7.40, School Pupils EUR 4.70, Disabled EUR 5.90. Groups (30+): Adults EUR 7, School Pupils EUR 4.70, Disabled EUR 5.50. Museum only: Adults EUR 4.80, Children (6-16) EUR 2.70, Children (0-5) free, Students EUR 4, Disabled EUR 4, Unemployed EUR 4. [2023]
Classification:	Slate Mine
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided, D=2 h.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:
Address:	Musée de l'Ardoise à Trélazé, 32 Chem. de la Maraîchère, 49800 Trélazé, Tel: +33-241-69-04-71. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

19-APR-1979	association “Les amis de l’ardoise” founded.
1980	education trails across the quarry opened to the public.
1983	slate museum opened to the public.
1994	overhaul of the permanent exhibition.
2004	installation of an ornithological trail on the museum site.
2012	complete refurbishment of the exhibition rooms.

Geology

Description

Musée de l'Ardoise à Trélazé (Slate Museum in Trélazé), or actually it is named Musée de l'Ardoise (Slate Museum), which is quite generic, and there are actually dozens of slate museum, so we added the name of the town. There are even several slate museums in this are which once had numerous slate quarries and mines. However, this is the biggest of those museums related to slate mining. The reason is probably just that are open all year, or that the town relocated the tourist info to the site, which obviously brings a lot of visitors. However, during the week only the museum is open for inspection and visits are mostly self-guided. There are free guided tours through the museum on demand. On the weekends the site is open only in the afternoon, but then there is not only a guided tour of the exhibition rooms but also a demonstration of how slate is splitted. In the shelter of an amphitheater, the splitter obtains from a block of schist weighing several tons fine roofing slates.