Musée de Plein Air

Museums and places of interest

143 Rue Colbert, 59650 Villeneuve-d'Ascq

The purpose of the open-air museum is to preserve rural buildings and farms destined for demolition, which are then dismantled and rebuilt on the 15-hectare site. 25 buildings are preserved in a bucolic setting of thatched cottages typical of 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century rural architecture, gardens, orchards, vegetable gardens and animal-populated pastures.Most of the buildings are occupied by artists and craftsmen who perpetuate ancient trades and are keen to pass on their traditional know-how. To keep the museum lively, events punctuate the week: on Wednesdays and Saturdays, parent-child workshops offer fun learning activities on a variety of themes, from animal discovery to artistic creation workshops using recycled materials or plant-based paints. Sundays also feature concerts and tastings of regional products.