Jules Verne Museum (Musée Jules Verne)

The museum is quite small, but accommodating with multimedia displays and texts in French, English, Spanish, Italian, and German. Visitor booklets are also available on entry, or downloadable from the museum’s website. There are also hour-long group tours in French, which are only offered at select off-peak times and must be booked well in advance.

Set away from the main downtown area, the Jules Verne Museum isn’t a staple on Nantes sightseeing tours, but there are some niche tours aimed at literary fans that swing past the museum, such as scavenger hunts, street-based escape-room challenges, and private tours by vintage cars.

• Plan for a visit of up to 1 hour at the museum.

• Entry is free on the first Sunday of each month, excluding July and August; holders of the Pass Nantes or the Pass Musées can enter for free at any time.

• Luggage can’t be brought into the museum, and there are no lockers inside.

• When temporary exhibits are being set up, the museum may be closed, so it’s a good idea to check the museum website before you visit.

• There is a separate entrance for wheelchair users, with an intercom and an elevator. One inside, the museum is considered wheelchair accessible.

The Jules Verne Museum sits atop a steep hill that overlooks the river, a little way from the center of Nantes. If you want to save your legs from the uphill climb, take the tram to Gare Maritime or a bus to Lechat. Both of these stops are about 10–15 minutes from the museum by foot. For drivers, there are parking spaces on Place des Garennes.

The museum is open daily in July and August, from morning to evening. From September to June, the museum is closed on Tuesdays, but open on all other days with reduced hours: Wednesday–Friday and Sunday–Monday in the afternoons, and Saturday with a break between morning and afternoon hours.

If you’ve ventured out to see the museum, there are some cultural sites nearby that could complement your visit. The Nantes planetarium (Planétarium) is around the corner from the Jules Verne Museum and has shows about the constellations. The naval museum (Musée Naval Maillé-Brézé) is a little further along the riverfront, and offers the chance to step inside an old French warship. Note that you’ll need to join one of the guided tours to enter, which take place only in French and in the afternoons.