The gardener's cottage: visitor centre, gift shop and interpretation area.
The visitor centre and gift shop are located in the gardener's cottage, as well as an interpretive space, which opened in 2019. Admission is free and open to all.
This 85m2 space is an entertaining and family-friendly addition to the tours and outreach services offered at the site.
The simple and educational multimedia installations explain the origin of the estate, its singularity, its importance and its influence on the local area. It offers a sensitive, personal approach: behind the idea of the Garenne Lemot estate, there are people, past and present. This space gives them a voice!
The content is fully accessible for disabled people and young children.
The Interpretive Space
Discover the Garenne Lemot estate and the people who shaped it through chronological sequences, with visuals and hands-on interactive displays.
Step into François-Frédéric Lemot's sculpting studio and converse with the bust of Henri IV.
Take a seat in the Cacault brothers’ living room to learn about their museum and institute.
Stroll through the sound gallery and admire Claude Thiénon's engravings.
In the game room, explore the park's follies through videos by artist Bastien Capella, presented in a large immersive model. At the mock puppet theatre, watch a video recounting the correspondence between Lemot and his friend Gautret, the estate's developer.
Reconstruct the gardener's cottage and observe the details of this Tuscan-inspired architecture in the architectural workshop.
Take your time in the study to contemplate the estate through the eyes of the artist Illès Sarkantyu and learn more about the gardens.
All of these activities and exhibits will help you understand and appreciate this superb 13-hectare estate!
Image gallery of the interpretive space
Practical Information
For the opening hours of the gardener's cottage, click here.