Saint-Chef Museum

  • Museum
Image illustrative
© G. Fillon - Office de Tourisme des Balcons du Dauphiné

Saint-Chef Museum

Adress:

2 Rue du Seigneur de By
38890 Saint-Chef

Go there

Located in the heart of the village, in a 16th-century house, the museum retraces almost 15 centuries of Saint-Chef's history: the origins of the abbey, the interpretation of the Romanesque frescoes in the church, local traditions, Louis Seigner and Frédéric Dard.

The museum is a must for exploring the rich history of Saint-Chef.

Housed in the former residence of the Seigneur de By, the collections are divided into two large themed rooms.

The history of the village begins in the 6th century with the creation of a hermitage. Take a journey through the 15 centuries of Saint-Chef's history, and witness the different periods of construction of one of the most important abbeys of the Middle Ages in the region.

A 3D reconstruction will enable you to discover one of the finest treasures of Romanesque art: the frescoes in the upper chapel of the abbey church.
These 12th-century Romanesque frescoes are unique in France.

You'll end your visit by discovering the rich local heritage of winegrowing and adobe construction.

Other rooms are devoted to the town's illustrious characters:
- Frédéric Dard, alias San Antonio, is buried in the cemetery of Saint-Chef, his home town, with the only public collection of the most widely-read writer of the 20th century, his life story, his novels, his desk and his typewriter.
- The actors and actresses in the Seigner family, including Louis,
- The writer Marius Rolliet.

The Saint-Chef museum offers a fun, varied visitor experience suitable for everyone, in the Balcons du Dauphiné, less than an hour from Lyon.

Practical information

Equipments

  • Parking nearby,

  • Exhibition space,

  • Book shop,

  • Lift,

  • Toilets

Services

  • Educational visits,

  • Themed tour,

  • Permanent entertainments organiser,

  • Tourist brochures,

  • Tourist information,

  • Guided tours

Activities

  • Handicrafts workshops,

  • Temporary exhibition,

  • Activity,

  • Children's entertainment

Theme

  • History,

  • Sciences and technology,

  • Arts and culture,

  • Famous people,

  • Oenology,

  • Litterature,

  • Sacred art,

  • Folk arts and popular traditions,

  • Local history

Time schedule

From 04/01/26 to 10/25/26

  • Monday :

    Closed

  • Tuesday :

    14h00 to 17h45

  • Wednesday :

    09h30 to 12h00
    - 14h00 to 17h45

  • Thursday :

    09h30 to 12h00
    - 14h00 to 17h45

  • Friday :

    09h30 to 12h00
    - 14h00 to 17h45

  • Saturday :

    09h30 to 12h00
    - 14h00 to 17h45

  • Sunday :

    14h00 to 17h45

  • Jours fériés :

    Closed

Prices

Payment method

  • Check,

  • Cash,

  • Credit transfer,

  • Culture voucher,

  • Pass’Région Jeunes

Free entry. Guided tour of the museum possible : €5 per person, on booking.

See more

Go there

Latitude : 45.634582

Longitude : 5.366006

Height : 316

2 Rue du Seigneur de By
38890 Saint-Chef
Go there

A3, exit 7 for Isle d'Abeau Centre'
Follow signs for Morestel, then Saint-Chef

Chambéry Grenoble Bourg-d'Oisans Bourgoin-Jallieu Vienne Lyon Valence Gap

Information updated on 11/05/2026
by Office du Tourisme Les Balcons du Dauphiné

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