Maison Mantin: Belle Époque time capsule in Moulins

Our take

The “time machine”: a 19th-century middle-class house frozen in time, just as it was in 1905.

The editors · Teddy L.updated on 22 October 2026How we choose our places

Allow 1 h to 1 h 30 min
Not wheelchair accessible

Bequeathed to Moulins by Louis Mantin in 1905 to show, “in a hundred years”, a 19th-century middle-class interior, reopened in 2010. Period furniture and décor. Guided tour of about 1 hour 15, booking required.

The Maison Mantin, in Moulins, is a unique time capsule. Louis Mantin, a well-to-do local man of independent means, lived there at the end of the 19th century before bequeathing his home and collections to the town, with a surprising wish: to show visitors, a hundred years later, an intact 19th-century middle-class home. Closed for decades, the house reopened in 2010 after restoration, frozen in its eclectic décor and its cutting-edge comfort (electricity, hot water, bathroom). You discover more than 1,500 objects: furniture, paintings, tapestries, a cabinet of curiosities, archaeological and exotic collections. Built on part of the ruins of the former ducal palace of the Bourbons, it is visited together with the Musée Anne-de-Beaujeu next door.

Why we love it

A 19th-century middle-class house frozen in time, reopened in 2010 after decades of closure
The bequest and its wager: to show an intact 1900 interior a hundred years later
More than 1,500 objects and a cabinet of curiosities

Top tip

The house can only be visited on a guided tour, with a ticket shared with the Musée Anne-de-Beaujeu. Combine it with the Centre national du costume et de la scène and Moulins cathedral.

Before you go

Guided tour only, by booking on 04 70 20 48 47.
In 2026: €12 full price, €9 reduced price, free for under-18s. The ticket also gets you into the Musée Anne-de-Beaujeu next door.
In 2026, in summer, from 6 July to 20 September: open Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 18:30. The rest of the year, Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00, closed on Monday
In 2026, Sundays and public holidays, it is afternoons only: 14:00 to 18:30 in summer, 14:00 to 18:00 the rest of the year
Closed on 1 May, 25 December and 1 January

Practical info

Address: 5 Pl. du Colonel Laussedat, 03000 Moulins, France
03000 Moulins

Route

What visitors say

4.8/ 5

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Average of 407 reviews on Google Maps.

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It's for you if

You like period furniture and collectors' items
You want to see a late-19th-century house frozen in time
You are visiting Moulins and want to follow on with the CNCS

Give it a miss if

You prefer to wander freely: here, the visit is guided
You turn up without booking: visits are guided and limited to 15 people

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Around Maison Mantin

7 spots in and around Moulins, enough to build your day.

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Where to eat close by

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La Petite Auberge

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Le Bistrot de Guillaume

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Divers Gens

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Worth a read

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Guide

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