| Maritime, Fluvial and Harbour Museum of Rouen | |
|---|---|
| Musée maritime fluvial et portuaire de Rouen | |
| Established | 1999 |
| Location | Hangar portuaire n°13, Quai Émile Duchemin, 76000 Rouen, France |
| Visitor figures | about 10,000 per year |
| Public transit access | Nearest bus stop: Mont-Riboudet (T1, T2, T3, 16) |
| Website | www.musee-maritime-rouen.asso.fr |
The musée maritime fluvial et portuaire de Rouen is a museum dedicated to the history of the port of Rouen, which is one the greatest port of France. The museum opened in 1999, during the Armada.
Contents |
The main themes are:
It is possible to see trawler and barge motors, a mist bell which was formerly located at the estuary of the Risle, a scuba set and the reproduction of the radio cabin of a ship from the 1960s.
A whale skeleton (lent by the museum d'histoire naturelle de Rouen) is exhibited in the centre of the museum. It is a fin whale which was 7 years old when it died by grounding.
There is also a 38 meter long barge, named Pompon Rouge, which can be visited, its hold has been transformed into an exhibition room about the river navigation, with a lock model.
Besides this, there are temporary exhibitions about miscellaneous issues, such as the transporter bridge of Rouen or the Vikings.
The museum is located in a former hangar of the port, not far from the new Gustave Flaubert bridge. This hangar was built in 1926, and was named hangar M until 1966 and the creation of the Port autonome de Rouen.
It was let at the disposal of the Schiaffino Company, until the 1970s, which made lines with North Africa. At first, it was used to store wine until the building of a wine hangar. Then, it was used more to store fruits.
During the 1970s, the hangar is used by many companies until 1984, where it was desaffected because it was not fitted any more for the harbour.