The third and final phase of work is coming to an end for the Jean de La Fontaine Museum in Château-Thierry: the inauguration will be held on January 15, 2026. Started in 2022, the renovation of the building where the poet was born, began its last phase in January 2025 which concerns museography.
This phase is part of a broader project of exterior, interior and structural changes. The first phase concerned asbestos removal and lead removal. An outbuilding of the building which connected it to the Jean Macé media library was destroyed then rebuilt in order to make a new entrance and add an educational workshop room and a shop. The old entrance is now dedicated to conservation, which frees up the top floor to install exhibition spaces.
These changes aim to welcome more visitors. Until closing in 2022, the museum welcomed around 12,000 visitors per year. The museum has improved its accessibility with new elevators for people with reduced mobility. The educational workshops will also make it possible to better accommodate schoolchildren. The temporary exhibition room will make it possible to renew visitors thanks to various events. Sébastien Eugène, mayor of Château-Thierry, explains to La Gazette France : “With a modernized museum, accessible and faithful to its history, we affirm our desire to bring to life and transmit the legacy of Jean de La Fontaine. The reopening of the museum will mark a strong cultural moment for the Castels and visitors. »
The project cost nearly 6 million euros and was financed by the city, the state, the region and the Aisne departmental council. A donation campaign launched in 2021 on the Heritage Foundation website raised €300,000.
The museum is labeled “Musée de France” and “Maison des Illustres”. Its building has been classified as a historic monument since 1910 and was purchased by the municipality in 1876 to house the museum. Driven by the Historical and Archaeological Society of Château-Thierry, it is first and foremost an art and history museum before being devoted to Jean de La Fontaine. Today it includes several works which mark the influence of the writer in sculpture, painting from the 17th to the 19th century, graphic arts and objects of art. The building had already undergone an overall restoration between 2008 and 2015 affecting the roof, facades and gardens.
