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Origin and history

The Ampère Museum is a space dedicated to the history of electricity and the works of André-Marie Ampère (1775–36), installed in the house where the scientist spent part of his childhood and youth. Located in Poleymieux-au-Mont-d'Or, near Lyon, he also explores the links between the French Revolution and the Ampère family. This pioneer museum, the first of its kind in France to offer interactive experiences since 1931, combines historical heritage and scientific extension.

The museum's idea was born in 1901 during a ceremony to honour Ampère, but its concrete creation began in 1928, when two American patrons of French origin, Hernand and Sosthenes Behn, acquired and restored the family property. They handed it over to the Société française des électriciens, which entrusted it in 1930 to the Société des Amis of André-Marie Ampère, still managing director today. Inaugurated in 1931 with electrodynamic demonstrations, the museum now extends over 600 m2.

The museum is divided into several spaces: a historical section on the discoveries of Ampère and his contemporaries (Volta, Faraday, etc.), another on the applications of electricity (lighting, telecommunications), and a room dedicated to the Ampère family, with portraits and manuscripts. Interactive models allow us to relive the founding experiences of electromagnetism. Labeled Maison des Illustres (2013) and EPS Historic Site (2021), it is also recognized by the IEEE in 2023 for its role in the history of science.

In addition to its permanent collections, the museum offers educational workshops for schools and the general public, as well as a space of 50 places for seminars. Its shop offers specialized books and souvenirs. Managed by a voluntary association, it perpetuates the memory of Ampère while integrating into contemporary issues of scientific transmission.

Recent distinctions underline its heritage importance: in 2018, the Society of Friends of André-Marie Ampère received the honour medal of the Lyon Academy. The bicentenary of Ampère's discoveries in 2023 was marked by the inauguration of commemorative plaques at the Collège de France and the museum, consolidating its status as an emblematic place in the history of physics.

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