Acquisition of the Mas du Pont-de-Rousty 1973 (≈ 1973)
Seat of the Natural Park and future museum.
1978
Opening of the museum
Opening of the museum 1978 (≈ 1978)
European Museum Prize in 1979.
1993-1994
Flooding and closure
Flooding and closure 1993-1994 (≈ 1994)
Disaster rehabilitation.
2003
New name and label
New name and label 2003 (≈ 2003)
Become *Musée de France*.
2013
Renovation and lookout
Renovation and lookout 2013 (≈ 2013)
Permanent exhibition and work by Kawamata.
2019
Extension of the museum
Extension of the museum 2019 (≈ 2019)
New welcome and cultural spaces.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Tadashi Kawamata - Contemporary Artist
Author of the viewpoint *Horizons* (2013).
Origin and history
The Camargue Museum is located at the Mas du Pont-de-Rousty, 8 km from Arles on the Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer road. This site, acquired in 1973 by the Camargue Regional Natural Park, initially housed its administrative headquarters. The museum opened in 1978 in a renovated sheepfold and in 1979 received the European Museum Prize for its innovative scenography. Damaged by the floods of 1993 and 1994, it closed a year for renovation.
In 2003, the museum was renamed Museum of the Camargue and awarded the label Musée de France. It has since been managed by the Syndicat Mixte du Parc naturel régional. A complete renovation in 2013 modernises its spaces, with a permanent exhibition, Le fil de l'eau, le passage du temps, exploring the history and ecosystem of the Rhône delta. In the same year, artist Tadashi Kawamata installed Horizons, a wooden gazebo with views of agricultural landscapes.
In 2019, the museum expanded with a new reception including a bookshop and a temporary exhibition room. Its cultural offer includes discovery trails (3.5 km), educational workshops, and thematic events. The collections include old photographic plates, accessible online via the Mona Lisa database. The museum illustrates the human conquest of the Camargue, mixing material and intangible heritage (photos, videos, sounds).
Complementing the visit, an outdoor tour allows to observe rice fields, marshes and reeds, with a traditional sagna cabin, an ornithological observatory and a banding station. The museum plays a key role in valuing the territory, between agriculture, biodiversity and local culture.
