Timeline

Origin and history

The Museum of Lighthouses and Balises was founded in 1988 near the Lighthouse of Creac'h, one of the most powerful in the world with a luminous range of 61 km. It preserves and exhibits much of the collections of the former Musée des Phares de Paris, closed in 1955, thus providing a complete overview of the evolution of maritime signalling techniques since ancient times. The objects presented, such as optics, lanterns or beacons, illustrate the technological advances in this crucial field for navigation.

The museum is housed in the former power station of the lighthouse and features rare pieces, including optical elements and audiovisual documents. He also offers testimonies about the human and technical adventure related to securing the coasts, as well as objects from wrecks excavated off Ouessant. The models, plans and paper archives complete this immersion in maritime history.

The museum enjoys the label Musée de France and is situated in an exceptional geographical setting, at the western end of Europe. Its location on Ouessant Island reinforces its link with local history, marked by the challenges of sea navigation in Iroise, an area renowned for its dangers. The collections cover both technical and human narratives, providing both a scientific and a heritage approach.

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