Heritage Days 2026: this museum invites you to discover traditional trades.

Plunge into the daily life of artisans of old at the museum « À la rencontre des vieux métiers » in Bouray-sur-Juine during Heritage Days 2026. A cultural outing in Essonne to discover forgotten know-how and period tools.

Do you know what a départoir or an herminette could be used for in the everyday life of our countryside? Each autumn, the big gathering of the Heritage Days invites curious visitors from Paris and Île-de-France to uncover hidden treasures, often tucked away in rural communes. For the upcoming edition, scheduled for September 19 and 20, 2026, the focus shifts to the Essonne, towards Bouray-sur-Juine. It’s here that a small, quirky venue, named “Meeting the Old Trades”, springs to life to revive the long-forgotten crafts of our elders.

Since 1987, the museum has been housed in the walls of the village’s former school, offering a journey through time. Driven by the enthusiasts of the association "Bouray et son Histoire", the space gathers more than 4,000 objects spread across seven themed rooms. Its mission: to preserve the memory of manual labor from 1850 to 1950, a period when human skill took precedence over machinery.

Far from a dusty showroom, the route recreates real workshops of yesteryear. Here you can rediscover the secrets of the coopers adjusting their staves, the blacksmith beating hot iron, and the clog-maker shaping rough timber. About forty guilds are represented, bearing witness to a peasant and artisanal know-how that formed the backbone of the villages of Île-de-France. Beyond the technical crafts, the venue tells the way of life of old times, from the schoolroom of bygone days to the domestic hearth. Read below for the detail of the activities and schedules planned for this heritage stop.

The Heritage Days 2026 program at the museum: an encounter with traditional crafts

Self-guided visit to the Bouray-sur-Juine Museum
Free, self-guided visit to the Bouray-sur-Jion Museum

The Bouray-sur-Juine Museum houses more than 4,000 objects, tools, and machines, old and varied, to introduce young visitors to long-gone trades or those in danger of disappearing, and to help older visitors reconnect with their past and their memories. The items are displayed in eight rooms that evoke craftsmanship, daily life, agriculture, the blacksmith, wool, dairy, the wagoner, and many others. The Bouray Museum welcomes you over these two days to reveal the tools of trades that have vanished or are fading away. The oldest visitors will feel transport back to their childhood.

Open to the public from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Saturday and from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday

Doors close at 7:00 PM on Saturday and at 6:00 PM on Sunday

You will be welcomed by the volunteers from the Bouray and Its History association.
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM

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