Mark your calendars! The Night of Museums, the free and must-attend evening that celebrates art and culture within museum walls once the sun sets, is making a return on Saturday, May 23, 2026, across Paris and Île-de-France. This is a unique opportunity to explore permanent collections and temporary exhibitions from a new perspective, often in a different and captivating atmosphere.
The program for this exceptional evening includes special activities, artistic performances, screenings, lectures and guided tours. The Nuit des Musées is a truly immersive experience, bringing together enthusiasts and the curious to experience art in an original and entertaining way.
The Night of Museums 2026 shines a spotlight on Paris’s most prestigious cultural institutions, but also uncovers hidden gems just a few train stops outside the city. Among these is the Musée de la batellerie et des voies navigables in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (78), perched on the banks of the Seine. It stands as a cornerstone of France’s river history. Entirely dedicated to the world of boatmen, this museum celebrates the men who, for centuries, has transported goods along the country’s rivers and canals.
With models, tools, photographs and period documents, the museum takes you back in time to the days when barges and scows reigned supreme on the waterways. It also invites you to discover the trades, traditions and skills that have shaped the history of river navigation in France.
Don't know it yet? Take advantage of theevening event to take a look around and join in the free entertainment!
“Mini-concerts”
During the Night of Museums, the strings of musical instruments will echo the nautical timbre of ship rigging. SOLA on guitar and Olivier Herbin on harp will present four “mini-concerts” in the museum performed by the Anj'oliver - guitar & harp duo; in partnership with the Municipal Conservatory of Music in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine.
Anj'oliver duo program
- 30-minute set -
Classical masterpieces and inspired works:
De Falla: La Vida Breve
Franck: Fugue and Variation
Giuliani: Polonaise
Guitar solo
Harp solo
Stotzem; Sur Vesdre
7:00 PM, 8:00 PM, 9:00 PM, and 10:00 PM. (thirty-minute concerts)
Participation requirements: Free | No booking required
Schedule: Saturday, May 23, 2026 — 6:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Special opening of the temporary exhibition and the grand cellar
Special evening opening of the temporary exhibition and the grand cellar from 6:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Temporary exhibit in the Orangery: "The Canadian Canoe / The Origins of River Tourism"
The historic medieval cellar of the former Priory: the museum’s storage for leisure boats (pleasure craft and sports vessels)
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, May 23, 2026 — 6:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Temporary exhibition: A leading inventor from the late 19th century, Paul-Emile Jacquel (1826-1898)
Temporary Exhibition: “A Prominent Inventor of the Late 19th Century, Paul-Emile Jacquel (1826-1898)”
Models for study, a promotional miniature, archives, photographs, plans, drawings, and engravings... An exceptional collection preserved by the family for over 150 years offers a rare glimpse into the life of the inventor of the “propeller boat system.” The patent filed in 1878 describes a pushing convoy (a tug and its barge) designed for canal navigation. The “Jacquel system” was extensively tested and eventually put into operation, with several units running in the early 1880s.
Participation conditions: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, May 23, 2026, 6:00 PM–10:30 PM
Dates and Opening Time
On May 23, 2026
Location
Inland waterways museum
3 Place Jules Gévelot
78700 Conflans Sainte Honorine
Route planner
Accessibility info
Access
Line J Conflans-Sainte-Honorine
Prices
Free
Official website
www.musee-batellerie-conflans.fr
