100 YEARS OF HISTORY

A lighthouse in the midst of a sea of vines, such was the ingenious brainwave of Mr Joseph Goulet to promote his brand of champagne. This creation does not fail to surprise. At its summit a rotary lantern emits a light beam scanning the plain of Champagne.

At the bottom of this amazing building, Joseph had an open-air theatre, a restaurant and a cabaret establishment built. The Lighthouse of Verzenay therefore soon became a meeting place for people living in Reims and Epernay who met at the site thanks to the CBR (the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer De la Banlieue Rémoise, a local railway line for people living in the suburbs of Reims).
On a sunny afternoon and in a festive atmosphere, visitors sampled the Champagne of the Lighthouse.

The events of the First World War put an end to these good times. The lighthouse was then used as an observation tower by the French army and suffered shellfire from enemy troops.

In the aftermath of the war, only the reinforced concrete tower remained, the adjacent buildings were destroyed.

For many years, the Lighthouse of Verzenay was left disused. It was pervaded by vegetation and fell into oblivion.

The Vine Museum was created from advertising in the open-air museum,

Dear to the inhabitants of Verzenay, the lighthouse was bought back by the municipality of Verzenay in 1987 from a Champagne House which owned the premises. This was when the lighthouse was saved from collapse.

Associated with the Regional Nature Park of la Montagne de Reims, the municipality of Verzenay was already considering a development project.

It was in 1994 that the Community of Vesle Montagne de Reims Municipalities, as part of its tourism remit, supported the project to create an open-air vine museum.

Already engaged in a process of planning and developing its territory, it took into account the need for a unifying and structuring project for tourism and the creation of tourist products which appreciated its territory.

In 1995, the Community of Vesle Montagne de Reims Municipalities began construction of the Vine Museum in Champagne, an investment of more than 2 million euros, co-financed by public and private partners.

The Vine Museum opened its doors on 3 October 1999.

The Community of Municipalities won second prize for its project in the competition organised by the ADCF (Assembly of Municipalities in France) in 2001 in the category of ‘Art, culture and heritage’.

The tour route lasts approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, in an atmosphere of songs, bird sounds, cries of revolt, pruning shears and Champagne bubbles!

GROUPS

From 10 people

The climb of the Lighthouse is conducted freely before or after the tour of the museum, per group of 19 people.

The visit can be supplemented by a tour of the cellar or Champagne tasting offered by local wine producers.
Tour route
The Lighthouse is open all year round for groups by booking.

Free tour

The teacher can take full responsibility of the tour of the site and supervision of their group.
When preparing for your tour we remain available to best meet your educational goals.
We can make educational booklets, a table, clipboards for writing, etc. available.

• Level: Any age
• Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes for the tour route and 1 hour 45 minutes with the Lighthouse climb

Guided tour

Based on a questionnaire and/or educational tools, children can actively discover the different facets of a wine-maker’s job (his life, his environment and his customs…) and the geographical, geological and climatic features of the Champagne region.
Aims:Discover grape vines over time and the seasons.
Knowledge of the technical and cultural aspects of a vineyard.
Awareness raising of the issue of the Champagne landscape and A. O. C Champagne.
Research, organisation and forming of knowledge.

• Equipment to be provided: one pen or pencil per child
• Level: Any age
• Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes for the tour route and 1 hour 45 minutes with the Lighthouse climb

Special Grape Harvest Tour

(Only during grape harvests. Date to be determined every year)
It concerns a guided tour oriented toward the world of grape harvests. After a reminder of the vocabulary and techniques in the museum, the children are invited into the garden to observe a ripe grape vine. Then they head to a traditional Verzenay wine-press to discover the journey undertaken by the grapes, from the vine stock to the cellars.
Aims: Discover a regional agricultural activity.
Knowledge of the technical aspects related to grape harvests.
Raise awareness of sustainable development.

• Equipment to be provided: suitable footwear, a raincoat in case of bad weather, a pencil or a pen per child.
• Level: Any age
• Duration: 2 hours 30 mins and 2 hours 45 minutes with the climb of the Lighthouse

How to get there

150 km away from Paris,
15 mins from Reims

Disabled access

A number of adjustments have been made to enable our disabled visitors to navigate around the facilities as comfortably as possible.

The site is therefore equipped with disabled parking enabling easy access to the entrance. A special reception area offers information adapted for the visually and hearing impaired.

The discovery route is equipped with a lift on each floor.

Themed tours have been specially created for groups. They call on the 5 senses and are organised into workshop tours.

Opening times and prices…

Opening times

Open every day * from 10 am to 5 pm in the week and from 10 am to 5.30 pm on weekends and public holidays.
* on Mondays, only open by appointment for groups

Prices

Students, disabled war veterans and civilians
From 10 people