The Château de Cheverny
The Château de Cheverny is a Loire Valley castle located in Sologne and classified as a historical monument. It inspired Hergé to create his Château de Moulinsart.
The Cheverny Estate belongs to the Hurault de Vibraye family. It was one of the first private châteaux to open to the public in 1922.
The estate has been in the same family for six centuries, and the château is still inhabited. The 17 rooms open for the visit are all richly furnished and decorated, allowing visitors to travel back in time.
For children aged 7 and up, a game booklet is available at the ticket office. Be sure to ask for it as it is unfortunately not given out systematically. They will have to investigate through the rooms, find clues by paying attention to the decorative elements, and solve the mystery.
The permanent Tintin exhibition
The permanent Tintin exhibition is particularly delightful and well worth a visit!
In 1942, Hergé was inspired by a tourist brochure about Cheverny to draw the Château de Moulinsart. This exhibition completely immerses us in the world of Moulinsart! It’s like diving into the book!
Some rooms of Moulinsart are recreated exactly to scale. You can find yourself in the underground passage where Tintin is first held captive by the Bird brothers, as well as in Tintin’s bedroom and Professor Calculus’ laboratory. You can even see his famous shark-shaped submarine!
The exhibition is interactive, inviting you to open hatches, lift doors, and activate mechanisms. The place feels alive, and for once, there’s no need to tell children not to touch—in fact, touching is encouraged!
Practical information, opening hours, prices and parking for the Château de Cheverny
Opening hours :
- From January 1st to March 31st, and from October 1st to December 31st
Open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM without interruption - From April 1st to September 30th
Open from 9:15 AM to 6:00 PM without interruption, and until 6:30 PM in summer
Prices :
- €14 for adults
- €10 for reduced rate
- Free for children under 7
Parking :
Cheverny offers numerous free parking areas, all conveniently located near the château.
There is also a parking area for motorhomes, although it is somewhat small and often occupied by cars that shouldn’t be there.
Activities offered at the Château de Cheverny
In addition to your tour of the château’s interior and the interactive Tintin exhibition, the château offers several activities, especially in the park :
- Discover the forest park with an electric cart
- Explore the canal by electric boat
- Visit the Gardens of Love and its lake
- Navigate the labyrinth
- Use the game booklet for the visit
- Visit the kennel
The carts and boats require an additional fee and are not included in the ticket price. We recommend exploring the forest park this way if it’s your first visit to the château, as it is very enjoyable. However, it is unnecessary to repeat this activity if you return to the château.
Our opinion on the Château de Cheverny
The Château de Cheverny is one of our favorites! We have visited it three times and have never tired of it. The château changes with the seasons, offering different activities throughout the year, making it possible to visit multiple times annually.
Children especially love this château, both for its exterior park and its interior. Inside, they can discover a permanent LEGO exhibition with incredibly lifelike reproductions!
The permanent Tintin exhibition is undoubtedly the château’s greatest attraction for children. It is particularly well-done and fully interactive, allowing visitors to activate buttons, open doors, discover objects, watch films, and see models. The most impressive feature is the life-sized room recreations that are true to the books! Whether you’re a fan of Tintin or not, you can’t help but enjoy the exhibition.
