Children's groups

Learn about the characteristics of a bastioned fortification, Vauban's work and career, and the role of the Citadelle, from its construction to its inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Conceived as a real voyage around the world, the Patrimonium board game is played around questions of general culture and activities of expression. The aim is to discover UNESCO, the monuments, natural sites and traditions inscribed on the World Heritage List, and in particular the Besançon Citadel.

Full-day package available in partnership with the Saline Royale d'Arc-et-Senans.
An educational pack can be downloaded from the website

This workshop invites students to transform themselves into historians. Their object of research: Vauban and his work. They discover the different types of historical sources (written documents, portraits, coats of arms, etc.) and the information they can draw from them.

From the construction to the daily life of the soldiers, including its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List, this is the perfect way to discover Vauban's masterpiece, including a passage through a 127 m-long underground gallery.

In our recreation of a soldiers' barrack room, students will discover what daily life was like in the 17th century, and how it compares with today's world through a variety of fun activities. It's the perfect way to start thinking back in time!

This visit is an opportunity to understand how life was organized in the Citadelle in the 17th century, and what the occupants' tasks were. Along an itinerary defined by the children themselves, they are entrusted with objects related to the soldiers' daily lives. At the end of the tour, they return them, explaining the role they played.

This activity is designed for disabled visitors (blind and visually impaired, intellectually impaired). A sensory tour (outdoor and/or indoor) to discover the citadel's secrets: building materials, architecture, inscriptions...

What's behind this strange word? It's a method of dating wood by measuring its growth rings. In this workshop, students become dendrochronologists, working with wood cores and light tables!

"Vauban" shares his knowledge and passion for the history and architecture of the Citadelle with your students.

A difficult visit for people who have difficulty walking and standing.

A quick but intense dive into the history of the Citadelle, covering the essential stages from its construction to its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Before, there was no electricity... Before, there were no screens! In those days, sitting around the fire in the evening was a precious time to recount the day's events and pass on astonishing stories to those around you. This visit-workshop reinvents the story of the Little Prince and continues his journey, meeting the Vouivre and other creatures of the Franche-Comté region!

Locations: Musée comtois and educational room

How did we go from split pants to boxer shorts, from coffee grinders to capsule machines? Discover the great stories of small everyday objects!

Location: Musée comtois

Freedom of expression is the foundation of all democracy. From Alfred Jarry to Tomy Ungerer, from anti-fascist songs to the Nativity, come and discover the surprising history of puppets from Besançon, who have left their mark on the Franche-Comté region from the French Revolution to the present day. This visit is an invitation to discover the world of Besançon puppets, who, long before television puppets, combined critical thinking, citizenship, commitment and humor.

Location: Musée comtois

racontottes are funny little stories told by the fireside. A mix of myths, legends, true stories and puppet shows, their short format lets you explore the Museum and discover Franche-Comté in a whole new way!

Location: Musée comtois

As the exhibition rooms can't accommodate a whole class, the museum offers you a workshop tour supervised by two mediators: while the^1st group tours the museum, the second takes part in a workshop.

Visit: Discover the history of the Second World War, the Resistance and deportation through the museum's collections, and immerse yourself in the daily life of French people in the early 1940s.

Workshop: How can we grasp the impact of the history of the Second World War on the scale of a lifetime? How do we cope with the upheavals of everyday life? How can we keep in mind that, for our contemporaries, the future was not written? Immerse yourself in Jeanne Oudot's diary, and discover how history, big and small, resonated with each other.

As the exhibition rooms can't accommodate a whole class, the museum offers you a workshop tour supervised by two mediators: while the^1st group tours the museum, the second takes part in a workshop.

Visit: Discover the history of the Second World War, the Resistance and deportation through the museum's collections, and immerse yourself in the daily life of French people in the early 1940s.

Workshop: What can you do in a war-torn country where daily life is difficult? Why and how do we get involved? What are the different forms of commitment? Using a selection of examples, explore the complexities of war and discover the links between Resistance and society.

As the exhibition rooms can't accommodate a whole class, the museum offers you a workshop tour supervised by two mediators: while the^1st group tours the museum, the second takes part in a workshop.

Visit: Discover the treasure trove of the museum's collections, the deported art collection, and immerse yourself in the daily lives of these artists who drew at the risk of their lives.

Workshop: Why did some deportees draw in Nazi camps and prisons? How did they manage to find the materials they needed? An opportunity to ask questions about these drawings, so essential to understanding history.

As the exhibition rooms can't accommodate a whole class, the museum offers you a workshop tour supervised by two mediators: while the^1st group tours the museum, the second takes part in a workshop.

Visit: Discover the history of the Second World War, the Resistance and deportation through the museum's collections, and immerse yourself in the daily life of French people in the early 1940s.

Workshop: How to read a poster, how to decode an image? What messages do they convey? Through a decoding exercise, students explore how Vichy used images and words to spread its ideology.

Thanks to our story mat, "The Adventures of Leon the Butterfly" comes to life before children's wondering eyes. The story is followed by fun activities to learn more about our six-legged heroes. It's also an opportunity to get up close and personal with live specimens!
Location: Educational room

A special moment when a scientific mediator introduces children to some of the Insectarium's residents. This activity introduces children to the teeming world of arthropods, their biology, reproduction and growth, their defense techniques and their role in nature.
Location: Educational room

Through this Kamishibaï tale, the group discovers the true story of a lynx in Haut-Doubs. It's an opportunity to learn more about the history of the Northern Lynx in France, from its disappearance to its gradual return in the 1970s. How is the lynx today? What's threatening it, and what solutions are being implemented to save it?

Location: Educational room 

Borrow vivariums and discover the daily lives of our tiny neighbors.
The Besançon Museum offers vivariums on loan to school classes.
You can observe and study insects and gastropods with your pupils.

• Species offered (please send breeding form with booking confirmation) :

- House cricket,

- Migratory Cricket,

- the Horned Ketonia,

- stick insect,

- Achatine (the only species with a maximum borrowing period of 2 weeks).

• Pick-up and return:
  At La Citadelle reception on Wednesdays from 3pm to 4pm (pick-up) and on Wednesdays from 10am to 11am (drop-off).
• Download the vivarium loan contract
• Reservations required on 03 81 87 83 33 or contact@citadelle.besancon.fr.

A fun activity for disabled visitors. The group discovers the diversity of the living world through an interactive and sensory workshop, encountering the collections of the Museum of Natural History and the animals of the animal areas.
Location: Educational room
Workshop for disabled visitors only

How does life evolve? How are species related? What is biodiversity and what are the threats to it? If you'd like to go further after your visit, or if you can't come along, you can borrow the games on offer in the workshops.

4 different workshops to choose from:
- Insect stories.
- Biodiv' on stage.
- Sauve qui peut!
- It's in the box!

Location: on-site at La Citadelle or in your classroom.

"Bio-debate" is a role-playing game in which players take on the role of citizens with different professions and sensibilities, and learn to debate for the good of their community.
Students are encouraged to think interactively about the relationship between humans and nature. The workshop is rounded off with a visit to the Naturalium.
Location: Educational room and Naturalium

Why biodiversity? How does it work? The "Biodiv' en scène" workshop is an opportunity to discover or better understand the notion of "biodiversity". Using tools adaptable to young and old alike, the group learns in a simple, practical and fun way about the importance of conserving as much biodiversity as possible!
Location: Educational room and animal areas

"C'est dans la boîte" invites students to devise a method for classifying living species. Then, through a visit to the Naturalium, they learn how this method can be applied to the millions of species known to date, and what it can reveal about their family relationships.
Location: Educational room and Naturalium

Based on an idea from the University and Zoological Museum of Lausanne, this game helps students understand the mechanisms of evolution. Shaped in modelling clay, the Mougs evolve generation after generation. Hair, hands or feathers, let chance be your guide as you create these strange creatures. Who will be the best adapted to survive?
Location: Educational room and Naturalium

In a fun way, students discover the threats facing wild species and the conservation actions being taken to combat their disappearance. Using a game of goose, they take on the role of different Southeast Asian species in their race for survival. The workshop is followed by a visit to the animal areas to meet them.
Location: Educational room and animal areas

If the Little Prince had landed on Earth today, and looked at nature through the eyes of a child, how would he have reacted? Join him on a journey through some of the stages of this exhibition. You'll come across a giant boa, Saint Exupéry's plane and a chimera skeleton. Come learn and dream with us, and discover the beauty of our biodiversity with your eyes - and your heart.... Once you've tamed it, it's a pleasure to preserve it.

This exhibition is designed by the Besançon Natural History Museum, an original concept created by Maison Deyrolle in partnership with the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation.

"Dessine-moi ta planète" (Draw me your planet) is a guided tour of the Little Prince, the hero of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's work. Let's follow him on a journey of initiation through some of the 10 stages of the exhibition. You'll discover monumental artistic creations such as a boa snaking through the Citadelle, or a reproduction of Saint-Exupéry's plane. You'll also be able to admire a number of never-before-seen objects from the Museum's collections. Come and learn and dream with us, and discover the beauty of our biodiversity with your eyes - and your heart.... Once tamed, it's a pleasure to preserve it.

This exhibition is designed by the Besançon Natural History Museum, an original concept created by Maison Deyrolle in partnership with the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation.

Discover the Aquarium presents freshwater aquatic environments and the biodiversity they harbor. Through the aquariums, the group discovers the ecological importance of rivers, and how fish, insects, amphibians, reptiles and aquatic birds are particularly well adapted to these habitats.
Location: Aquarium courtyard

This tour of the Citadelle showcases the biodiversity naturally present on the site from April to August. Armed with magnifying glasses and binoculars, the group will have the opportunity to observe a few birds from the ramparts of the Citadelle, and even try their hand at identifying certain wild plants... Animal and plant species that are sometimes discreet, but whose importance will be emphasized throughout this tour.
Location: Citadelle

La Petite Ferme is the ideal place to introduce young children to the animal world. Through contact with furry and feathered animals, children learn to distinguish between a mammal and a bird, a domestic animal and a wild animal, and discover the role of these animals on the farm.
Location: Small farm

Accompanied by a scientific mediator, the group discovers the social behavior, feeding habits and natural environment of each animal observed. Are these species endangered? What threats do they face? Why do we need to preserve these species and their habitats? What action is being taken, and what role does the Museum play?
Location: Jardin zoologique

Accompanied by a scientific mediator, children discover the diversity of animals that inhabit the world. Mammal, bird or reptile? To which group do they belong? What do they eat? How do they reproduce? And where do they come from? These are just some of the questions that will be answered during this visit.
Location: Jardin zoologique

A guided tour of the Naturalium to get a glimpse of the Museum's collections and discover nature from every angle. What is a living being? Are we superior to other species? What is biodiversity and what are the threats to it? And above all, where do humans fit into all this?
Location: Naturalium

What is the purpose of a Natural History Museum's collections? How many living species have we identified so far? How do we classify these millions of species, and where do they come from? How are they related? What is evolution? These are just some of the questions that will be answered on this guided tour of the Naturalium.
Location: Naturalium