Musée National de Préhistoire
Perched dramatically into the golden limestone cliff above Les Eyzies, this national museum holds one of the planet's finest collections of Palaeolithic art and tools — over 18,000 objects spanning nearly a million years of human prehistory. It is the essential first stop before venturing into the valley's painted caves.
What's Inside
The permanent galleries move chronologically from the earliest flint-knapping to the explosion of Upper Palaeolithic creativity, displaying Venus figurines, engraved reindeer antlers and a haunting cast of the Cro-Magnon skeleton found just metres away in 1868.
Highlight cases hold the original carved bison from Abri de la Madeleine and the famous swimming reindeer — two deer carved from a single mammoth tusk — which ranks among the greatest portable artworks ever made by human hands.
Interactive stations let children handle replica tools, making it genuinely engaging for families rather than a dry academic experience.
Planning Your Visit
Allow at least two hours; the rooftop terrace offers a sweeping view over the Vézère valley and the troglodyte façade of the village below — worth the climb alone.
The museum is closed on Tuesdays; in July and August queues form by 10 a.m., so arrive at opening time (9:30 a.m.) or book online. Admission is around €6 for adults, free for EU citizens under 26.
A well-stocked bookshop sells serious prehistory titles in French, English and German — ideal for deepening the experience after your cave visits.
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