Useful informations
- Opening times
- Tuesday to Friday – 12 noon to 7pm / Saturday & Sunday – 2pm to 7pm
- School holidays (except summer)
- Tuesday to Friday – 10am to 7pm / Saturday & Sunday – 2pm to 7pm
- Library summer opening times (July and August)
- Tuesday to Friday – 1pm to 7pm / Saturday (the whole library) & Sunday (children's area, lobby and Vie du Citoyen community area only) – 2pm to 7pm
- Closure
- Closed on Mondays and on public holidays
The Champs Libres centre is located in Rennes city centre, just a stone's throw from the railway station. It is open Tuesdays to Sundays and includes a museum, library, science centre, and spaces with exhibitions on the history of Brittany, historical and contemporary photography, science and areas in which science and art overlap. Much of its resolutely eclectic cultural offering is open to the public and free of charge.
The Champs Libre institutions
The Library
The Library offers a range of useful services (PCs with internet access, WiFi, photocopying) and public access to a regularly updated collection of 240,000 documents. Its extensive archives, particularly those relating to Brittany, are considered authoritative. The resources on offer are both diverse and eclectic, allowing visitors to engage with culture, enhance their knowledge or pursue their hobbies. The library is split into a number of very different settings, providing all users with a suitable space in which to have fun, rest, play, work, debate or learn, either alone or in a group. Entry is free and a library card also costs nothing. This card can be used to borrow items anywhere in the Rennes public library network. It also provides free online access to films, newspapers, music and training via a dedicated website.
The Brittany Museum
The Brittany Museum showcases Breton society and the changes it has undergone over the years. Its flagship exhibition, A History of Brittany, open to the public, and a host of events organised by the museum reflect the rich history of this region and its inhabitants' lives. The museum boasts a unique social history collection consisting of objects and testimonies. It gathers people's stories and accepts donated items, thus encouraging everyone to help create and pass on this ever-growing body of living memory. When you visit the Brittany Museum, audio guides in English are available free of charge, allowing you to discover the history of Brittany and its inhabitants.
The Science Centre
The Science Centre provides visitors with all the tools they need to gain an excellent grasp of scientific concepts. It includes a Planetarium, Merlin's Laboratory and several exhibition rooms, with lectures and outreach initiatives tailored to all types of participants offered throughout the year. Its flagship exhibition, Incredible Brain, draws on the latest neuroscientific findings to unveil all the secrets of the human brain. The Science Centre has its own dedicated website and YouTube channel allowing visitors to tap into a wealth of knowledge.
In addition to its science and heritage exhibitions, the Champs Libres centre organises photography exhibitions throughout the year featuring the works of contemporary artists or historic photographs held by the Brittany Museum. The Anita Conti exhibition room is devoted to digital art and projects that combine art and science. Events held in the auditorium, library and café provide an opportunity to meet key figures from the worlds of literature, science and art. The Vie du Citoyen community area on the ground floor offers users access to computers, newspapers and magazines, board games and support with administrative procedures.