Maison Jean Cocteau

What Maison Jean Cocteau does

Maison Jean Cocteau is a public cultural institution — the GIP (Groupement d'Intérêt Public) Maison Jean Cocteau — that operates the preserved house and garden in Milly-la-Forêt where French poet and artist Jean Cocteau lived from 1947 until his death in 1963. The site at 15 rue du Lau (60 km southeast of Paris) presents Cocteau's original furnishings and personal memorabilia, including the leopard-print decorated office, alongside rotating temporary exhibitions and contemporary-art installations in the garden. The museum offers guided house-and-garden tours, garden-only access, the annual 'Les Samedis Musicaux' concert series, themed temporary exhibitions (including the 2026 'Colette, une grande sœur' show), and creative workshops for school groups; it also runs an on-site boutique selling books, Cocteau-themed merchandise, and local products.

The institution's core technology stack is commodity: a Wix.com website with bilingual French/English content, an OVH-hosted infrastructure, an online ticketing platform (billetterie.maisonjeancocteau.com) powered by Diptick with Lyra payment processing, Mailpoet for newsletters, Google Analytics, and FSET-operated on-site video surveillance. There are no proprietary AI, mobile applications, or APIs.

The business model is a hybrid of self-generated ticket revenue and public institutional funding. Tickets are priced on a tiered structure — adults €11, seniors 65+ €9.50, reduced €8 (covering large families, students 12–26, unemployed, disability cardholders, Navigo Pass holders, press, veterans), groups €8 (minimum 5 persons), events €12, garden-only €3, and free for children under 10/12 and Île-de-France schools — operating on a pay-as-you-go basis. On-site retail and refreshments, donations via the ticketing platform, and venue privatization for filming, photography, and corporate events round out commercial revenue. The primary institutional funder is Région Île-de-France (which initiated the GIP in 2019 following Pierre Bergé's death in 2017 and formalized the structure in 2020), with founding co-funding from Département de l'Essonne, Ville de Milly-la-Forêt, the Comité Régional du Tourisme, and Centre Pompidou. Customer segments span individual cultural tourists, school groups (maternelle through lycée), organized private and corporate groups of 5+ persons, and arts-and-culture enthusiasts attending the Musical Saturdays and contemporary-art programming. Operations are seasonal: full public access runs April 18 to November 1, with off-season limited to group bookings of 5+ minimum, and the museum is promoted through the Île-de-France regional tourism network, including the Jardins Ouverts program and Centre Pompidou curatorial partnerships.

Name

Maison Jean Cocteau

Legal name

GIP Maison Jean Cocteau (Groupement d'Intérêt Public Maison Jean Cocteau)

Website

https://maisonjeancocteau.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Maison Jean Cocteau is a publicly funded French museum-house in Milly-la-Forêt preserving the 1947-1963 residence of poet and artist Jean Cocteau. Operated as a GIP by Région Île-de-France and partners, it offers guided tours, temporary exhibitions, concerts, and school workshops to cultural tourists and educational groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Museum Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (712120)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)

Keywords

• Heritage museum services
• Cultural venue programming
• Guided museum tours
• Temporary art exhibitions
• Educational cultural workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Milly-la-Forêt

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Museum admission fees: Revenue from individual and group ticket sales across multiple pricing tiers including standard adult, senior, reduced, free admission categories, and event tickets. Group minimum 5 persons at reduced group rate.
2. On-site retail (shop and refreshments): On-site gift shop offering Jean Cocteau merchandise, books, and local products (honey, herbal teas, syrup, candies, beverages). Refreshment stand with hot and cold drinks. Revenue from retail sales at the museum.
3. Donations and support: The museum accepts donations through its ticketing platform (Faire un don). As a GIP (public interest group), the institution also receives public funding from its founding members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Maison Jean Cocteau operates a public heritage museum at Jean Cocteau's preserved former residence in Milly-la-Forêt, offering guided tours of the house and garden, temporary exhibitions, seasonal concert series ('Les Samedis Musicaux'), educational creative workshops for schools, and on-site retail. The institution is structured as a Groupement d'Intérêt Public (GIP) backed by the Région Île-de-France and public partners, combining cultural heritage preservation with ticketed visitor experiences and event programming.

Product overview

Maison Jean Cocteau is a museum-house dedicated to the French poet and artist Jean Cocteau, offering guided tours of the preserved house and garden, rotating temporary exhibitions, musical concerts, and creative workshops for schools. The institution operates a unified visitor experience centered on the poet's home (1947-1963), with supplementary ticketed offerings including seasonal concerts ('Les Samedis Musicaux'), temporary exhibitions, and garden-only access. An online ticketing system enables advance reservations for tours and events. The product portfolio includes: core guided house and garden tours; garden-only access; the annual Musical Saturdays concert series; rotating temporary exhibitions; creative educational workshops; and venue privatization services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guided house and garden tour (Visite Guidée Maison et Jardin) Guided tour of Jean Cocteau's preserved house and garden in Milly-la-Forêt led by trained mediators; for individual visitors, families and tourists interested in Cocteau's life and legacy.
• Garden-only access (Jardin Uniquement) Independent self-paced access to Cocteau's garden including the pear tree, sculptures, medicinal plants and orchard, offered at a reduced rate and free to house ticket holders.
• Musical Saturdays concert series (Les Samedis Musicaux) Outdoor garden concert series tied to Cocteau's passion for music and his relationships with 20th-century composers; ticketed event for individual cultural visitors.
• Temporary exhibitions (Expositions Temporaires) Rotating temporary exhibitions displayed in the first-floor exhibition room, including themed art and literary exhibitions accessible to museum visitors.
• Creative workshops for schools (Ateliers Créatifs) School workshop programs including 'Compose ta chimère', 'Jeune Poète', 'Croque ta chapelle' and 'Révèle ton poème' aimed at maternelle through lycée students, with packages ranging from free to €120 depending on region and format.
• On-site gift shop (Boutique) On-site shop selling Cocteau books and merchandise together with local products (honey, herbal teas, syrup, candies, beverages) and a refreshment stand with hot and cold drinks.
• Venue privatization (Privatisations) Private hire of the Maison and garden for corporate events, cultural associations, filming and photography shoots; arranged by direct contact with the museum.
• Michel Charpentier contemporary sculpture installation Outdoor contemporary art installation of FRAC-loaned Michel Charpentier sculptures in the museum garden, viewable by garden and house ticket holders.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Maison des Illustres label was awarded, recognizing it as a distinguished French heritage site.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Région Île-de-France (Jardins Ouverts)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026The 10th edition of Jardins Ouverts (June 27–August 30, 2026), organized by Région Île-de-France, features an artistic installation 'ENTOMA' at the Maison Jean Cocteau, created in partnership by draughtsman Simon Leumaire (SIM) and ceramicists Jean-Marc Fondimare and Gérard Réquillard. The Region provides visibility and visitor promotion.
• FSETminorOthers · 1 January 2026FSET is the security company providing on-site video surveillance at the Maison Jean Cocteau for the safety of persons and property. Images are retained for one month and can be viewed by authorized staff and law enforcement in case of incidents.
• FRAC (Fonds régional d'art contemporain) Île-de-FranceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025FRAC Île-de-France loaned two sculptures by Michel Charpentier (Les deux Vierges d'Ile-de-France nord et sud) from its collection for installation in the Maison Jean Cocteau garden from May 3, 2025 to January 1, 2055. The installation echoes the FRAC exhibition 'Berserk and Pyrrhia' on connections between contemporary and mediaeval art.
• Région Île-de-FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The Région Île-de-France is the primary institutional backer and owner of the Maison Jean Cocteau. President Valérie Pécresse initiated the creation of the GIP in 2019, taking over from Pierre Bergé after his death in 2017. The Region funds and operates the museum as a public cultural institution.
• Centre PompidoucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The Centre Pompidou, presided by Laurent Le Bon, is a founding member of the GIP. Its Musée national d'art moderne holds and loans Cocteau works (including the Portrait of Colette au charbon et à la farine on exceptional loan for the Colette exhibition). Some drawings from the house entered national collections via dation in 2019 and are now housed at Centre Pompidou.
• Département de l'EssonnecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The Departmental Council of Essonne, presided by François Durovray, is a founding member of the GIP Maison Jean Cocteau. The department contributes to public funding and regional cultural development of the museum.
• Ville de Milly-la-ForêtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The City of Milly-la-Forêt, led by Mayor Bernard Bouley, is a founding member of the GIP. Residents of Milly-la-Forêt receive free admission to the museum. The city hosts the Maison and the nearby Chapelle Saint-Blaise-des-Simples, Cocteau's burial site.
• Comité Régional du Tourisme (CRT) Île-de-FranceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019The Regional Tourism Committee, chaired by Éric Jeunemaître, is a founding member of the GIP. The CRT promotes the Maison Jean Cocteau as a regional cultural tourism destination, integrating it into Île-de-France visitor itineraries.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Musée Marmottan Monet: Paris museum dedicated to Claude Monet and Impressionism, originally the former hunting lodge of the Duke of Valmy. Comparable as a single-artist house-museum with intimate preserved interiors, ticketed admission, and major temporary exhibitions drawing cultural tourists.
• Musée de la Vie Romantique: Small Paris museum located in a preserved 19th-century residence, featuring temporary exhibitions, a tea garden, and cultural programming. Comparable scale, format, and target audience (cultural tourists, literary/art enthusiasts).
• Musée Gustave Moreau: Historic artist house-museum in Paris preserving the studio and home of Symbolist painter Gustave Moreau. Comparable in format: small staff, preserved artist's residence, guided tours only, public cultural institution model with a single-artist focus.
• Maison de Balzac: Historic house-museum in Paris dedicated to novelist Honoré de Balzac, operated by the City of Paris. Same format of preserved literary figure's residence with guided tours, temporary exhibitions, and seasonal programming.
• Chapelle Saint-Blaise-des-Simples: Cocteau's burial chapel in Milly-la-Forêt, included in the Maison Jean Cocteau visit with a Chapelle Saint-Blaise day ticket (reduced admission category). Functions as a satellite cultural heritage site tied directly to the same artist legacy.
• Villa Musée Jean Cocteau (Menton): The other major museum dedicated to Jean Cocteau in France, located in Menton on the Côte d'Azur. Operated as a public cultural institution with rotating exhibitions of Cocteau's work, ceramics, and related contemporary art — the closest analogue in terms of subject matter and public-museum operating model.
• Musée Zadkine: Small Paris museum dedicated to sculptor Ossip Zadkine, housed in the artist's former studio and home with a sculpture garden. Operated by Paris Museums, with permanent collection and temporary exhibitions in a similar intimate historic-house format.

Regional players

• Centre Pompidou: National museum of modern art in Paris and founding GIP partner of Maison Jean Cocteau. Houses Cocteau works (including Portrait of Colette) and lends to the Maison; comparable as a French public cultural institution with ticketed admission, exhibitions, and educational programming.
• Château de Malmaison: Historic house-museum near Paris dedicated to Joséphine de Beauharnais and Napoleon. Operated by national museums with preserved interiors, guided tours, temporary exhibitions, and a gift shop — comparable in format but with national-government rather than regional ownership.

Emerging players

• Musée Atelier de Rosa Bonheur: Recently opened artist house-museum at Château de By in Thomery (near Fontainebleau), about 60 km from Paris. Operates with a similar intimate-house-museum format, regional tourism positioning, and preserved studio/residence focus dedicated to a single 19th-century artist.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Maison.Cocteau.Milly
• Instagraminstagram.com/maisonjeancocteau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maison-jean-cocteau

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maison Jean Cocteau