Musée de la lunette

What Musée de la lunette does

The Musée de la lunette is a municipal public museum located in Morez (commune des Hauts de Bienne), in the Jura department of France, and is the only museum in France dedicated exclusively to the history of eyewear and spectacle manufacturing. The museum traces the heritage of metal-framed spectacles back to 1796 in Morez, the historic capital of French eyewear, and houses the EssilorLuxottica - Pierre Marly collection, described as one of the world's most important eyewear collections, spanning from the 13th century to present-day designer pieces. Its product surface comprises permanent exhibitions, rotating temporary exhibitions such as 'L'intelligence de la main' (June 2026 to April 2027), multilingual audio guides delivered via the third-party Wivisites application, guided tours, creative workshops for children and families, school educational programs registered with ADAGE and Pass Culture, and accessibility services certified under the Tourisme & Handicap label.

The museum is a municipal service operated by the commune des Hauts de Bienne rather than an independent legal entity, with governance tied to the Mayor (Laurent Petit serves as Director of Publication). The organization operates with approximately 5 employees and runs a direct-to-consumer, physically anchored business model: visitors purchase tickets on-site (€6 adults, €4 children, €18 family of four), with additional fees for guided tours (€3), workshops (€4 per child), temporary exhibitions (€3), and on-site boutique merchandise. Group bookings (10+ people) are handled via direct phone or email reservation. Revenue is supplemented by municipal budgets and regional cultural grants (notably from DRAC Bourgogne Franche-Comté).

Distribution and demand generation are handled through a multilingual website (French, English, German), email newsletter, Facebook and Instagram, press relations, participation in national cultural events (European Heritage Days, European Museum Night, Science Festival), and integration with five cultural pass programs (Pass Culture, Pass Découverte, Pass Juramusées, Pass Time, Carte Avantages Jeunes). Customer segments span individual visitors and families, school groups from kindergarten to high school, organized adult groups, and people with disabilities served via adapted visits.

Name

Musée de la lunette

Legal name

Musée de la lunette

Website

https://musee-lunette.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Musée de la lunette is a municipal museum in Morez, France, and the only museum in France dedicated to the history of eyewear. It houses the world-class EssilorLuxottica - Pierre Marly collection and serves individual visitors, families, and school groups via exhibitions, workshops, and guided tours.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Museum Services

NAICS

Optical Goods Retailers (45613), Optical Goods Retailers (456130)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Devices (Frames, Lenses, Lens Edging/Finishing Equipment) (HLAHAJAD), Binoculars, Scopes & Sport Optics Retail (CRACAHAI)

Keywords

• Eyewear museum
• Spectacle heritage
• Cultural exhibitions
• Educational workshops
• Museum guided tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Morez (Hauts de Bienne)

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum Entry Fees: Individual and group admission fees charged for museum entry, with discounted rates for children, students, seniors, and free admission for residents and certain cardholders.
2. Workshop Fees: Creative workshops for children and families during school holidays, priced at 4€ per child participant.
3. Guided Tour Supplements: Supplementary fees for guided tours (3€ per person) in addition to standard entry fees.
4. Boutique Sales: On-site boutique offering books, games, optical instruments, and eyewear-themed merchandise without requiring museum entry.
5. Temporary Exhibition Fees: Additional 3€ fee for temporary exhibitions separate from general museum entry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Musée de la lunette operates as a public cultural museum presenting the history of metal-framed eyewear manufacturing from 1796 to the present. Its core service is the curation and exhibition of the EssilorLuxottica - Pierre Marly collection, supplemented by temporary exhibitions, multilingual audio-guided tours, creative family workshops, structured school programs, and accessibility-focused visitor services. It also operates an on-site boutique selling eyewear-themed merchandise, books, games, and optical instruments.

Product overview

The Musée de la lunette is a public museum in Morez, France, dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of eyewear and spectacle manufacturing. Its core offerings consist of permanent exhibitions showcasing the history of metal-framed eyewear from 1796 and the world-renowned EssilorLuxottica - Pierre Marly collection, supplemented by rotating temporary exhibitions such as the current 'L'intelligence de la main' (June 2026 - April 2027). The museum provides supplementary visitor experiences including multilingual audioguides via the Wivisites app, guided tours during holidays, and creative workshops for families. Educational programs for schools are available through ADAGE and PASS CULTURE platforms. Accessibility services include adapted visits for various disabilities and the museum is certified with the 'Tourisme & Handicap' label. A boutique offering eyewear-related merchandise complements the visitor experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Permanent Exhibitions (Expositions permanentes) Core museum exhibitions tracing the history of metal-framed eyewear from 1796 to the present, showcasing the industrial heritage of Morez as the capital of French eyewear manufacturing, including the world-renowned EssilorLuxottica - Pierre Marly collection of historic spectacles.
• Temporary Exhibition "L'intelligence de la main" Temporary exhibition exploring manual trades and craftsmanship skills, deconstructing misconceptions about manual professions and highlighting their modern relevance. Runs from June 25, 2026 to April 4, 2027.
• Guided Tours (Visites guidées) Guided tours offered during school holidays and summer vacations, including special summer holiday tours on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and flash visits for temporary exhibitions on Fridays. Additional fee of €3 per person applies on top of museum entry.
• Creative Workshops (Ateliers créatifs) Creative workshops for families during school holidays, including activities like mosaic, glasses pouches, stained glass, and tote bag design. Priced at €4 per child, limited to 12 children per session.
• School Educational Programs (Programmes pédagogiques scolaires) Cultural and educational programs for school groups from kindergarten to high school, including classic and playful visits and workshops aligned with French school curricula. Registered on ADAGE and PASS CULTURE platforms for teacher booking.
• Museum Boutique (Boutique du musée) Museum shop located at the entrance offering books, games, optical instruments, and various objects related to eyewear and the heritage of Morez and the Haut-Jura region. Accessible without museum admission ticket.
• Accessibility and Adapted Visits Services Accessibility services including wheelchair access, magnetic induction loop, FALC (Easy to Read and Understand) visitor guides, audio descriptions, magnifying glasses, and adapted visits for visitors with motor, visual, mental, and hearing impairments. Certified 'Tourisme & Handicap' label.
• Multilingual Audio Guides (Wivisites) Multilingual audio guide accessible via the Wivisites application, offering two themed tours: History of Morez and its industrialization, and Global history of eyewear through the EssilorLuxottica - Pierre Marly collection. Available via QR code at museum entrance and included with museum admission.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EssilorLuxotticacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Partnership featuring the EssilorLuxottica - Pierre Marly collection, one of the world's most important collections of eyewear spanning from medieval spectacles to contemporary designer pieces, including work by Pierre Marly who designed eyewear for celebrities like Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn.
• DRAC Bourgogne Franche-ComtécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Direction of Cultural Affairs providing governmental support for cultural projects and exhibitions, including the temporary exhibition 'L'intelligence de la main'.
• ARS Bourgogne Franche-ComtécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Health Agency partnering in the 'Culture & Santé' (Culture & Health) program to promote cultural access for health-related audiences.
• Société nationale des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (section Jura)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association of Best Craftsmen of France, Jura section, collaborating on the temporary exhibition about manual trades.
• Ecole des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France lunetiers (Morez)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining school for opticians and eyewear specialists located in Morez, partnering on exhibition development.
• Lycée Victor Bérard (Morez)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocational high school in Morez with optical-lensery program, co-developing exhibitions and student projects about the optician profession.
• Lycée Edgar Faure (Morteau)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner high school involved in educational programs related to the museum's exhibitions.
• Lycée des Arts du bois (Moirans-en-Montagne)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWood arts vocational school partnering on exhibitions related to manual trades and craftsmanship.
• Lycée Henry Moisand-LYPoHM (Longchamp)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner high school contributing to educational programs about craftsmanship.
• Musée des Lapidaires (Lamoura)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional museum of lapidary arts partnering on the temporary exhibition about manual trades.
• Musée de la Pipe et du Diamant (Saint-Claude)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional museum specializing in pipes and diamonds, collaborating on craftsmanship-related exhibitions.
• Association 'De l'or dans les mains'minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation promoting manual trades and craftsmanship, partnering on exhibition development.
• Culture & SantécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cultural-health program supported by DRAC and ARS, providing cultural activities for people in healthcare settings.
• Caz'Culture (Collège Pierre-Hyacinthe Cazeaux)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural program partnership with local middle school, involving students in museum activities and exhibitions including stop-motion film projects.
• Cycle Petite Enfance (crèches et RPE de Morez)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly childhood program partnering with local nurseries ('Les Magnoulets', 'Croque-Soleil') and Relais Petite Enfance to introduce infants and toddlers to museum experiences.
• Pass CultureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational French cultural pass program accepted for museum entry and activities.
• Pass JuramuséesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional museum pass accepted for free or discounted entry.
• Pass Découverte Bourgogne Franche-ComtéminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional cultural discovery pass accepted at the museum.
• Pass TimeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural leisure pass accepted for museum entry.
• Carte Avantages JeunesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYouth discount card program providing reduced entry rates for young visitors.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Musée d'Aquitaine (Bordeaux): Large regional history museum in France with industrial heritage sections. Comparable as a French public museum with educational programming, school partnerships, and government (DRAC) funding alignment, though broader in scope than the eyewear-focused Morez institution.
• Lunettes de Soleil (concept) / Luxottica Museum heritage programs: EssilorLuxottica, the corporate anchor of the Musée de la lunette collection, operates broader heritage and corporate museum initiatives around eyewear globally. Comparable because they share the same parent-collection DNA (Pierre Marly pieces) and similar eyewear-history subject matter, though at corporate scale.
• Cité du Temps (Geneva): Geneva-based cultural venue showcasing watchmaking and jewelry heritage with corporate backing. Comparable as a heritage museum adjacent to luxury/eyewear categories, but operates at much larger scale and is supported by major Swiss luxury groups, contrasting with the Musée de la lunette's municipal scale.

Regional players

• Musée des Lapidaires (Lamoura): A partner of the Musée de la lunette, this regional museum in Lamoura, Jura, focuses on lapidary arts and stone-cutting heritage. Comparable as a small Jura-based cultural institution operating with similar revenue models (entry fees, workshops, temporary exhibitions) and similar rural-tourism dynamics.
• Musée de la Montre et du Débarquement (and watch museum category broadly): French watch and timepiece museum in a rural location, structurally analogous to a small municipal museum dedicated to a specific craft/luxury accessory category. Comparable in scale, operational model, and visitor-segment focus (specialty heritage, schools, regional tourism).
• Musée de la Pipe et du Diamant (Saint-Claude): A partner museum in Saint-Claude, Jura, dedicated to pipe-making and diamond-cutting heritage. Directly comparable as a French rural cultural institution focused on a specific craft industry, with similar scale, governance (municipal), and programming approaches.

Direct peers

• Museum of Vision (Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology): San Francisco-based museum dedicated to the history of ophthalmology, eyeglasses, and vision correction. Directly comparable as a thematic eyewear/vision heritage institution with educational programming and curated historical spectacles collections.
• Deutsches Optikmuseum (German Optical Museum): Located in Jena, Germany, this is Europe's other major dedicated optical history museum, covering the scientific, industrial, and cultural heritage of optics and eyewear. Direct peer because both are single-theme museums with optical instruments and eyewear collections, serving comparable educational and tourism audiences.

Emerging players

• International Optometric Museum (Heritage Library, Bausch & Lomb collection): Specialized optometric and ophthalmic heritage collection focused on instruments and lens history. Directly comparable as a thematic peer in the optical-eyewear heritage niche, though more curator-driven and less of a public visitor attraction than the Musée de la lunette.

Others

• Wivisites (audio guide integration partner): Provider of multilingual audioguide technology integrated at the Musée de la lunette. Included as an adjacent/ecosystem peer because it is the technology enabler for the museum's multilingual visitor experience, and other small cultural institutions using Wivisites face similar operational realities.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/museedelalunette
• Instagraminstagram.com/musee_de_la_lunette
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mus%C3%A9e-de-la-lunette

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Musée de la lunette