--- title: "Dijon Archaeological Museum: Free Entry and Highlights" description: "The only known bronze of Sequana, goddess of the Seine, in a Saint-Bénigne abbey building. Free, closed Tuesdays, 1 to 2 hours, with a driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/musee-archeologique-dijon lang: en updated: 2026-09-30 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/things-to-do/musee-archeologique-dijon.png --- # Dijon Archaeological Museum (Musée archéologique de Dijon) > Dijon Archaeological Museum: Gallo-Roman gods, Bronze Age treasure and medieval sculpture in the old abbey of Saint-Bénigne. Dijon Archaeological Museum is in Dijon (Côte-d'Or), 43 min by road (47 km) from Beaune. Allow 1 to 2 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · Private driver from Beaune: €120 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. The Archaeological Museum occupies the last surviving monastic building of the abbey of Saint-Bénigne, next to the cathedral. Its free collections run from prehistory to the Middle Ages, with a strong focus on Côte-d'Or. The star pieces are the offerings from the Gallo-Roman sanctuary at the Sources of the Seine. ## Key facts - Type: Museums - Location: 35 km north-east of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.3216, 5.0349 - 43 min from Beaune - Allow 1 to 2 hours - UNESCO World Heritage - Where: [Dijon · Côte-d'Or](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/dijon) - Official website: [musees.dijon.fr](https://musees.dijon.fr/) - From Beaune: ≈ 43 min · 47 km - €120 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) - Or add it to our [full-day wine tour, €560](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day). ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 43 min by road (47 km), €120 one way for the whole car. Coming by train or plane? [Transfers from stations and airports](https://www.cote-privee.com/transfers) Estimates per vehicle for up to 4 guests, tolls included. Your price is confirmed when you book. ## History The building's oldest level dates from the 11th century, when it formed the east wing of the abbey cloister, with the chapter house and the monks' workroom. Above it, the monks' dormitory received Gothic rib vaults in the 13th century. In the 17th century the Maurist monks raised the cloister, added a floor of cells and built the broad staircase still in use today. The museum presents collections first gathered by the Commission des Antiquités de la Côte-d'Or. It moved here in 1934, became a municipal museum in 1955 and gradually spread through the whole building. Its regional displays include the Bronze Age hoard of Blanot, finds from the Gallo-Roman sites of Mâlain and Selongey, and jewellery from Merovingian graves. Many of its medieval carvings were saved when religious buildings were dismantled during the Revolution. ## What you will see The visit starts at the top, with the prehistory and Gallo-Roman history of Côte-d'Or. On the lowest floor, in the 11th-century rooms, are the wooden, metal and stone offerings left at the healing sanctuary of the Sources of the Seine, the bronze goddess Sequana and carved stelae such as the wine merchant. The Gothic dormitory, closed for works at the time of writing, displays medieval sculpture from Saint-Bénigne, Notre-Dame, the ducal Sainte-Chapelle and Champmol. ## Planning your visit Entry is free. The museum is closed on Tuesdays, and from November to March it opens only on some days of the week. The Benedictine dormitory is currently closed for works. The building is not heated, so dress warmly in winter. Check the official website for opening times. ## Did you know? This is the only known bronze statuette of Sequana, goddess of the Seine. She stands in a boat whose prow is a duck's head, and was found in 1933 at the river's source. ## Around Dijon Archaeological Museum What to combine with Dijon Archaeological Museum on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/dijon) (1 km away): Burgundy's historic capital, city of the Valois dukes and northern gateway to the Route des Grands Crus. - [Marsannay-la-Côte](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/marsannay-la-cote) (7 km away): Gateway to the Côte de Nuits and Burgundy's only village appellation making red, white and rosé. - [Fixin](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/fixin) (10 km away): A quiet wine village with Napoleon in the woods, a Romanesque church in the vines and firm reds. ### Châteaux - [Château de Montmusard](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-montmusard) (2 km away): The surviving wing of a daring neoclassical pleasure house designed by Charles De Wailly. - [Château de Fontaine-lès-Dijon (Maison natale de saint Bernard)](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-fontaine-les-dijon), 3 km away: The hilltop birthplace of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, overlooking Dijon. - [Château de Marsannay](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-marsannay) (7 km away): A modern wine château at the northern gateway to the Côte de Nuits. ### Things to do - [Saint-Bénigne Cathedral, Dijon (Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne de Dijon)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/cathedrale-saint-benigne), 1 km away: A Gothic abbey church turned cathedral, above a round crypt from around the year 1000. - [Saint-Philibert Church, Dijon (Église Saint-Philibert)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/eglise-saint-philibert), 1 km away: Dijon's only Romanesque church, once the winegrowers' parish, now closed for a long restoration. - [Boutique Maille](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/maison-maille-dijon) (1 km away): Maille's historic Dijon mustard shop, where fresh mustard is served from the pump. ### Restaurants - [William Frachot](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/william-frachot-dijon) (1 km away · 2 MICHELIN stars): Dijon's two-star table, reinventing Burgundy's classics inside the Hostellerie du Chapeau Rouge - [Loiseau des Ducs](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/loiseau-des-ducs-dijon) (1 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): The Loiseau signature in Dijon, served beneath the vaults of a sixteenth-century mansion - [La Maison des Cariatides](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/la-maison-des-cariatides-dijon) (1 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A chef couple from Le Bristol regains a star behind one of Dijon's most ornate Renaissance façades ### Events - **Saturday, 10 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Show les papilles](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/show-les-papilles-dijon): Dijon's free festival of taste at the Cité internationale de la gastronomie et du vin. (Food & markets · Dijon) - **Sunday, 11 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Marathon des Grands Crus](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/marathon-des-grands-crus): A marathon on the closed Route des Grands Crus, from Dijon to the Clos de Vougeot and back. (Sport · Dijon) - **Friday 23 – Sunday 25 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Salon des Vignerons Indépendants de Bourgogne et du Jura](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/salon-vignerons-independants-dijon): Some sixty independent growers from Burgundy and the Jura pour and sell their wines in Dijon. (Wine festival · Dijon) - **Saturday 31 October – Wednesday 11 November 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Foire internationale et gastronomique de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/foire-gastronomique-dijon): Burgundy's great food fair, held every autumn in Dijon since 1921. (Food & markets · Dijon) - **Usually from the last Saturday of November to the first Sunday of January.** · [Les Fééries de Noël de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/feeries-de-noel-dijon): Chalets, vin chaud, an ice rink and a big wheel across the heart of Dijon. (Christmas · Dijon) - **Usually from late November to early December.** · [Les Nuits d’Orient et d’ailleurs](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/nuits-d-orient-et-d-ailleurs-dijon): Dijon's winter festival of music, dance and art from the Orient and beyond. (Culture · Dijon) - **Each year on the weekend after the Saint-Vincent Tournante, usually a Saturday in late January or early February.** · [Saint-Vincent de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/saint-vincent-de-dijon): Dijon honours the patron saint of winegrowers with a parade and a tasting village. (Tradition · Dijon) - **Usually a weekend in early June.** · [Grand Prix de l’Âge d’Or](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/grand-prix-age-d-or-dijon-prenois): France's oldest historic motor racing meeting, on the hills just outside Dijon. (Sport · Prenois) - **Every Sunday from late June to late September.** · [Le Brunch des Halles](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/brunch-des-halles-dijon): Summer Sunday brunches cooked by local chefs under Dijon's iron market hall. (Food & markets · Dijon) - **Every two years, in even-numbered years; recent editions were held in early July. The next is expected in 2028.** · [Les Fêtes de la Vigne de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/fetes-de-la-vigne-dijon): Dijon's international folk festival, born in 1946 and held every two years. (Culture · Dijon) - **Friday 27 – Sunday 29 August 2027 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Golden Coast Festival](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/golden-coast-festival-dijon): Three days of French and international rap in a park on the edge of Dijon. (Music · Dijon) - **Usually a Sunday in mid September.** · [Vélotour Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/velotour-dijon): A playful bike ride through Dijon that opens places normally closed to cyclists. (Sport · Dijon) - **Usually the third weekend of September, during the European Heritage Days.** · [Fête de la Pressée](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/fete-de-la-pressee-chenove): The dukes' giant wine presses come back to life in Chenôve's old village. (Tradition · Chenôve) - **Usually the last days of September and the first days of October.** · [Tribu Festival](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/tribu-festival-dijon): Dijon's festival of world music, jazz and adventurous sounds, at the turn of October. (Music · Dijon) ## Questions about Dijon Archaeological Museum ### How far is Dijon Archaeological Museum from Beaune? Dijon Archaeological Museum is about 43 min from Beaune by road (47 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €120 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### How long does a visit to Dijon Archaeological Museum take? For the visit, allow 1 to 2 hours. ### When is Dijon Archaeological Museum open? Opening days and times change during the year, so check the official website (musees.dijon.fr) before you go. Your driver can plan the day around them. ### Is Dijon Archaeological Museum a UNESCO World Heritage site? Yes. Dijon Archaeological Museum is part of a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. ### Can a private driver take us to Dijon Archaeological Museum? Yes. Your driver collects you in Beaune or at your hotel in an electric Polestar 2 (up to 4 guests), waits while you visit and plans the rest of the day with you. The driver speaks English, French, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. → [Full-day wine tour, €560](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=sight:archeologiedijon): €120 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - - - --- Canonical page: