Museum rules and regulations

Dear Visitors,
The role of museum staff is to welcome visitors, provide information and ensure that their visit runs smoothly, as well as ensuring the safety of people, property and buildings. They are responsible for ensuring compliance with these rules, under the authority of the museum manager.
We would be grateful if you would take into account the recommendations set out in the visitor regulations below. These set out the conditions for visiting the Truffle Museum. These conditions are intended to ensure the safety of people and property, the preservation of the site and the quality of the visit.

The main entrance to the Truffle Museum is at 9 Rue des Consuls 24200 Sarlat-la-Canéda. The Musée de la Truffe is made up of different areas, each with its own specific access conditions and characteristics.

These areas are as follows:

– The ticket office/shop;
– The permanent exhibition area;
– Temporary exhibitions;
– All other areas dedicated to various activities.

Access conditions are subject to opening hours, which visitors are invited to consult by any means at their disposal: posters, advertising, Internet, social networks, etc.
The Musée de la Truffe’s opening hours may be modified or extended to suit specific activities or events.

The areas of the Musée de la Truffe are subject to strict safety regulations in terms of occupancy. The Musée de la Truffe reserves the right to reschedule visits or refuse visitors in the event of overcrowding, and cannot be held responsible for long waiting times. In the event of overcrowding, disturbances, strikes or any other situation likely to jeopardize the safety of persons or property, the museum may be closed in whole or in part at any time of the day, or its opening hours modified. The museum’s management may take any measures dictated by circumstances, insofar as public spaces exceed the site’s permissible capacity.

Visitors must strictly observe the safety instructions inside the building and in the permanent and temporary exhibition areas. They must take into account and comply with any measure, instruction or observation made by the team of reception and security staff inside the exhibition areas and in all areas of the museum. Relations between the public and the staff of the Truffle Museum are based on mutual respect. Assaults committed against the agents of the Truffle Museum because of their duties, as well as threats or insults, will result in prosecution against the perpetrators. The public is required to remain calm inside the premises and to behave properly towards staff and other users. The staff is authorized to intervene in case of problems and to call the police in case of serious disturbances. However, the Truffle Museum is not liable for any damages resulting from disputes between users. In case of non-compliance with the instructions, the visitor risks being asked to leave the site definitively without being entitled to any reimbursement whatsoever.

General behavior of visitors

Visitors are requested to:

• Not behave in a rowdy, violent, aggressive or indecent manner towards the establishment’s staff and other visitors;

• Not to shout, run in the site, and engage in acts likely to endanger their own health and safety or that of others (jumping, pushing, etc.);

• Not to use lighters or matches in the visiting areas, just as smoking is prohibited, including electronic cigarettes;

• Wear appropriate clothing for visiting the site: bare chests, swimwear or bare feet are not permitted;

• Do not enter the museum in a state of intoxication;

• Do not consume food or drink in any areas of the Truffle Museum

• Use mobile phones on silent mode.

The following are also strictly prohibited:

• Distributing printed matter, conducting fundraising, or carrying out polls or surveys within the premises of the establishment without prior authorization from the establishment. It is prohibited to distribute petitions on the premises of the establishment, or to engage in any trade, advertising or propaganda;

• To move around the museum with works of art or facsimiles, or casts;

• To carry out financial transactions within the premises of the establishment outside the cash desks, counters and commercial areas;

• To leave personal items behind, even for a few moments (any abandoned bag, luggage or sealed parcel may, for security reasons, be destroyed without delay or notice by the relevant services);

• To spit in the museum;

• Littering with paper or rubbish, especially chewing gum. Bins are available for paper, rubbish, chewing gum, etc.;

• Practicing cultural and religious activities in the establishment, as well as any act of proselytism.

Traffic conditions in the museum
• It is forbidden to visit the museum with bulky objects (helmets, balls, musical instruments, etc.).
Visitors carrying suitcases and other large bags, as well as bags, briefcases, folders, luggage, packages or drawing boards exceeding 55 cm x 35 cm x 20 cm will be refused access to the museum. Visitors carrying a small backpack must carry it in front of them or by hand.
In general, for reasons of personal safety and for the comfort of visitors, visitors are invited to leave their bulky items in their vehicle (private car or coach for groups)
• Respect the direction of the visit as recommended by the museum management and respect the museum signage.
• Scooters, roller skates, skateboards, electric unicycles and pushchairs are not permitted in the museum.
• Visitors should wait their turn in the queue and not disturb other people.
• Visitors must not impede the movement of other visitors or block passageways and exits, in particular by sitting on the stairs.
• For the same reasons, lying down on the benches or on the floor is not permitted.
• Visitors must not climb over the barriers intended to contain the public.
• Due to low-hanging lighting, we ask that visitors do not carry people on their shoulders.
• Leaving the museum is final unless expressly agreed by the staff.

Furthermore, access to the museum is prohibited for:
• Umbrellas, unless they can be folded and contained in a piece of clothing or a handbag and unless they have a tip and are being used by elderly persons or persons with reduced mobility;
Walking sticks and canes. However, crutches and canes with a tip are permitted for the elderly or persons with reduced mobility.
Due to the narrowness of the circulation spaces, the use of strollers is not permitted. Infants may be carried in the arms or in a front baby carrier. Back carriers are not permitted. Wheelchairs may not be used in the museum. For the same reason of the narrowness of the premises, visitors will be asked:
o Not to organize events;
o Not to cause crowds or gatherings, apart from organized visits or events organized by the establishment.
These provisions may only be waived with the prior authorization of the museum manager.

Access to the museum is subject to the application of law no. 2010-1192 of October 11, 2010, prohibiting the concealment of the face in public spaces.

Under the Vigipirate Plan, security personnel may ask visitors to open their bags for a visual check. Anyone refusing to submit to the check will be refused access.

The carrying and transportation of bladed weapons or any other dangerous or potentially dangerous object is prohibited within the grounds of the Truffle Museum. Persons carrying and possessing weapons deemed to be dangerous will be refused access to the Truffle Museum.

In the event of a fire alarm, visitors are asked to evacuate the building and the various areas of the museum in accordance with the safety instructions given to them and to proceed to the emergency exits following the evacuation plan. Visitors must comply with the safety instructions posted in the establishment and any drills that may be carried out during the period when it is open to the public.

In the event of an attempted theft of the items on display, alarm systems may be activated, including the closure of access points and the monitoring of exits.

The exhibited items may only be moved by a member of the museum team. Any museum visitor is entitled to raise the alarm and to intervene spontaneously in the event of the removal of a work if these conditions do not appear to be met.

Visitors are asked to report to a reception or security agent any unusual object whose owner cannot be identified. Any abandoned object may be destroyed.

In the event of a fire alarm, visitors are asked to evacuate the building and the various areas of the museum in accordance with the safety instructions given to them and to proceed to the emergency exits following the evacuation plan. Visitors must comply with the safety instructions posted in the establishment and any drills that may be carried out during the period when it is open to the public.

Visitors shall refrain from any act likely to threaten the safety of persons and property. Any incident or abnormal event is to be reported immediately to the nearest member of staff. Any visitor who witnesses the theft or damage of an object is entitled to alert the museum staff. In accordance with Article R642-1 of the Penal Code, everyone is required to assist the museum staff when the assistance of visitors is required.

In the event of the start of a fire or serious accident, the greatest calm must be observed. The incident must be reported immediately to a museum agent. If it is necessary to evacuate the building, this will be done in an orderly and disciplined manner under the leadership of the reception and security staff, in accordance with the instructions received by the latter.

The Truffle Museum reserves the right to close certain areas or rooms for safety or service reasons and to close the entire establishment in the event of excessive numbers of visitors, strike action or any other situation that could compromise the safety of people and property.

Any accident or illness occurring inside the museum must be reported to a member of the museum staff. The emergency services will then be called. However, if a doctor, nurse or first-aider among the visitors were to intervene, they will be asked to present their professional or accreditation card and to remain with the patient or injured person until they are evacuated. They will be asked to leave their name and address with a museum manager present on the premises.

Not allowed

A group consists of a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 30 people, in which case the tour guide is free of charge.

For groups, booking is compulsory for a specific day and time by emailing billetterie@museedelatruffe.com. For groups arriving without a reservation, access to the Museum can only be guaranteed subject to sufficient capacity. A group may also be refused entry if the size is not compatible with safety standards, or if the number of accompanying adults, particularly for groups of minors, does not comply with current regulations.

Upon arrival on site, the group leader must have the signed contract and the completed visit certificate. A check will be carried out by the Reception or Booking service.

The group leader undertakes to comply with all the provisions set out in the booking contract (schedule, number of people, planned activities, price and method of payment) and to inform the reception desk of any changes. The group leader is responsible for collecting the entrance tickets for all participants from the ticket office. He or she is the sole contact person for the museum reception desk.

Group visits are conducted by a guide who is responsible for ensuring that the rules and regulations are observed and that order and discipline are maintained. Museum staff are authorized to intervene to maintain discipline if necessary. The mediator who may be providing an activity for the group may not, under any circumstances, dispense with the presence of this guide.

The use of amplified sound systems (megaphones, bullhorns, etc.) to accompany groups is not permitted.

The persons authorized to guide and comment on the contents of the various museum areas are:
• The staff of the Truffle Museum;
• Licensed tour guides and interpreter guides (tour guides from the National Museums, the Centre des Monuments Nationaux or those with a professional card issued under the conditions set out in articles R. 221-1 et seq. of the Tourism Code);
•Educational supervisors of school groups, social and disability workers, and other individuals, on an exceptional basis, with the authorization of the museum management. Training from the cultural mediation department may be offered;
•Scientific staff of French public museums and foreign museums holding a professional card.
Museum staff may carry out checks at any time during the visit to verify the suitability of the people speaking in public in the museum and compliance with the rules applicable to group visits.
Failure to comply with these rules may result in the interruption of the visit, expulsion from the museum without reimbursement, and a ban on booking a group visit again.

The maximum number of accompanying adults benefiting from free admission for groups of schoolchildren is as follows:
• For nursery school classes, 1 accompanying adult for every 7 children (not including the teacher);
• For primary school classes, 1 accompanying adult for every 9 children (not including the teacher);
• For secondary school classes, 1 accompanying person (teacher not included);
Any additional accompanying person will have to pay for a ticket at a rate equivalent to the reduced rate.
See our pricing conditions.

Failure to comply with these regulations may result in the visitor being excluded from the establishment and, where applicable, in a claim for compensation and legal proceedings.

These regulations will be made available to the public on request at reception or by consulting the museum’s website.