This year, for Halloween, instead of taking out the fake spider webs or digging pumpkins, we wanted to go on an original outing... A visit to the Vodou museum, in the evening, plunged in the dark, with a flashlight as the only light.
For those who do not know this museum, installed in an old water tower dating from 1878, it is the work of a private collector. He collected more than a thousand objects related to Vodou during his travels in Africa, the cradle of this cult, and in the West Indies.
A one-hour guided tour of the Vodou Museum
The one-hour visit is done in groups of about fifteen people and accompanied by a guide, who begins by shedding light on vodou, a victim of many prejudices. Then, to your flashlights! On the second floor, plunged into darkness, we discover many fetishes, objects used for rituals and some vodou gods and goddesses.
Being plunged into the dark to discover the myths related to vodou -often quite… dark- clearly gives a very special atmosphere to this visit.
The second floor contains many original objects such as zangbeto, masks used by secret societies in Benin, or Asen, a kind of wrought iron altar made in memory of the deceased.
The Vodou Museum, from fetishes to costumes
On the top floor, strange silhouettes emerge in the light of our lamps… This is the space devoted to clothes related to vodou. They surprise by their “kitsch” side, their thousand and one details and accessories, far from the ideas that one can make of the costume of a priestess for example.
After the visit, you can quietly revisit the exhibitions on the first floor, which remains lit. In short, I really enjoyed this visit, as much for its particular atmosphere as for learning more about this cult, which I didn’t know at all.
I would have liked to see the collections on the other floors again, but given the time (11pm when we finished), I understand that this is not possible. The museum organizes such night tours once a month, so remember to book in advance!
I liked
- The special atmosphere
- To know the basics of the Vodou cult far from prejudices
- Let myself be surprised by the collections
I liked less
- Reservations are essential!
- The price: 14 euros for the visit, it is a budget
My photos of the Vodou Museum
Practical information
Rates
Here you can find the prices and opening hours of the Vodou Museum. You can book your tickets for a classical visit here.
Animations
The museum regularly organizes visits (including this night visit with a flashlight) and animations. All the info here.
Access
By car
The address is as follows: Château Musée Vodou, 4 rue de Koenigshoffen, 67000 Strasbourg. Count approximately:
- 77 km from Colmar (about 1 hour)
- 115 km from Mulhouse (about 1h20)
By public transport
- By train: the museum is a few minutes walk from the Strasbourg train station
- By streetcar: stop “gare centrale” (lines A, C and D) or stop “musée d’art moderne” (lines B and F)
- By bus : stop “Obernai Lyon” (bus n°2) or stop “Sainte Aurélie” (bus n°2 and n°10)
You can calculate your route on Vialsace.