High as three apples: the museum from a child's point of view. Once upon a forest

For the fourth year running, the Musée de la Vénerie in Senlis is staging an exhibition aimed at young visitors. "High as a kite: the museum at a child's level. Once upon a forest" explores the Western imagination of the forest. The forest is never silent: it is constantly telling us stories. The exhibition goes back to the origins of our beliefs: the forest, inhabited by Diana and other deities in Antiquity, became a place of miracles and apparitions in the Middle Ages. Saint Hubert came across a stag bearing the Cross. However, people were wary of the woods because human law did not apply there. Whatever you do, the forest remains wild. Little by little, it became the setting for tales and legends: Little Thumb and Little Red Riding Hood got lost there, unicorns, fairies and dragons rested there, and the Beast of Gévaudan prowled. There is a firm belief in the presence of a mischievous and sometimes cruel Little People, and travellers and children are warned. Today, the forest is an economic and ecological issue: it has been protected, administered and maintained by the State for centuries. But it's only in the last few decades that we've been able to walk through it and learn about its ecosystem. The history of the forest is also the history of our leisure activities. The exhibition has been designed with children in mind, and there's a booklet with games for the whole family (from age 7). There is also an area for resting, drawing and reading.

Full price: €7
Reduced rate : 4 €
Free for under-25s.