Château du Clos Lucé
About This Museum
What makes the Clos Lucé so magical isn't just that Leonardo da Vinci lived here, but that you can walk through the very rooms where he dreamed up his incredible inventions. This isn't a stuffy, 'look but don't touch' kind of place. Stepping from the warm, stone-walled house into the sprawling garden feels like walking straight into the pages of his sketchbooks, with full-sized, working models of his flying machines and bridges scattered about. It’s an intimate and wonderfully tactile experience that breathes life into his genius.
Collection Highlights
You can see his bedroom and the kitchen where he likely chatted with guests, but the real thrill is outside. The sun-dappled park is filled with massive, interactive models built from his designs—you can turn the giant Archimedes screw, marvel at the precursor to the modern tank, and even see a working version of his paddleboat.
Visitor Information
It's a surprisingly manageable size for a day trip; you can easily explore both the château and grounds in a few unhurried hours. Amboise itself is a charming town to wander through afterwards, and it's just a short, pleasant stroll from the royal château.
Architecture & Building
The building itself is a beautiful example of French Renaissance style, built from warm pink brick and pale tuffeau stone with those classic slate-roofed turrets you see throughout the Loire Valley.
Contact & Location
Address: Château du Clos Lucé, 2, Rue du Clos Lucé, Château-Gaillard-Sud, La Mothe, Amboise, Loches, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France métropolitaine, 37400, France
Phone: +33 2 47 57 00 73
Website: Visit Website
