Loire Valley Castles TourChâteau de Cheverny: Hours, Tickets and What to See
Château de Cheverny is the Loire château that inspired Marlinspike Hall in Tintin, and it has belonged to the same family for more than six centuries. This guide covers the hours, the ticket types, the shuttle from Blois and what you actually see inside, room by room. If you would rather let someone else drive, the Chambord, Chenonceau and Cheverny Tour from Paris stops here with entrance tickets included. You can also compare it with Château de Chambord or Château de Chenonceau on their own pages. The bookable tours are compared on Loire castles tours.
The symmetrical south facade of Château de Cheverny seen down the central gravel path. Photo: Rolf Kranz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer Cheverny in brief
Château de Cheverny is open every day of the year, and needs 1.5 to 1.75 hours for the château and gardens, or 2.25 to 2.5 hours with the Tintin exhibition. Tickets are sold on site only, without reservation.
Key takeaways
- Cheverny is a Grand Siècle château built 1624 to 1630, still lived in by the Hurault de Vibraye family, and Hergé used it as the model for Marlinspike Hall. See the rooms in visiting order.
- The Chambord, Chenonceau and Cheverny Tour from Paris at $101 includes Cheverny entrance on its 13-hour route, and its listing does not mention the Tintin exhibition.
- Coming by public transport? The shuttle from Blois costs €6 return from early April to early November on the Azalys network.
- For the wider region, see the Loire Valley castles overview or the Loire Valley map to fit Cheverny into a route.
Visiting Cheverny: Hours, Tickets and Time
Cheverny is one of the easiest Loire châteaux to plan because it opens all year and closes only 30 minutes after the ticket office each evening. The practical details are all here in one table.
Practical Details at a Glance
The figures below come from the château's own practical information pages. The estate is open 365 days a year, so there are no closing days to plan around, and the park stays open half an hour after the last ticket sale. Allow between 1.5 and 2.5 hours depending on if you add the Tintin exhibition.
Tickets are sold only on site, without reservation, according to the château. At Cheverny you simply turn up and pay at the desk, and the park and canal activities are also bought at the ticket office without booking. The château offers a basic château and gardens ticket, a ticket with the Tintin exhibition, a ticket with the boat or electric car rides, and a complete experience ticket, the last two sold from April to 11 November. Entry is free for children under 7 and for disabled visitors on the basic ticket.
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Open | 365 days a year, no closing days stated |
| Hours 1 April to 30 September | Ticket office and château 9:15 to 18:00, to 18:30 in July and August, gardens to 18:30 |
| Hours 1 October to 31 March | Ticket office and château 10:00 to 17:00, gardens to 17:30 |
| Closing | Estate closes 30 minutes after the ticket office |
| How long | 1.5 to 1.75 hours for château and gardens, 2.25 to 2.5 hours with the Tintin exhibition |
| Basic ticket | Château and gardens |
| With Tintin exhibition | Château, gardens and exhibition |
| Ticket with boat or electric car rides | Sold April to 11 November |
| Complete experience ticket | Sold April to 11 November |
| Free entry | Under 7 and disabled visitors, on the basic ticket |
| Where to buy | On site only, no reservation, park activities also at the ticket office |
| By car | 190 km from Paris, about 2 hours, leave the A10 at exit 17 Blois |
| Parking | Three free car parks P1, P2 and P3, P3 reserved for motorhomes |
| Shuttle from Blois | €6 return from Blois-Chambord station, early April to early November, Azalys network |
| By train | 50 minutes from Paris-Montparnasse to Vendôme-Villiers-sur-Loir, then 30 km to Cheverny |
| On site | Ticket office to château is 225 metres, about 3 minutes' walk, 525 metres to the Orangery |
When to Go, Free Entry and What Changes by Season
The season changes two things at Cheverny: the hours and the boat and electric car rides. From 1 April to 30 September the ticket office and château open at 9:15 and the gardens at 18:30, with a later 18:30 château close in July and August. From 1 October to 31 March everything shifts to 10:00 to 17:00, with gardens to 17:30. The boat and electric car rides run from April to 11 November only, which is why the ride tickets are seasonal while the basic and Tintin tickets are not.
Free entry applies only on the basic ticket, for children under 7 and for disabled visitors. There is no free rule stated for the Tintin exhibition or the ride tickets. In hot weather the estate runs mist sprayers, and the exhibition and the Orangery are air-conditioned, which matters on a July afternoon. Dogs are not allowed anywhere on the premises, so leave the pet at home. The walkable part of the estate is 570 metres long and 470 metres wide with gravel and earth paths, and the château entrance itself has a staircase of 10 steps without a handrail, with the first floor reached by two flights of 16 steps, so plan for that if mobility is a concern.
If you want to combine Cheverny with neighbours, two Pass'Châteaux packages include Cheverny, the Blois-Chambord-Cheverny pass (T01) and the Chambord-Cheverny-Chenonceau pass (T07), both valid throughout 2026. Note that these passes exclude guided tours and audioguides, and they are not recommended for children, students or seniors, who pay less with individual tickets. The Blois tourist office sells more than 20 Pass'Châteaux packages of 3, 4 or 5 castles delivered by email. For a castle nearby with its own page, see Château de Blois. Castles around Blois sit 15 to 20 km apart for cyclists.
Sources: Château de Cheverny practical information, Blois-Chambord tourist office
What to See, in Visiting Order
The interior tour covers three levels and 17 rooms, while the Hurault de Vibraye family still lives in the right-hand wing, so part of the château is always private. You can visit with a booklet or with a guide.
The Approach and the Façades
From the ticket office it is 225 metres, about a 3-minute walk, to the château along gravel paths through the park. The symmetrical limestone façade you face was built between 1624 and 1630 for Philippe Hurault, and Hergé said Marlinspike Hall was inspired by the central part of Cheverny. The north façade was restored between 2017 and 2020.
Note that the family still occupies the right-hand wing, which is closed to visitors, and only 17 rooms across three levels are on the tour. The park beyond stretches over more than 100 hectares, and the cedar avenue leading away from the château holds 157 cedars, a good first photo before you go in.
The Dining Room
In the dining room the walls are lined with Cordoba leather, and 34 painted panels by Jean Mosnier illustrate Don Quixote. The château is described as a Grand Siècle house designed to be lived in all year round. The vegetable garden in the park supplies the bouquets for the château rooms, so look for fresh flowers as you move through.
The King's Bedchamber
Up on the first floor, reached by two flights of 16 steps, the King's Bedchamber holds 30 Mosnier scenes from Theagenes and Chariclea, a Persian-embroidered bed where Henri IV slept, and six tapestries of The Labours of Ulysses. According to the château, Philippe de Vibraye opened Cheverny to the public in 1922, making it the first private château in France to do so.
The Arms Room
The arms room is the largest room in the château and has been preserved since the 17th century. A Gobelins tapestry of the abduction of Helen hangs here. The estate still keeps hunting hounds today.
You can visit with a booklet or with a guide.
The Bridal Bedchamber and the Chapel
The bridal bedchamber displays two family wedding dresses, one from 1994 and one from 2023. The chapel at the top of the château has been open to visitors since 2014 and is in the troubadour style. The full circuit covers three levels and 17 rooms.
The Secrets of Moulinsart Exhibition
The Secrets of Moulinsart exhibition opened in 2001, covers 700 square metres and includes life-size reproductions of rooms from Marlinspike Hall, so you can stand inside Tintin's world and compare it with the château outside the door. Hergé said Moulinsart was inspired by the central part of Cheverny, and the castle appears in 10 of the 24 Tintin albums, first in The Secret of the Unicorn in 1942. A dedicated Tintin shop has operated on the estate since 2022.
The exhibition has its own ticket option, and the château's visit estimate rises to 2.25 to 2.5 hours with it. Book nothing, just buy the ticket at the desk on arrival.
The Six Gardens
Outdoors, the estate has six themed gardens. The vegetable garden supplies the Orangery tea room and the château's flower arrangements. The Apprentices' Garden was created in 2006, and the Jardin Sucré, a one-hectare French-style orchard, was added in autumn 2020 as the sixth garden.
The Garden of Love holds six bronze sculptures by the Swedish sculptor Gudmar Olovson. It is 525 metres from the ticket office to the Orangery, and the gardens close 30 minutes after the ticket office in every season, 18:30 in summer and 17:30 in winter.
The Park, Canal and Rides
The park covers more than 100 hectares, and from April to November you can add a guided park tour that combines a half-hour electric buggy ride along the cedar avenue of 157 cedars with a ride on an electric boat on the canal. The canal is planted with bald cypresses from Louisiana, and beavers can sometimes be seen from the boat, so keep your eyes on the banks. These activities are bought at the ticket office without booking, and they are part of the ride and complete experience tickets for the April to 11 November season.
Dogs are not allowed on the premises at all.
Sources: Château de Cheverny
Château de Cheverny: 400 Years, One Family, and the Inspiration for LEGO & Tintin! 🏰
A look at Cheverny, the castle still lived in by one family, inside and out. Third-party video by The Chateau Diaries. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
A Short History of Cheverny
Château de Cheverny has belonged to the same family for over six centuries and is still lived in. The dates below come from the château's own pages and from Wikipedia.
The Builders and the Family
The château was built between 1624 and 1630 by Philippe Hurault on an estate the Hurault family has held for over six centuries. The family still lives in the right-hand wing of the building, and the present owners are the Hurault de Vibraye family. Cheverny is described as a Grand Siècle château designed to be lived in all year round, not a showpiece left empty.
One date needs both sides. The Wikipedia account says Cheverny opened to visitors in 1914. The château's own presentation page says that in 1922 Philippe de Vibraye opened the estate to the public, making it the first private château in France to do so. The two accounts do not fully agree, so both are given here.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1624 | Building starts under Philippe Hurault |
| 1630 | Building work ends |
| 1914 | Opening to visitors per Wikipedia |
| 1922 | Philippe de Vibraye opens the château, first private château in France to do so |
| 2001 | The Secrets of Moulinsart exhibition opens |
| 2014 | The troubadour-style chapel at the top of the château opens to visitors |
| 2017 | Restoration of the north façade begins |
| 2020 | The Jardin Sucré orchard is created and the north façade restoration ends |
| 2022 | A dedicated Tintin shop opens on the estate |
Tintin and Marlinspike Hall
Hergé said that Moulinsart Castle, Tintin's Marlinspike Hall, was inspired by the central part of Cheverny. Moulinsart first appeared in 1942 in The Secret of the Unicorn and appears in 10 of the 24 Tintin albums. The estate runs a permanent exhibition, The Secrets of Moulinsart, which covers 700 square metres and includes life-size reproductions of Moulinsart rooms.
It opened in 2001. A Tintin shop followed in 2022. Fans who want the full run of castle, gardens and exhibition should plan for the longer ticket option, covered in the tickets section below.
The library at Cheverny with a grand piano, bookcases and a vase of roses. Photo: Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There Without a Car, and With One
Cheverny sits close to Blois, which helps if you travel without a car. All figures below come from the château's own getting-here page and the Blois tourist office.
By Car
Cheverny is 190 km from Paris by car, about 2 hours, leaving the A10 at exit 17 Blois. On site there are three free car parks, P1, P2 and P3, and P3 is reserved for motorhomes. From the ticket office it is 225 metres, about a 3-minute walk, to the château and 525 metres to the Orangery.
The visitable part of the estate is 570 metres long and 470 metres wide, with gravel and earth paths. Drivers who prefer to pair Cheverny with Chambord or Blois can find how they fit together in the Loire Valley itinerary.
- Paris to Cheverny: 190 km, about 2 hours via A10 exit 17 Blois
- Free parking at P1, P2 and P3, with P3 for motorhomes
- Ticket office to château: 225 metres, about 3 minutes on foot
The Shuttle from Blois
The château quotes a shuttle from Blois-Chambord station at €6 return, run on the Azalys network from early April to early November. The same page's introduction says shuttle buses run all year, so the two statements do not agree and both are given. The safest reading is that the seasonal Azalys service is the one with the €6 return fare and the published schedule.
Blois itself is 1 hour 30 minutes from Paris by train according to the Blois tourist office, while the Cheverny getting-here page says 1 hour 40 minutes on the same line. This page gives both figures rather than picking one.
By Train and TGV
The Cheverny site suggests a TGV route: 50 minutes from Paris-Montparnasse to Vendôme-Villiers-sur-Loir, then the last 30 km to Cheverny. The other common rail approach is the train from Paris Austerlitz to Blois-Chambord station, then the shuttle described above. If you are planning rail travel more widely, the Paris to Loire Valley by train page compares the lines station by station.
Cyclists can also work from Blois, since the tourist office says the castles around Blois sit 15 to 20 km apart, and all Rémi trains allow bicycles on board.
Seeing Cheverny on a Tour
Cheverny is not on every Loire itinerary from Paris, but two tours in the comparison do go inside it. Both leave from Paris and both include the entrance ticket, so you do not buy the château's own ticket separately on those days.
The Tours That Enter Cheverny
The cheapest Paris departure in the comparison is the Chambord, Chenonceau and Cheverny day from Paris at $101 per person. It runs 13 hours and includes entrance tickets to the castles, but a licensed guide and audio guide come only if you pick that option, and lunch, tips and headphones are not included. It meets at the Pullman Paris Centre Bercy.
The other option is the Loire Valley castles tour with entry tickets at $237 per person, also 13 hours from Paris. It includes entrance tickets to Chenonceau, Cheverny and Chambord with their gardens, visited at your own pace, and hotel pickup is included. Lunch is not included. If you would rather build your own day around Cheverny and one other château, start from the Loire Valley castles overview and pick a base town first.
| Tour | Price | Leaves from | Entry in price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chambord, Chenonceau and Cheverny day from Paris | $101 | Paris, Pullman Paris Centre Bercy | Yes, castle entrance tickets included |
| Loire Valley Castles Tour with Entry Tickets | $237 | Paris, hotel pickup included | Yes, all three castles and their gardens |
Tips for Your Visit
Do
- Do allow 1.5 to 1.75 hours for château and gardens, or 2.25 to 2.5 hours with the Tintin exhibition, because that is the château's own estimate.
- Do buy the boat or electric car ride option between 1 April and 11 November, because the guided park tour includes a half-hour electric buggy ride along the 157-cedar avenue and an electric boat on the canal, and park activities are bought at the ticket office without booking.
- Do come in hot weather knowing the site is prepared, since there are mist sprayers and the exhibition and Orangery are air-conditioned.
- Do leave time for the six themed gardens, because the vegetable garden alone supplies the Orangery tea room and the bouquets for the château rooms, and the Garden of Love holds six bronze sculptures by Gudmar Olovson.
- Do combine Cheverny with Blois or Chambord if you want a two-castle day, because the Blois tourist office advises no more than two castles a day and the sites around Blois are only 15 to 20 km apart.
Don't
- Don't bring a pet, because Cheverny does not allow animals anywhere on the premises.
- Don't count on seeing the hounds fed at a fixed time, because the feeding schedule is not published on the pages this guide could verify.
- Don't plan to skip the stairs if you have limited mobility, because the château entrance has 10 steps without a handrail and the first floor is reached by two flights of 16 steps.
- Don't arrive expecting to book online for park rides, because park and canal activities are bought at the ticket office on the day.
Château de Cheverny FAQ
Who owns Château de Cheverny?
The Hurault de Vibraye family has owned Cheverny for over six centuries and still lives in the right-hand wing, with the château described as a Grand Siècle house built to be lived in all year round. You can see how it compares with the rest of the Loire Valley castles in the Loire Valley castles overview.
How long does a visit to Château de Cheverny take?
The château estimates 1.5 to 1.75 hours for the château and gardens and 2.25 to 2.5 hours once you add the Tintin exhibition. If you are planning a longer circuit of the region, the Loire Valley itinerary shows how a day can be split.
Is Château de Cheverny open all year?
Yes, Cheverny is open 365 days a year, with the ticket office and château running 9:15 to 18:00 from 1 April to 30 September and 10:00 to 17:00 from 1 October to 31 March, and the estate closes 30 minutes after the ticket office. The guide to the Château de Blois nearby covers a site that closes on a few days each year.
What is the link between Cheverny and Tintin?
Hergé based Moulinsart, the Marlinspike Hall of the Tintin albums, on the central part of Cheverny, and Moulinsart appears in 10 of the 24 albums. The estate runs a 700-square-metre exhibition on it. Cheverny also pairs naturally with a Chambord guided visit if you want an expert-led day nearby.
How do I get to Cheverny from Blois without a car?
A shuttle on the Azalys network runs from Blois-Chambord station to Cheverny from early April to early November at €6 return, according to the château's getting-here page, though the same page also says shuttles run all year. The Blois château page is useful if you want a first stop on the same line.
Can I see Cheverny on a day tour from Paris?
Yes, two tours in the comparison enter Cheverny. The Chambord, Chenonceau and Cheverny day from Paris costs $101 per person for 13 hours with castle entry included, and the Loire Valley castles tour with entry tickets costs $237 per person with hotel pickup.