The city museum opened to the public in 1983. It is called after Alphonse-Georges Poulain, an archaeologist, painter, wood carver, collector and historian of local history. He died in 1966 after presenting the city with a great part of his collections in 1927.

The museum, however, existed since 1862. A the time, the descendants of a Navy officer, Mr de Brécourt, offered the city a collection of 2.000 stuffed birds and various curios that he had brought back from his voyages. Other donations were made and stored in several places, before the new Town Hall was built in 1895 where the most interesting items could be exhibited.

In 1964, an important donation of Steinlein's works was made by the widow of Mr Lamberty, a collector and a friend of the painter. At the same time after the city had bought the building which housed the former police station, the mayor, Georges Azémia, decided to set up the museum in this building.

Partial view of the museum (15th c.)

Important restoration work had to be undertaken in this former 15th century manor house both of the building itself and of the inside to allow for exhibiting the works of art.
Archives in the regional Record Office make it possible to go back to 1577: the place belonged to Le Moine de Bellisle, a wealthy judge at the court of appeal of Normandy. The stone wing, the visitors' entrance today, was erected in the 17th century.

The main staircase (18th c.)

When he became Lord of Vernonnet by King Louis XV's grace, Jean-Baptiste Le Moine de Bellisle had his mansion enlarged : it was to occupy the whole area between the river, rue du Pont (Bridge St.), rue Grande (High St., now called rue Carnot) and rue Porte Hachette (Hatchet St.).

Sold as National Property during the Revolution, the part of the building where the museum is now was turned into a hotel then into a police station. It remained so until 1964.

The collections have become larger and larger thanks to the first curators, Mrs Sophie Fourny-Dargère and Ms Anne Labourdette, who have conducted an active program of purchases and exhibitions, but also thanks to private donors (paintings, drawings, scultptures by Steinlein, Woop, Monard, Richard Fath) and also thanks to the city's financial support and the co-operation of the Friends of the Museum Association with over 300 members.

In the course of time, the museum has turned to Fine Arts, while retaining a place for local archaeology and history. The specific focus of AG Poulain Museum is threefold: