Why is there a charge for the Astronomical Clock show?
Beauvais Cathedral is free to visit, and the astronomical clock can be viewed free of charge outside show times. The admission fee applies only to the audiovisual presentation and the animation of its automata.
Seeing the clock and attending the show are two different things
Some visitors may wonder why a ticket is required to attend the presentation of Auguste-Lucien Vérité’s astronomical clock.
First of all, it is important to remember that entry to the Cathedral is free. The astronomical clock is located inside the building and can also be viewed freely and free of charge outside scheduled show times.
What visitors pay for is therefore not access to the clock itself, but a specific presentation: an audiovisual show explaining the clock and its mechanisms, together with the animation of its automata.
Your ticket pays for much more than access
The astronomical clock is a monumental machine of extraordinary complexity. Its dials, astronomical mechanisms and automata cannot be fully understood simply by looking at them.
The presentation organised by the Association Beauvais Cathédrale introduces visitors to its history, explains how it works and explores the meaning of its various elements before the automata are set in motion.
- an audiovisual presentation of the clock;
- an explanation of how it works;
- the animation of the automata;
- visitor reception and information;
- a contribution towards maintaining the clock.
A clock that remains accessible to everyone
Charging for the show does not restrict access to the clock. The admission fee applies only to the scheduled presentations explaining and demonstrating how it works.
Enter the Cathedral
Entry to Saint Peter’s Cathedral in Beauvais is free of charge.
See the clock
Outside scheduled presentations, the astronomical clock can be viewed free of charge inside the Cathedral.
Attend the show
A ticket is required for the audiovisual presentation and the animation of the automata.
The astronomical clock is not publicly owned
Although Saint Peter’s Cathedral is a monument owned by the French State, this does not mean that every object and work of art housed within it is also publicly owned.
Auguste-Lucien Vérité’s astronomical clock belongs to the Diocese of Beauvais.
Its maintenance and presentation therefore do not simply depend on the public funding allocated to the Cathedral building itself. The Association Beauvais Cathédrale carries out its day-to-day maintenance and actively contributes to the work required for its conservation and restoration.
The fact that the clock is housed inside a publicly owned monument does not mean that its operation, maintenance and restoration are automatically funded by the French State. Income from the presentations and private donations therefore play an essential role in preserving it.
Restoration requires significant resources
After more than 150 years of operation, a mechanical masterpiece of this complexity requires regular monitoring, maintenance and restoration.
Its mechanisms must be inspected, dismantled, cleaned, adjusted or restored whenever necessary. This work requires specialist expertise and represents a considerable financial commitment.
Revenue from the shows contributes towards these costs, but it cannot cover them alone. This is why the Association Beauvais Cathédrale also organises crowdfunding campaigns to support the clock’s restoration.
Buying a ticket also helps preserve the clock
By attending the show, visitors are therefore not simply paying to look at a monument.
Their contribution helps fund the presentation itself, visitor reception and, more broadly, the work carried out to keep this extraordinary clock in working order.
At the same time, the decision has been made to keep the clock freely accessible outside show times, allowing everyone to admire it regardless of whether they wish, or are able, to attend the presentation.
See it, understand it, preserve it
Whether you simply choose to admire the clock free of charge, attend its show or support its restoration with a donation, your interest helps keep this exceptional part of Beauvais’ heritage alive.