La Nuit des Mystères

ℹ️ Event on hold — no edition planned for 2026. La Nuit des Mystères has not been renewed since its 15^th edition on May 14, 2022. The 2023 edition was cancelled by Musées Mulhouse Sud Alsace "for reasons beyond our control" and no resumption date has been communicated. The Mulhouse Tourist Office confirmed in May 2026 that no edition will take place this year. The page remains accessible to archive the history of this emblematic event; if the event were to resume, this page would be updated.

A Mulhouse invention unique in Europe

Launched in 2006 by the Musées Mulhouse Sud Alsace association, La Nuit des Mystères was born from a bold idea: to transform the traditional European Night of Museums into a gigantic life-sized treasure hunt. Mulhouse, the second city in France by museum density, was transformed for an evening into a huge game board where participants became investigators, detectives, and treasure hunters. The concept, unprecedented in France and Europe at its creation, quickly won over an enthusiastic public: in fifteen editions, more than 345,000 entries were recorded, with a record of 32,000 participants in 2012.

Two routes for all ages

The event offered two levels of participation adapted to each profile. The Adventure route was aimed at escape game enthusiasts and intellectual challenges, with tough riddles that required logic, observation, and general knowledge. The Family route offered a more accessible experience, allowing younger participants to step into the shoes of little detectives while discovering museum collections in a fun way. The SAM (Sud Alsace Museums) application enriched the experience with bonus questions that increased the chances of winning the Grand Prize.

Ten exceptional museums as a playground

La Nuit des Mystères unfolded in about ten museums in the urban area, offering an extraordinary diversity of settings. From the Musée National de l'Automobile — Collection Schlumpf to the Cité du Train, passing through Electropolis, the Musée de l'Impression sur Étoffes, the Musée du Papier Peint, the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the Musée Historique, La Kunsthalle, the Écomusée d'Alsace and the Mine de Potasse, each location held clues hidden within its collections. Participants navigated from one museum to another using public transport included in the passport, creating a true nocturnal cultural odyssey through the urban area.

An electric atmosphere from 2 PM to midnight

From 2 PM, teams launched their adventure and could continue their quest until midnight. As the hours passed, the atmosphere intensified: museums filled with visitors busy scrutinizing every display case, every corner, every artwork in search of the detail that would make a difference. The event combined friendly competition and cultural discovery in a festive and convivial atmosphere. Each edition was placed under an original theme — "Board Games" in 2022, "Back to 80's" for the previous final edition — which renewed the experience and inspired the scenography of the routes in each museum.