The Maison de l’Outil et de la Pensée Ouvrière (Centre for Tools and Worker Thought) is housed in one of Troyes’ most architecturally striking historic buildings, Hotel de Mauroy, which was built in 1560. The Companions of Duty founded the museum in 1966. Its vast collection includes more than 12,000 handcrafted hand tools from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, showcased in 65 display cases.

The magnificent rooms are organised by different crafts: blacksmith, clog maker, stonecutter, rope maker and many more. The hand tools tell the stories of past cultures and societies, and document their uses by man throughout the centuries. The new Ironwork Room is designed to provide museum visitors with a memorable experience, rediscovering metals and their trades. A library and specialized bookshop invites visitors to delve deeper into the history of manual trades and tools. The museum also organises an immersive programme of concerts, lectures, symposia and temporary exhibitions.