Musée d'Art moderne de Troyes

About the museum

The museum grew out of the donation of around 2,000 works made to the state in 1976 by Pierre and Denise Lévy, an industrialist and collector couple from Troyes. It was installed in the former episcopal palace, built in the 16th and 17th centuries next to the cathedral, and opened in 1982.

The collections show French art from the second half of the 19th century to the first half of the 20th, with a strong emphasis on figurative painting. They include Realism (Courbet, Daumier), Fauvism (Derain, Braque, Friesz), Cubism, the First School of Paris (Soutine, Modigliani), the interwar years and the Second School of Paris (De Staël, Bissière). Two artists close to the couple hold a central place: the painter André Derain and the Troyes glass artist Maurice Marinot. The museum also holds arts of Africa and Oceania.

From 2018 to 2024, major works made all floors accessible to people with reduced mobility, restored the historic building, added 400 m² for the collections and renewed the museography. The garden was completely redesigned and now houses a route of modern and contemporary sculptures. The museum reopened in 2024. The collection now comprises more than 3,400 works, thanks to further donations and to acquisitions supported by the association of Friends of the Museum.

Highlights

• Pierre and Denise Lévy donation
• Paintings by André Derain
• Glassworks by Maurice Marinot
• Works by Courbet, Soutine, Modigliani and De Staël
• Arts of Africa and Oceania
• Sculpture garden

Permanent exhibition

• Parcours permanent des collections Pierre et Denise Lévy – The route presents the currents of French art from 1850 to 1950, from Realism to the Second School of Paris, with rooms devoted to Derain and Marinot.

Founded

1982

Operated by

Ville de Troyes

Visitors per year

approx. 46,892

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free for everyone on the first Sunday of every month; Troyes residents with the Pass'Troyen in January, February and on the first Saturday of the month

Admission is also free, with proof, for job seekers, ICOM members, journalists and tour guides. There is no special rate on public holidays.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

All three levels of the museum and the sculpture garden are accessible to people with reduced mobility: ramp at the entrance, elevators, stabilised garden paths, and car access, exceptionally allowed for wheelchair users. Only guide dogs and assistance animals are admitted. Tactile reliefs for blind and visually impaired visitors, available on request from the visitor services department; sign-language tours on request.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Fun tours (€3 per child), tour-workshops and discovery workshops (€5 per child), creative workshops on the first Saturday of the month with the Friends of the Museum, and philosophy tours for 6 to 11-year-olds. Booking required. Activity booklets and colouring sheets are available at reception.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on Place Saint-Pierre, next to the cathedral, in the centre of Troyes. A city centre map is available on the museums' website.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Hire of spaces at the Musée d'Art moderne; contact musart@ville-troyes.fr.

Plan your visit