Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen

About the museum

The museum was created following the Chaptal decree of September 1, 1801, which designated Caen as one of the cities to receive a deposit of paintings seized or acquired during the Revolution and the Empire. It moved into the former seminary of the Eudists and officially opened to the public on December 2, 1809. As early as 1804, its curator had important paintings brought in, giving Caen the second-largest allocation in France after Lyon.

In the 19th century, several bequests enriched the collections. The most substantial came in 1872 from the bookseller Bernard Mancel: more than 50,000 prints and some thirty paintings, including a Madonna and Child by Rogier van der Weyden. A fire in 1905 destroyed part of the works, and the bombings of June and July 1944 destroyed almost the entire building along with more than 500 paintings.

A new museum, designed by the architect Jean Merlet within the medieval château, opened in 1970. A wing by Philippe Dubois was added in 1994; in 1995 the complex received the Grand Prix national des musées from the Ministry of Culture. Since 2007, a sculpture park has been laid out in the château around the museum.

The museum displays more than 300 works across four levels. It holds one of the richest regional collections of Italian, French, Flemish and Dutch painting from the 16th and 17th centuries, Normandy landscapes from Boudin to Dufy, and a body of contemporary art built up since the 1970s.

Highlights

• Paintings by Italian, French, Flemish and Dutch masters of the 16th and 17th centuries (Veronese, Poussin, Rubens, Brueghel)
• Mancel collection of more than 50,000 prints, partly shown in exhibitions
• Tactile model of Brueghel’s Paiement de la Dîme and a sensory station
• Normandy landscapes by Boudin, Monet, Dufy and Marquet
• Contemporary collection with Soulages, Mitchell, Plensa and other artists

Permanent exhibition

• Collections permanentes – More than 300 works from the 15th to the 21st century across four levels: old master painting, the 19th century, modern art and the contemporary collection.

Founded

1801

Operated by

Ville de Caen

Director

Emmanuelle Delapierre

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First weekend of each month; European Heritage Days in September; Museum Night in May

Prices as published by the museum (central ticket office in the château’s reception pavilion). Admission is also free, with proof, for recipients of minimum social benefits (minima sociaux), teachers preparing a visit, museum friends, tourism and media professionals, and holders of several professional or network cards (Museo Pass, ICOM, Pass’ Murailles…).

Accessibility

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

Visitors with reduced mobility can reach the château via the Porte des Champs; all four levels are served by an elevator. Wheelchairs, canes and folding seats are lent at reception, along with a magnetic induction loop, a tactile model and a sensory station. Descriptive tours and tailor-made workshops are offered. From October 15 – December 4, 2026, the platform lifts are out of service for works, so some rooms are only accessible by stairs.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Activities for children aged 3 to 12: storytelling tours, the “Petit musée” (ages 3 to 5), “à quatre mains” workshops, musical naps, family openings, an activity booklet and a family kit. Strollers are allowed; the museum has joined the Môm’Art charter.

Getting there & parking

On foot via the Porte Saint-Pierre footbridge, opposite Saint-Pierre church. Three Vélolib stations nearby. From Paris via the A13, exit 3b Porte d’Angleterre.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Restaurant Le Mancel in the château; museum shop; picnics are possible on the lawns in summer.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 300 guests.

Hall of 150 m² (up to 300 people), Galerie Mancel of 100 m² (up to 200 people), gardens; auditorium with 215 seats and a 50-seat meeting room for seminars. Exclusive evening hire possible.

Plan your visit