Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rennes
Art museum in Rennes, founded in 1794, with collections ranging from a cabinet of curiosities to Old Masters and contemporary art; the permanent collections are free.
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About the museum
The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rennes was founded in 1794 from works seized from the city’s religious and civic buildings. Its core comes from the cabinet of curiosities of Christophe-Paul de Robien (1698–1756), president of the Parlement of Brittany. Between 1801 and 1811, state deposits added large works from Parisian seizures and military conquests.
In 1855 the museum moved into a new building on the Quai Émile-Zola, which also houses the university. After war damage it was renovated in 1957, and it has pursued an active acquisitions policy ever since.
The Quai Zola site presents the history of art from Antiquity to the present in three sections: a cabinet of curiosities, Old Masters, and modern and contemporary art. The cabinet brings together paintings, sculpture, Egyptian, Greek and Celtic antiquities, objects from several continents and an important collection of drawings. The contemporary section covers lyrical abstraction, the geometric abstraction of the Mesure group, constructed art and figurative painting.
A second venue, the Musée Maurepas, opened in February 2025 in a neighbourhood of the city; it hosts two temporary exhibitions a year.
Highlights
- “Persée délivrant Andromède” by Veronese
- “La Chasse au tigre” by Rubens
- “Les Périssoires” by Caillebotte
- “L’Arbre jaune” by Paul Sérusier and works of the Pont-Aven School
- “Bleus mouvants” by Kupka, and works by Picasso, Nicolas de Staël and Joan Mitchell
Permanent exhibition
- Collections permanentes du quai Zola – A route in three sections: cabinet of curiosities, Old Masters, and modern and contemporary art, with major names from the 17th century to abstraction.
- Founded
- 1794
- Visitors per year
- approx. 91,594
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Children & teens | –The permanent collections are free; under-26s also enter temporary exhibitions free of charge. |
|---|---|
| Visitors with disabilities | freeFree admission to temporary exhibitions for visitors with a disability. |
| Students & apprentices | freeFree admission to temporary exhibitions for students and under-26s. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €2 per personGuided group visit (10 to 30 people): €2 per person, plus €3 per person for temporary exhibitions. |
| Temporary exhibition – full price | €5 |
| Temporary exhibition – reduced rate (job seekers, groups of 10 or more, Amis du Louvre) | €3 |
Free access to the permanent collections. Entry to temporary exhibitions is free for holders of the Sortir ! card, recipients of minimum social benefits, members of the Société des amis du musée and of ICOM, and certain teachers. The Musée Maurepas is free for everyone.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours
- Easy-to-read materials
- Audio description: no information
Both sites are accessible to visitors with reduced mobility; a wheelchair can be lent at reception. Portable induction loops are lent at Quai Zola, and the ticket desk is equipped with them. Tactile booklets with Braille and large print, easy-read booklets, sign-language tours. A sensory bag and a sensory map are available (Quai Zola).
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
Workshops of 1 hr to 1 hr 30 min combining a visit with a creative activity. On the first Wednesday of the month at 14:30, an activity for children from age 7; visits for 2- to 4-year-olds on some weekends; every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00, a visit for children from age 5 with their parents; daily activities at 11:00 during school holidays. Kit for toddlers (Quai Zola, bookable), Muséojeux bags at reception, family guide to download. Step stools for the toilets and child seat reducers.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Musée beaux-arts
Metro line A (République) or line B (Saint-Germain); bus C4, C6, 67, N4 (Musée beaux-arts stop) and C2, 11, 12 (TNB stop).
The museum recommends public transport or soft mobility; if you are coming from outside Rennes, use the park-and-ride car parks. STAR bike station on Avenue Janvier and bike racks in front of the museum.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
- Coat check
- Lockers
Shop with books, catalogues, postcards and works by local artists. Cloakrooms for coats, backpacks and cabin bags at both sites.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Audioguide available only at Quai Zola. Themed guided tours are offered regularly, for example at 16:00 on some days; see the museum’s programme. A library is open to researchers by appointment. |
