Mucem

About the museum

The Mucem grew out of the Musée national des arts et traditions populaires in Paris, founded in 1941 under the direction of Georges Henri Rivière. That museum closed to the public in 2005. In 2000, the State had decided to transform the institution into a museum on the societies of Europe and the Mediterranean and to relocate it to Marseille. The collections thus left Paris for the Phocaean city.

The new museum opened on June 7, 2013, during the year Marseille was European Capital of Culture. The J4 building, designed by Rudy Ricciotti with Roland Carta, was built on a former port jetty. Two footbridges connect it to Fort Saint-Jean and to the Esplanade de la Tourette. The fort, a former military site, was handed over to the Ministry of Culture in 1962; it also houses exhibition spaces, a medieval chapel and a garden.

The storage facilities and conservation workshops are located at the Centre de conservation et de ressources, in the Belle de Mai district. The Mucem is a national museum and holds the “Musée de France” label. It presents permanent and temporary exhibitions on the cultures, beliefs, exchanges and societies of the Mediterranean basin and Europe.

Highlights

• The J4 building by Rudy Ricciotti, with its perforated concrete façade
• Footbridges to Fort Saint-Jean and views over the Vieux-Port
• Fort Saint-Jean with its garden and terraces
• Collections on the cultures of Europe and the Mediterranean
• Children’s area “Le Fabuleux Terrier”

Founded

2013

Operated by

Établissement public sous la tutelle du ministère de la Culture

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of every month

Ticket valid for the same day for the permanent and temporary exhibitions at the J4 and Fort Saint-Jean. Free admission with proof for job seekers, recipients of social minimum benefits, journalists, tour guides, members of ICOM, ICOMOS or AICA, Friends of the Mucem and holders of the City Pass. For the permanent exhibitions only: free for visitors aged 18 to 25 and for teachers holding the Pass Éducation.

Accessibility

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

Visit podcasts are available in French Sign Language and with audio description. The lift at Fort Saint-Jean between the Cour de la Commande and the Place d’Armes is currently out of order. Reserved parking spaces are located in the car park beneath the J4 esplanade.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Playground / play area

The “Le Fabuleux Terrier” children’s area is free to access, designed for children aged about 5 to 11. Family visits, workshops and performances throughout the year, in French. Strollers are lent free of charge at the J4 cloakroom.

Getting there & parking

Main entrance to the J4 at 7 promenade Robert Laffont; Vieux-Port entrance at 201 quai du Port. Bike-sharing stations on the quai du Port and on the J4 esplanade.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Wi-Fi

Four food outlets across the J4 and Fort Saint-Jean, and two bookshops-shops. Free cloakroom; bulky luggage is not allowed. Free Wi-Fi is available to visitors.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Spaces for hire for seminars, conferences, team-building sessions, gala dinners and film shoots. A brochure presents the spaces; the museum hosts more than one hundred corporate events a year.

Plan your visit