MuCEM Review

Very intricate architecture by renowned architect Rudy Riccioti with continuous international exhibitions

This Museum has comprehensive and essential information for tourists to understand about the history of Marseille as well as Mediterranean tradition/convention/history. There are a few theatre of showcasing different segment of history. I would recommend to travellers who are interested in knowing about local history.

Of the hundreds of museums I've visited in my life this was certainly among the most underwhelming ones. While the building is impressive and is at an exceptional location, the exhibitions fail to live up to the expectation one might have at such a place.

1. Put vinyl records of Arabic music on shelves with brief info about its creators 2. play several recordings in the room at the same time so visitors can't enjoy any of them = L Orient sonore

To sum up: you may have more fun walking around the museum and in its (good) bookstore than visiting the museum itself.

Great cafe! Wonderful exhibitions that are constantly changing!

Great building and architecture in a wonderful location. some exhibitions have an information overload and the staff can be very procedural. But overall, relevant and interesting exhibitions.

Extremely huge place with excellent facilities. Will need almost 3 hrs to explore completely. Beautiful place with no of sitting and relaxing area. Also have a bar and a cafe. Fort is nice. And the best part is that it has free entry. Which is just shocking as it is really well maintained

I was AMAZED at this place! The architecture, the mixing of old and new plus the view are jaw dropping. Don't miss on this museum when you visit Marseille. (Tip: the terraces on both buildings are free and also great spots to leisure all day long)

Great piece of architecture with exceptions you have to experience

Even though it's not an interactive museum the information is presented in an attractive way to make it interesting.
Many video corners can be found here and they host temporary exhibition

The museum has easy access and elevator.

Likes:
- Nice view from the port and from Marseille

Dislikes:
1. Many many exhibition with french language only
2. There is a section with many painting literally on the floor. Very confusing. Needs a lot of improvements.
3. 11 euros for entrance is too much on my opinion.
4. Many rooms with videos, in French language only. Because of many videos playing at the same time, is very disturbing to hear different audio sources.

This museum is charming. The magnificent building is a mix of historical and modern architecture. The ticket is very cheap and give you access to all the exibitions.
I have seen an amazing Picasso's exibition today. Even if you are not an art fun you should get inside to enjoy one of the most beautiful view of Marseille.

Very interested modern museum with beautiful architecture

MuCEM was a very interesting place to visit. The museum is connected to the old fort via a walk way. I recommend that you start you journey at the old fort and the walk over to MuCEM, the MuCem have many interesting exhibits to watch. On the roof there is a restaurant that has outdoor seatings. On the roof there is also seatings to just sit down to view what is going on in the water near the inlet to the small boat harbour. Don't miss the walk path that goes around the building.

For me this was an incredible place of Art / Culture and History, a great combination for me anyhow. We visited the old Castle, it sits on top of a small mountain (hill) but you also have wonderful views of the valley's surrounding the Rock I want to call it. Wonderful Olive Orchards, Vineyards, huge sunflower fields and a lot of famous French (European classical Painters) used to paint the views from the top (attaching some photos).
There are quite a few smaller family owned
artesian stores with a great selection of different types of products.
The small restaurants have a good variety of different gourmet foods available for your dining needs. People there are kind, jelpful and very open minded.
Loved it there!

Interesting building of an architectural point of view. As non french speaking tourists we could not enjoy the expositions going on but still enjoyed the nice views. It provides beautiful sceneries towards the old harbour.

Super unique museum. Learned a lot about the region. The design of the building is really cool. You can explore the outdoor exhibits for free (closed on Tuesday s) which is really nice, but I thought it was totally worth the 11 euro to see the permanent and temporary exhibits.

Contemporary art presented in a modern building surrounding by the sea. I appreciate to go there for a walk or to see an exhibition. It is a nice place to visit.

A stunning building and a carefully curated exhibit inside. A near-must for a visit to Marseille.

The exhibits where all interdisciplinary and blended art, history, material culture, and narrative in interesting ways. There was an exhibition of Afghan artists that was particularly striking. I don't think I've ever been so emotionally impacted by an installation as I was by it.

It's free on the first Sunday of every month. Beautiful place and well worth the visit. There's a Cafe on the top floor to relax and have a beer.

I haven't been inside, but the building is an art piece itself. You can walk on the diameter and enjoy the view of the city through the beautiful concrete facade. If you are interested in architecture, don't miss this piece :)

This striking and beautiful museum connected to the venerable and equally breathtaking old Fort Saint Jean is certainly worth a visit when in Marseille.

They could improve the service, the attendants were not as helpful as with most public institutions and not all halls and exhibitions were open when we went as a family in mid-April. Exhibitions can offer additional languages and getting to the various areas wasn t very clear, especially after crossing over the really cool and modern bridge.

The design is really unique and the view from the top should be on your list.

Modern and old looks georges. Coffe inside were you ca relax and enjoy the sea view. In the evening is a great spot to see sunset.

An interesting contrast between modern and ancient architectures. the new Marseille meets the old one in those 2 iconic buildings (mocem and fort saint jean). Most areas are free of charge (expositions requires a ticket) which let you explore inside out the 2 buildings. The 2 foot walk connecting the fort to the port and the mocem are a must.

Beautiful building in a beautiful setting that combines with the adjacent buildings to become a destination with plenty to do. The walk across to the roof of Mucem from fort St Jean is unusual and enjoyable as is sitting on the roof of the building (it has a restaurant/bar). My favourite part is the waterfront with room to walk, swim or just sit and watch the people/sunset. The kids playing in the water are a delight.

Very good museum, great architecture, expos are interesting and respect the theme of the museum. The books sold there are interesting too. Taking all visions of mediterranean conflicts.

Very interesting arcitecture. It was a long walk down.

The real art is the architecture to this museum. It's interesting to walk around and take photos of the building itself and of the water, but the exhibits themselves are lacking. Little to no English translations and a lot of modern "art". Free entrance on the first Sunday of the month.

I like the design of the museum, it's much more beautiful than I expected. As a museum it's not very interesting but there is a one more thing about this place - amazing views.

Need to spend an entire day to be able to go through all of them.. Very nice experience.. Cafe downstairs is good

The view is good but that's about it unless you're really into fashion museum stuff.

Only visited the top sun garden that can be reached from fort Saint-Jean on a metallic bridge. This walk gives you an iconic view of the port and the town. The top of the museum was very nice, have free sun beds and a restaurant. Ideal place to relax while sightseeing in Marseille and to catch the nice seabreeze. Visit the exhibition too if you have the opportunity.

Interesting place to visit .....mixing old and new architecture ...... walking around the port will reveal many treasures.....the Art Gallery next door to the Natural History Museum is well worth the visit and like most regional galleries they have good art and not crowded....Arrival by boat, if the conditions are right, is impressive.....

Pleasantly surprised by this museum. Larger than expected lots to explore, and the fort itself is so neat to see as well. The museum itself has beautiful modern architecture and interesting exhibits.

Really beautiful the way the mixed old and new architecture. Love the idea of walking true the buildings and different expositions. Loved the bridges between the buildings. However the expositions I didn t find that interesting. Pity also that they didn t translate all the texts in English. It s nice to walk true and to see but nothing more then this

Don't miss the Mucem Museum in Marseille!!!
Not only for the expositions (I went to see the Fan-Tan of Ai Weiwei and OR expo's both highly recommended) but also for the magnificent building!
There's also a treasure hunt for the kids in the history part! very entertaining and fun for the kids (only in French available.)

Much better and interesting than old seaport!
Amazing the 2 thin and long bridges across ancient and new buildings!

Has a great view, ideal for taking pictures. If the Museum's exhibition content interested, that buy tickets just fine.

As I am 23 was able to get free admission however paid an extra 5 to access two extra exhibitions and I must say was the best 5 I spent while in Marseille. On arrival I thought the museum was solely in the modern building however we could access the whole of the Fort dear Jean as well. Extremely interesting and gave a great history to Marseille and the port. Highly recommend!

Very interesting exhibitions, also love the architecture of the building

Always nice exhibitions! Free on 1st sunday of the month. You reach the St. Jean fortress tower through the museum! Incredible view. Beautiful architecture!

Sea view Museum and contemporary architecture of the J4 and the historical Fort Saint-Jean.

Great architecture, especially during sunny days, but the exhibitions are somewhat disappointing. However, 9.50 for the two buildings are a good deal!

If you are planning on visiting a museum in Marseille, make sure to visit this one! Great museum with interesting exhibits on Marseille. Check for special events- we went for the Night of Museums, and were able to do the museum at night (midnight)! Word of caution- this museum can get busy, so it s worth buying tickets in advance

Do not miss out. Great history good exhibits. When I came by they had history of coffee and babbel(languages). Well worth the 9 euro price. Most exhibits in french. Google translate worked wonders though

Such a great museum. Never would have expected this quality of curation and approachability. Something here for everyone.

It was very nice and modern. Mix between the history and new art. The only thing I would say is that there were English translations missing. I am not a French speaker but I was a tourist, which is why I would say it would be ni e to have so thing I. English.

One of the best views to the sea, very good museum. Lots of things to see

Very beautiful mixing the old and new is a master's touch.
The expo's are fantastic, how they show the history of the city is one of a kind experience.

Was very crowded and full of kids. Very noisy! You couldn't really concentrate on the tableaus. Furthermore most of the texts were only in French though I had at the entrance asked if they were in English, too. Not too recommendable.

The exhibits and the architecture (inside and outside) of the museum was quite interesting and cool though.

For people who like art ,don't miss it...The location of the mucem gives a very beautiful panoramic view on the city and sea

Great landmark in Marseille. The truth is the structure is maybe better than the exposition, but it worth the visit.

Amazing building and a good range of exhibitions. Lots to see and do, easy to spend the entire day here. Enjoy.

The building itself is beautiful. The exhibitions are themed. The structure inside is very hard to navigate though. Confusing. I was prepared to pay full price for me and my sister but I was half price (5 euro) as a 23 year old and she was free as a 16 year old. Nice surprise.

A fantastic mix of old and new. Art, history, architecture and good food too. As there is loads to see a visit can easily take all day. The J4 building is fantastic.

Definitely worth a visit. Be prepared to taste the history and the culture in a modern way.

Tip of the day : every first Sunday of the month this museum is free of charge to visit!

The builsing structure itself is an impressive contemporary design. I loved the Ai Wei Wei exhibit, and then relaxing afterwards at the little cafe Le Mole on the roof. The food is a bit pricey but I would recommend buying a soda or espresso and enjoying the views.

The museum you have to go to know the history of Marseille, etc. You can enjoy the view of beautiful environment arround this museum

Great content in a great venue. The building is really interesting. With the adjacent medieval fort, Saint-Jean, one can do a lot of walking while seeing the sights and exhibits. Seeing the building is worth the visit alone.

Very intersting. A multi level museum. Also the lamdmarks and the views for near by are amazing!!

Very beautiful museum: three nice exhibitions and helpful personnel, very willing to explain many things. Even if you don t want to visit the exhibitions, you are still able to freely enjoy the building (without paying any entrance fee) and enjoy the astonishing architecture and incorporation in the surroundings.

Magnificent, fantastic collections, nice design and user friendly

The night viewing is breathtaking. Be very careful of pickpockets !

Waste of money. Service doesn't speak in English, they can't explain even basic things, like inform where is the entrance... We had to go around the MuCEM because of wrong information. Secondly, there is a problem with signs, we didn't know where we exactly should pass off. Apart from that messy exhibiton without proper order. I don't like it at all. The only thing that rescue this place is the form and external look.

Lack of directions and staff not very helpful nor friendly at all, we had to wander quite a while to get to one exhibit where the access was tricky and not well thought of, then back to wandering to find out most of the exhibits were closed. Not fond of the ones that were open either. At least there was a nice view of the sea but overall, disappointed with the place.

Really good morning out visiting this place..A must do when in Marseille..some of the temporary exhibitions are truly interesting!

Perfect place to visit when in Marseille. The new and modern building fits perfectly in the old and historic area of Marseille. We paid 9,50 to visit and I would stay that s a fair price. Besides the expositions you van also walk across the old buildings. A point of improvement; more English translations on the expositions.

Not the easiest place to find your way around. Exhibitions are interesting.

Such a great place to walk around, really quite stunning. Great cafe/bar on the rooftop.

Awesome Museum. The new building is very impressive, just walking up on the outside with the play of light and shade is a pleasure. The exhibitions were very interesting and well curated, the atmosphere relaxed, friendly and comfortable. It's neither too loud nor too crowded and very pleasant temperature in summer. Views from the roof are spectacular. I spent a whole day there without getting bored or tired.

Nice place (when whether is sunny). The restaurants in the near are mostly a recommendation.

By far the best museum in Marseille. We visited three exhibitions, hard to choose the best one. Boutique and terrasse cafe are also really nice.

The exhibitions are fascinating and so is the architecture. Great views of Marseille and wonderful place to visit!

Nice architecture. But the exhibitions are not made for non-french-speaking people. Even with an audio guide it's hard to learn anything from the exhibits. There is no English information on the temporary exhibitions available.
Better expect some queuing as there is only one security personnel per entrance.

You can see rhe mix of history and arts presented together. You can also enjoy the beautiful scenery outside the museum

You must visit this amazing museum if you are in Marseille. You and see great exhibition indoor and also you can walk outdoors along by the dock and through the castle. Beautiful location. Love it.

Good space for education, art lovers. Nice view from the top and cool architecture

Such a beautiful place with a lot to see.
Make sure you use the guided tour.

For sure when you stay in Marseille and have some time available, visit the Mucem. Really nice museum with typical subjects , art, anthropology, history of the colonies of France etc.. very well displayed with enough space to see well and experience. To attract more tourists maybe all displays translate to English.
Great design of the building with very high quality material, chapeau ! Nice restaurants with beautiful scene, nice view.

A perfect place to sit down under the olive trees, surf the net or simply enjoy the sweeping views of the sea. For a piece of history, this is The Place to learn. There's a very cool outdoor sculpture at the upper level, go get your camera for a pose :-) Walking by the garden offers relaxation to the soul and body.

From the outside it looks very nice, i did not see it from the inside!

Outstanding museum! Awesome feeling when you exit exhibition to fresh air, take a look at the sea and sun, and then continue.

It's super cool building, but I didn't find expositions super interesting. Probably worth visiting upstate terrace for some wine and oysters

Marseille's MuCEM is a museum with high quality exhibitions, where projects are based in profound investigations done by very professional people, and where risks are taken with seriousness and rigour (like putting to work together artists and history curators). The curatorial and museographical output of every project is worth of any international museum at any world capital. Let alone the architecture: the building is both connected and separated from the landscape and the old Saint Jean fort.

Nice buildings and views but badly laid out and incoherent museum with loud, overlapping audio everywhere you go.

Easy, fun and free are adjectives that I like when I'm on holiday checking out tourist attractions. The MuCEM meets all of them with aplomb. Wander in past a brief security check and enjoy. Nooks and crannies to poke around in, stunning views of the old port area and just enough information to give a bit of background on the landmarks you can see. Excellent!

Amazing construction. Is for sure a must see, combining the old with the new and the historical with modern art , this is a place you will remember forever! The buildings itself are a piece of art. There is 2 concrete bridges from 1 build to the other that look great from far and ever better standing on it. The inside tours are payed but you can walk the bridges and the outside of the buildings for free.

This is an interesting mix of old and new, though it was hard to find where the many exhibits were and we did run into some that were French only. Fortunately with enough wondering, even despite having a map, we were able to find each of the exhibits and have a look around. I wouldn't say it's a must visit to Marseille, but it was interesting nonetheless and had great views.

Stunning architecture with a concrete lattice hiding multiple exhibition spaces. Too much to see in one visit, we shall return!

A must visit place when you are in Marseille and you want to see a masterpiece of architecture: the exhibitions are not always well presented but then you have 2 valuable reasons to go: a fantastic bookshop and a nice restaurant with fresh and affordable prices

Interesting for it's architectural structure and temporary exhibitions. One of the must-see buildings/ places in Marseille.

Nice and big museum with lots of things to see. If wanting to visit it all, better to do so in the morning as some attractions may require staying in the queue for some time. Another nice thing to do is watching the sunset from the main tower, up there you get to see a very beautiful view of the sea and the city.