
The Arles Antique Museum
The collections of the Musée Départemental de l’Arles Antique are displayed in a contemporary building built on the remains of the Roman circus.
A museum devoted to the archaeological collections of Arles
The collections of the Musée Départemental de l’Arles Antique are displayed in a contemporary building built on the remains of the Roman circus.
With its permanent collection and major exhibitions, the museum is an essential place to visit for all archaeology, art and history enthusiasts to gain a better understanding of the development of the Roman town.
The exterior of the triangular-shaped museum is brightly coloured with simple lines : the blue facade represents the sky, the only thing which has remained unchanged since Antiquity; white, the colour of understanding for the reading rooms; red, the colour of action, for the research laboratories.
The museum is carefully laid out using a mix of chronology and themes, models and plans to present all the records of the city from Prehistory to late Antiquity.
The interior has vast exhibition areas and in particular a series of models of Roman buildings, restored to their original state.
Don’t miss « Arles Rhône 3 barge»
Discovered in 2004 and lifted out of the River Rhône in 2011 after a long series of treatments, the impressive, 31 metre-long Arles-Rhône 3 barge took up its place in the museum.
Open every day except Tuesday : 10.00 - 18.00
Closed 1 January – 1 May – 1 November– 25 December
Free admission on 1st Sunday of every month
Explore the Bouches du Rhône region with Gîtes de France Bouche du Rhône : Mucem at Marseille, Carrières de Lumières at Baux de Provence, Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, Aix en Provence, Arles, La Côte Bleue