Frequently asked questions

Fort Saint-Jean is an integral part of the Mucem.

Linked by a 115 m-long footbridge to the contemporary building designed by architect Rudy Rucciotti, the fort hosts exhibitions throughout the year and, in fine weather, open-air cultural events (shows, large-screen projections, concerts, festivals…). It also features a Mediterranean garden, restaurant and bookshop.

Free access to the landscaped outdoor areas allows visitors to stroll around and make the Fort their own, turning it into a real place to live.

The second 70 m-long footbridge linking it to the Panier district ensures continuity in the urban and tourist itinerary between the oldest part of the city and the new J4 district. Fort Saint-Jean’s geographical location and history make it a veritable junction between the city and the museum, between history and its contemporary setting.

Fort Saint-Jean is a military complex inextricably linked to the history of Marseille. Although its foundations date back to the end of the ^12th century, the construction of the fort on the site of the former commandery of Saint-Jean de Jérusalem dates back to the ^17th century, when Louis XIV decided to reinforce the city’s defenses. The fort then retained its military vocation for over three centuries. Used as a German munitions depot during the war, it was severely damaged by an accidental explosion in 1944. Classified as a historic monument in 1964, it was placed under the supervision of the French Ministry of Culture. Restoration work began in 2010, to coincide with the opening of the Mucem.

Fort Saint-Jean is also home to the Institut méditerranéen des métiers du patrimoine (I2MP), a professional heritage training center.

Julie Basquin, Communications Department Manager

A place where cultures mingle, the Jardin des Migrations* and its plantations are reminders of a shared history. A “cultural garden” at the heart of the Mucem, and a reflection of biodiversity, it offers an original perspective on plant migrations through a cross-view of traditional uses, including in Jewish, Muslim and Christian pharmacopoeia on the different shores of the Mediterranean. In a dry garden setting, this unique botanical collection of Mediterranean plants is open to visitors all year round, regardless of flowering periods. Located on the upper level of the ramparts of Fort Saint-Jean, the Jardin des Migrations also offers a unique panoramic view of Marseille, where you can see the historical and cultural layers of the city. You’ll have to walk around it several times, climbing steps, getting lost and retracing your steps to realize the extent of the famous “tableaux” and the different viewpoints to be found on different levels around the fort’s parade ground.

* The Ministry of Culture and Communication commissioned the Valence-based APS agency, a team of landscape architects, urban planners and architects, to design the fort’s exterior spaces.

Jean-Laurent Félizia, head gardener at the Jardin des Migrations

This is a recent name, appearing in the late 70s to designate museums that are not focused on the fine arts. These establishments, which do not deal primarily with art, found their various labels inconvenient and adopted this name. At the same time, there was a movement originating in Canada to dust off everything to do with ethnology, leading to achievements such as the Musée des Confluences in Lyon. These museums of society cover very different realities. What they have in common is that they deal with thematic rather than monographic issues, and are based on everyday objects rather than works of art. Once focused on the past or the “other”-outside civilizations or colonies-these cultural establishments are increasingly interested in our societies and contemporary phenomena.

Jean François Chougnet, President of the Mucem, interview by Marie Hélène Balinet, Aix-Marseille-Provence Economic Review

The footbridges, one 115 m long linking Fort Saint-Jean to the J4 pier building and the other 70 m long linking Fort Saint-Jean to the Panier district, are made up of 4.5 m long voussoirs, each weighing 13 tonnes. They are prefabricated in the workshop, then assembled on site to a precision of a tenth of a millimetre. By tensioning the cables that cross the footbridges, the voussoirs are held together by the compressive force exerted. The quality of fiber-reinforced concrete, which is highly resistant to compression, is exploited to the full. The footbridges were built on scaffolding, which was removed once they were in place. A dock was then dug beneath the footbridge linking the Mucem to Fort Saint-Jean. These footbridges ensure continuity between the oldest part of the city and the new cultural facilities within the Cité de la Méditerranée perimeter. The ramps running through the surrounding void are suspended from gallows by steel cables. The brackets, made of UHPC, can be seen on the building’s roof terrace.

The mesh is a veritable concrete lace made up of 400 panels, each measuring 6 x 3 m. It is horizontally braced by bi-articulated braces that punctuate the path along the perimeter ramp. This lace of fiber-reinforced concrete plays no structural role. It acts as a filter, protecting the interior cube of the Mucem and the peripheral promenade from sun and wind. Its pattern can evoke multiple references, such as the moucharabieh or the structure of coral.

Ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPC) is a product of French research. For some twenty years now, it has been used in the construction of chemical tanks and engineering structures. As its name suggests, this concrete contains metallic and/or synthetic fibers that give it excellent tensile (stretching) performance. Concrete chemists have studied granular stacking to ensure that voids are as small as possible, so that concrete achieves a very high density. Its composition gives it three essential qualities: resistance to compression 6 to 8 times greater than that of conventional concrete, perfect watertightness due to its very low porosity, and the ability to adapt to the most diverse molds. It is thanks to the properties of this material that the architecture of the Mucem was made possible.

“As far as sport is concerned, Mucem mainly preserves evidence of what we might call “pre-sports”, i.e. traditional games such as soule, which can be considered one of the ancestors of soccer and rugby. We also preserve objects and documents relating to nautical jousting, archery and Breton wrestling.

This theme opens up to the contemporary with a collection acquired in 1998, relating to the communication campaign organized by FIFA for the France 98 soccer World Cup.

We should also mention the survey-collection carried out on board sports in the 2000s, which led to the acquisition of objects related to surfing and, above all, skateboarding, both from the point of view of street practice and competitive practice. In particular, this work has led to the acquisition of archives on skateboarding and its development in France between 1970 and 1980. Today, longboards, medals and awards, and even a Tony Hawk board, can be found in the museum’s reserves at the Centre de Conservation et de Ressources (Conservation and Resource Centre) at La Belle-de-Mai.

Today, the museum’s acquisition policy is once again focused on the Mediterranean’s most popular sport: soccer. Thanks to a survey-collection program on the theme of “Football & identities” and acquisitions on the art market or from collectors, Mucem is building up a genuine heritage relating to the popular culture that accompanies soccer in the Mediterranean.

In fact, we’re always on the lookout for objects from fans or professional footballers. We’re interested in the personal stories behind objects from the world of soccer: through scarves, balls, photographs, shirts, press articles, it’s really the meaning that people invest in them that we consider to be heritage.”

Florent Molle, heritage curator at Mucem, in charge of the Sport & Health department

It’s a little-known fact, but Mucem’s textile collection is gigantic: it comprises over 30,000 objects. Marina Zveguinzoff explains what’s interesting and rare in this part of the collection.

The Mucem textile collection is immense. There are a few rare pieces, of course, but “moving” would be a more appropriate adjective.

It comprises three collections:
-The collection of the former Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires is made up of French regional costumes, headdresses, work clothes and also body and household linen.
-The Musée de l’Homme collections, which the Mucem has held since 2005, are made up of costumes from Europe, particularly the Balkans.
-New acquisitions since the 2000s have focused more on the Mediterranean.

The oldest pieces date back to the ^18th century, and are exceptional because textiles are so fragile. The conservation of books and papers is a well-known challenge: the conservation of textiles is an equally delicate one, full of interest and fascinating techniques.

Textiles were expensive until the 1970s. Items in good condition were often reused to make a new outfit or accessory, so nothing was lost. That’s why there are few original pieces left in their entirety. And it’s often the reverse side of a garment that reveals the greatest fantasy, with an assemblage of small pieces of “rare and ancient” salvaged fabric.

Marina Zveguinzoff, collections and research manager at Mucem’s “Bodies, Appearance and Sexuality” department

Because of the richness and diversity of its collection, Mucem sometimes encounters very specific conservation problems, not often encountered by other museums. For example, it may have to deal with the conservation of objects made from perishable materials, including edible ones such as bread. Several examples of decorated breads are on display in the Galerie de la Méditerranée. This type of material is particularly sensitive to variations in climate (temperature and humidity) and to attack by micro-organisms (mold and insects). In addition to climate control, special attention is paid to monitoring this type of collection, both in storage and on display. Objects are meticulously examined to note any signs of infestation. If an object is found to be infested, or if any doubt arises, the piece is immediately isolated and treated. This involves enclosing the object in a hermetically sealed bubble, extracting the oxygen and replacing it for three weeks with nitrogen, an inert gas that will suffocate the pests. Another possible treatment is to freeze the objects, as the cold will stop the infestation developing. At the end of each treatment, the objects are dusted by micro-aspiration to eliminate any residues that might encourage the infestation to start up again. For the most sensitive materials, such as wax or grease, the Mucem conservation center has cold chambers enabling objects to be kept in storage.

Émilie Girard, Mucem Curator and Director of the Collections Department

Every new object added to the Musem’s collections is the result of collegial decisions. Whether it’s a donation or a purchase, each acquisition project is first presented by a member of the museum’s scientific team at an initial meeting called the “acquisitions committee”. In the presence of the object so that everyone can examine it, the person responsible for the file explains the interest of the proposed object, from a historical, aesthetic, heritage and/or cultural point of view, argues for its purchase price where appropriate, and describes its state of conservation.

Following a positive decision by this body, the archive and library holdings are integrated into the collections.

A second body, the “acquisitions commission”, meets three times a year, with members of the Mucem team and professionals from other museums, curators, experts and restorers in attendance.

These bodies discuss the following issues:

Scientific and heritage interest :

What are the object’s ethnographic, historical and artistic values in relation to the Mucem collections, and more broadly to French public collections? Is the object part of an individual or collective history? Are there similar or comparable objects in other French public collections, in order to limit duplication or pass on the proposal to a museum more likely to conserve it?

Material analysis and conservation :

Does material analysis of the object guarantee its authenticity? Do the nature of the materials and the condition of the object allow for its long-term preservation? What equipment is needed to store, transport and display the object?

Property rights and distribution :

Have all the legal owners of the object been identified and informed of the acquisition? Does public distribution of the object require authorisation from the author under the intellectual and artistic property code?

At the end of the presentation, a secret ballot is held. Finally, when objects exceed a certain value threshold set by decree, they must be presented to the “Conseil artistique des musées nationaux”, which meets in Paris. Objects that receive a favorable opinion at the end of this process become de facto part of the collection and are entered in the inventory. They thus become inalienable, i.e. they must be kept indefinitely.

Between six and eight committees and three commissions are held each year, in January, April and September.

The museum’s collections were the subject of a “chantier des collections”. They were collected, dusted, marked, photographed and, in some cases, restored before being packaged. Packaging materials were chosen for their neutrality, to avoid any alteration. Each object was bar-coded and traced on data processing software dedicated to the movement of collections. It was also individually wrapped, crated and palletized according to the type of one of the seventeen storerooms to which it was to be transferred in Marseille. In this way, unpacking was made easier, as each object had been previously identified as being destined for a particular reserve in the Mucem Conservation and Resource Centre. The convoys transferring the collections from Paris to Marseille were carried out between September 2012 and July 2013. At the departure and arrival of each truck, a steward checked the truck’s loading and unloading using the traceability tool. In all, 160 semi-trailers were needed to carry out this operation. In some cases, a crane had to be used to load very large parts.

Marie-Charlotte Calafat, Assistant to the Collections and Documentary Resources Department of the Mucem Conservation and Resource Centre

Heir to the Musée national des Arts et Traditions Populaires, Mucem is a museum of Mediterranean and European society. In 1881, the Musée d’ethnographie du Trocadéro began to take stock of its collections. In 1937, the newly-created Musée National des Arts et Traditions Populaires (National Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions) continued to expand the collections of France’s national heritage. For over 60 years, the museum carried out intellectual projects, surveys, collections and even archaeological excavations. The collections preserved are the fruit of this research and collection work. The MnATP collection, which is preserved and promoted by the Mucem, comes from all regions of France. The Musée de l’Homme’s Europe collection, deposited with the Mucem in 2005, enables us to extend our collections to the whole of Europe. The entire European continent is represented in the Musée de l’Homme’s collections. Since the early 2000s, Mucem’s teams have also been making acquisitions from the Mediterranean area for over 10 years, helping to broaden the museum’s field of expertise and open it up to geographical areas that were previously little represented.

Marie-Charlotte Calafat, Assistant to the Collections and Documentary Resources Department of the Mucem Conservation and Resource Centre

Berlin, occupied by Allied forces in 1945, was divided into two blocks, then separated by a long, high wall from August 15, 1961 to November 9, 1989. Many East Berliners lost their lives trying to cross over to the West. The wall remains the symbolic trace of this period. Although the entire wall has been demolished, Berlin has preserved part of it, the East Side Gallery.

This section, donated to the Mucem by the Senate of the City of Berlin, is part of the third phase of construction of the wall, the Grenzmauer 75, “border wall 75”, decided in 1974, and made up of 3.6 m-high prefabricated blocks with an integrated 1.2 m-wide base. On the west side, artists came to create their works in protest against this infringement of the freedom of movement enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Frédéric Mougenot curator at the Mucem, in charge of the Domestic Life section

Yes, all Mucem collections are housed in the Conservation and Resource Center (CCR).
Tours of this building are organized every first Tuesday of the month, between 2pm and 5pm.
Reservation required. Each tour is limited to a maximum of 20 people.
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For further information, please contact us at the following e-mail address: reservationccr@mucem.org

Yes, a box office is open unless the show is sold out.

No, modes of transport must be parked outside the museum.

No, tickets purchased in your name can be used by another person of your choice.

No animals are allowed on site, except those required for visitors’ mobility (e.g. guide dogs).

Yes, a bar and restaurant area is provided for each outdoor evening.

Yes, you can bring your own picnic, but no alcohol, knives or glass containers.

No, these sessions are open to all without reservation.

– Individuals holding an exhibition or family ticket on the day of the event,
– Beneficiaries of minimum social benefits, including recipients of the minimum old-age pension,
– Jobseekers (on presentation of proof of less than 6 months),
– Children under 18 years of age (except where a child rate applies),
– AMU students, IEP Aix-en-Provence, ENSA-M, ENSADMM
– Young people aged 18 to 25 inclusive,
– War veterans, severely disabled civilians and veterans, disabled visitors and one accompanying adult (proof of disability),
– Friends of the Mucem.

For conservation reasons, the maximum temperature in an exhibition room is 21°C. Exhibition rooms must therefore be air-conditioned.
In summer, the difference in temperature between outside and inside the exhibition halls can be considerable, so be sure to pack a jacket!

No, all animals are forbidden in the Mucem, with the exception of animals used for medical assistance and on presentation of their owner’s certificate.

Find your lost items by logging on to Troov.com
If you have found an item during your visit, you can also help its owner find it by referencing it on the online application.

Yes, but you mustn’t use a flash or tripod. Photos are not allowed in certain exhibitions.
Professionals are required to have a permit issued by the Communication Department.

Strollers are allowed in the Mucem, including exhibitions. If they are too large, we can lend you other strollers available in the checkroom (level -1 of J4).

Several dining areas are available at the Mucem.

Restaurants

During the state of emergency, bags and luggage are not allowed on site.
Only helmets and small backpacks measuring 44 cm high by 30 cm wide (24-liter volume) are allowed, and must be deposited in the checkroom.

Yes, all Mucem exhibitions are accessible to people with reduced mobility.

All three entrances to the Mucem are accessible to wheelchair users. However, at the Panier entrance, after passing the Saint Laurent footbridge, access to the fort requires human assistance for about ten meters. Please ask the receptionist at the entrance for assistance.

The recommended entrance is the main entrance via the J4 esplanade, under which there is a parking lot with spaces reserved for disabled visitors.

The museum’s reception desks and ticket offices are wheelchair accessible.
Priority access without waiting at reception desks and access controls.

Accessibility

Yes, it is possible to enter and cross the Mucem during the Mucem exhibition opening hours. There is a charge for admission to the exhibition areas, except on the first Sunday of each month.

The audioguide is available from the ticket offices at J4 and Fort Saint-Jean. It is available in 5 languages for permanent exhibitions (FR, EN, IT, ES, DE) and in 2 languages for temporary exhibitions (FR, EN).

The single rental fee is €3.50. The guide will be lent to you on presentation of proof of identity.

Multimedia guides in sign language and audio description are available free of charge for visitors with visual or hearing disabilities.

As museums in France are not authorized to offer this service, you can contact the sales companies that do.

No, Mucem does not sell objects from its collections.

The Mucem can only be rented privately by companies.

For more information on space rental: privatisation@mucem.org

To find out all about the Musem’s programming, consult the program.

The Mucem is open every day except Tuesday
Exceptional closures on May 1 and December 25

Friday May 2 to Friday July 4: 10am-7pm
Saturday July 5 to Sunday August 31: 10am-8pm
Monday September 1 to Sunday November 2: 10am-7pm
From November 3: 10am-6pm

Last entry to exhibition halls 45 minutes before closing time.
Exhibition halls close 15 minutes before site closes.
J4-Fort Saint-Jean footbridge closes 30 minutes before site closes.

The Mucem is open every day except Tuesdays, May 1 and December 25. It is open on other public holidays, except when they fall on a Tuesday, the weekly closing day.

To find out all you need to know about coach parking, please click here.

Please find below the list of partner hotels of the Mucem

New Hôtel Saint Charles***
4 Allée Léon Gambetta, 13001 Marseille
marseillesaintcharles@new-hotel.com
04 91 95 09 09

New Hôtel Vieux Port***
3 bis Rue Reine Élisabeth, 13001 Marseille
marseillevieux-port@new-hotel.com
04 91 99 23 23

Hôtel Hermès**
2 Rue Bonneterie, 13002 Marseille
hotel.hermes@orange.fr
04 96 11 63 63

Hôtel Edmond Rostand***
31 Rue dragon 13006 Marseille
info@hoteledmondrostand.com
04 91 37 74 95

B&B La Joliette**
52 Rue de Forbin, 13002 Marseille
bb_4522@hotelbb.com
04 96 17 89 01

New Hôtel of Marseille ****
71 Boulevard Charles Livon, 13007 Marseille
info@newhotelofmarseille.com
04 91 31 53 15

Hôtel La Résidence du Vieux-Port ****
18 Quai du Port, 13002 Marseille
info@hrvpm.com
04 91 91 91 22

Grand Hôtel Beauvau ****
4 Rue Beauvau, 13001 Marseille
h1293-gl@accor.com
04 91 54 91 00

New Hôtel Bompard****
2 Rue des Flots Bleus, 13007 Marseille
marseillebompard@new-hotel.com
04 91 99 22 22

To find all the information about transport, please click here

Yes, it is possible to buy tickets for the Mucem from all countries, except for American Express and JCB (Japan Credit Bureau) credit card payments.

Only full-price Mucem tickets, family tickets and Mucem+audioguide tickets are on sale via the online ticketing service.

People entitled to free admission or a reduced fare must buy their ticket on the spot on presentation of a valid receipt.

You can book and pay for your visits or activities at the Mucem by telephone, Monday to Sunday, 9am to 6pm, on the following number: 04 84 35 13 13.

In this case, tickets can be collected from the Mucem ticket office on the day of the visit or activity, on presentation of your ID.

Your print-at-home tickets are permanently available right up to the date of the event on the Mucem ticketing website

Ticketing

The Mucem is free of charge on the first Sunday of each month, during the Nuit des Musées (Museum Night) and the Journées européennes du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days).

Please find all information about free admission to permanent and temporary exhibitions below.

• Jobseekers with proof of less than 6 months’ employment
• Children under 18 with proof of identity
• Mucem employee, service provider and concession holder on presentation of a company badge
• Recipients of minimum social benefits and minimum old-age pension on presentation of a valid card
• Disabled war veterans, severely disabled civilians and veterans, disabled visitors and one companion
• National and regional lecturers and guide-interpreters
• Journalists
• Members of ICOM, ICOMOS and AICA
• Culture card holders and one accompanying person
• Affiliated Maison des artistes
• Carte passerelle mécène holders (+1 guest for duo formula)
• Friends of the Mucem

Please find all information about discounted rates below.

• Young people aged 18 to 25 inclusive, on presentation of ID
• Teachers holding an Education and Higher Education Pass and working in France, on presentation of a valid card.
• Visitors to the Musée Regards de Provence, the FRAC or the Musée Granet (Aix-en-Provence) on presentation of a full-price ticket dated the same day.
• Families of up to 2 adults and 5 children

One ticket gives access to all the Mucem’s permanent and temporary exhibitions (valid for one day).

• Full price (individual ticket): €11
• Reduced rate (individual ticket): €7.50
• Family rate* (family ticket): €18

*2 adults and up to 5 children maximum