0 galleries · 8 museums
Art and heritage in Nantes
The best museums, art galleries and heritage sites to visit in Nantes.
01 — Museums
Museums in Nantes
Discover more museums across Pays-de-la-Loire.
Musée d’arts de Nantes
The Nantes Museum of Fine Arts is located in Nantes in Loire-Atlantique. It presents nine centuries of visual arts, from the Middle Ages to the contemporary period, through its collections which comprise more than 14,000 works. Nearly half of these collections fall under modern and contemporary art. The museum, completely renovated in 2017, occupies three distinct buildings – the Palace, the Chapel of the Oratory, and the Cube – whose architecture reflects their respective periods. It regularly offers temporary exhibitions and makes its collections available online, inviting visitors to explore Western art in an approach that combines historical heritage and current creation.
10 Rue Georges Clemenceau
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Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle
The Natural History Museum of Nantes is a research and conservation institution. Its collections cover several fields: zoology, earth and space sciences, botany, ethnology, and historical collections. Established in Loire-Atlantique, the museum continues its activities with the public through an itinerant program in the municipalities of the Nantes metropolitan area, particularly during its renovation period. The institution also conducts scientific activities: its teams carry out research and field missions, notably paleontological ones. The museum offers temporary exhibitions, cultural events, and educational activities for teachers and visitors.
12 Rue Voltaire
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Musée Jules Verne
The Jules Verne Museum in Nantes is dedicated to the writer and his literary universe. Inaugurated in 1978 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Jules Verne's birth, it preserves a rich collection comprising autographed manuscripts, books, documents, illustrations, posters, objects and contemporary creations. The museum offers an exploration of the author and his "Extraordinary Voyages" through multimedia content and interactive approaches. Located in Nantes, the port city that inspired the writer's imagination, the museum also offers educational activities, creative workshops and guided tours adapted for families and school groups.
3 Rue de l'Hermitage
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Musée d'histoire de Nantes
The Nantes History Museum, located in the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany, traces the evolution of the city from its origins to contemporary times through 32 rooms and more than 1,500 collection objects. The tour covers the major themes of Nantes' past: the Edict of Nantes, industrialization with the LU and BN manufactures, shipbuilding, as well as the Atlantic slave trade and slavery, the latter being an international reference in terms of museography. The museum also offers a "global and connected" history approach, inviting visitors to consider historical events on a multi-continental scale, enriched by contemporary digital creations. The collections include more than 2,600 objects accessible online via a dedicated portal, supplemented by a children's tour and accessibility features.
4 Pl. Marc Elder
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Musée de l'illusion Nantes
Illusion Nantes is a museum located in Nantes, in Loire-Atlantique, in the Pays-de-la-Loire region. It is dedicated to the study and presentation of visual phenomena related to illusion and perception. The museum offers a playful and educational approach to the mechanisms of human vision and optical illusions. It welcomes both adult visitors and children, offering an interactive experience centered on optical illusions and visual challenges. Its location in Nantes makes it an accessible establishment for enthusiasts of cognitive sciences and perceptual phenomena in western France.
3 Rue Contrescarpe
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Nantes on the map
Museums, galleries and heritage, at a glance.