The best museums in Nice in 2026 are the Musée Matisse in a Genoese villa on Cimiez hill, the Musée National Marc Chagall with its Biblical Message cycle, Villa Masséna for the history of Nice and the Riviera, the Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Chéret, and, a short drive away, the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens.
Nice was home to Matisse and Chagall, and its art museums are among the best on the Riviera. The Matisse and Chagall museums are both on the way up to Cimiez, easily combined by bus. Most municipal museums close on Tuesdays. Note that the Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain (MAMAC) is closed for renovation until about 2028. For more of the city, see our Nice attractions guide.
Matisse's work in a red Genoese villa among olive trees.
The Musée Matisse, in a 17th-century Genoese villa on Cimiez hill, traces the artist's whole career, from early paintings to his paper cut-outs, with works he left to the city where he lived and died.
Matisse is buried in the cemetery nearby.
Good to know: Combine with the Roman ruins and the monastery gardens next door.
164 Avenue des Arènes de Cimiez, 06000 Nice
Chagall's luminous Biblical Message paintings, in a museum he helped design.
The Musée National Marc Chagall was created to house Chagall's Biblical Message cycle of 17 large paintings, with stained-glass windows by the artist in the concert hall, in a calm garden setting.
It is one of the most moving single-artist museums in France.
Good to know: It is on the way up to Cimiez; visit before the Musée Matisse.
Avenue du Docteur Ménard, 06000 Nice
A Belle Époque villa telling the story of Nice and the Riviera.
Villa Masséna, a Belle Époque mansion on the Promenade des Anglais, is the city's museum of art and history, covering Nice's transformation into a glamorous winter resort, with gardens open to the public.
Its gardens are a calm break from the Promenade.
Good to know: The gardens are free to wander.
65 Rue de France, 06000 Nice
Fine art in a Belle Époque mansion.
The Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Chéret occupies a grand Belle Époque mansion built for a Ukrainian princess, with paintings and sculpture from the 17th to 20th centuries, including works by Jules Chéret and Raoul Dufy.
It is quiet and rarely crowded.
Good to know: It is a short walk uphill from the western end of the Promenade.
33 Avenue des Baumettes, 06000 Nice
A pink Belle Époque villa with nine gardens above the sea.
Built for Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild in the early 1900s, the villa is filled with art and furniture and surrounded by nine themed gardens with musical fountains, on a ridge between two bays.
It is about 20 minutes from Nice by bus or car.
Good to know: Go in the morning and allow time for the gardens.
1 Avenue Ephrussi de Rothschild, 06230 Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
A serene white museum of Asian art on a lake.
The Musée des Arts Asiatiques, a white marble building designed by Kenzo Tange, sits on a lake in Parc Phoenix near the airport, with collections of art from across Asia and a tea pavilion.
It is a peaceful detour, with entry free.
Good to know: Combine with Parc Phoenix next door.
405 Promenade des Anglais, 06200 Nice
The Musée Matisse and the Musée National Marc Chagall are the two essential art museums; both are on the way up to Cimiez.
No. The Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain is closed for major renovation, with reopening expected around 2028.
Municipal museums in Nice, such as the Musée Matisse and Villa Masséna, charge a modest fee, and the city's museum pass covers several of them. The Chagall museum is a national museum with its own ticket.
Take the bus up to Cimiez from the city center; the museum is in the olive grove beside the Roman ruins.
Yes. The pink Belle Époque villa and its nine themed gardens, on the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula, are one of the highlights of the Riviera, about 20 minutes from Nice.