# Marc Chagall National Museum, Nice > The Marc Chagall National Museum in Nice is a museum the artist shaped himself, in his lifetime. Its treasure is the Biblical Message: seventeen huge canvases on Genesis, Exodus and the Song of Songs that Chagall gave to France. He chose where each painting would hang and designed the garden, the mosaic above the pool and the blue stained glass of the concert hall. The museum sits on the slope of Cimiez hill, a 15–20-minute walk from the station. Entry is ticketed; allow 1–1.5 hours. Web page: https://yesgo.io/france/nice/musee-chagall - City: [Nice](https://yesgo.io/france/nice), France - YesGo score: 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 15 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Ticket; free on the first Sunday of the month - Hours: By day, closed Tuesdays - Opened: 1973 - Duration: ≈ 1–1.5 hours - From the station: ≈ 15–20 minutes on foot - Location: Slope of Cimiez hill, on the way to the Matisse Museum - Coordinates: 43.70917, 7.26954 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **17** — paintings in the Biblical Message (source: English Wikipedia) - **1966** — Chagall gave the cycle to France (source: English Wikipedia) - **1973** — the museum opened (source: English Wikipedia) - **1986** — Exodus drawings and gouaches acquired (source: English Wikipedia) ## About the Chagall Museum The Marc Chagall National Museum is a French state museum devoted to the artist's work on **religious and spiritual themes**. It was created in Chagall's lifetime with the support of the culture minister André Malraux and opened in 1973. Its other name is the **Marc Chagall Biblical Message Museum**. It's a rare case of an artist designing his own museum. Chagall **chose the place of every work**, ignoring chronology, gave detailed instructions for the garden, and made the mosaic and stained glass. He wanted an exhibition each year on the spiritual history of the world, a tradition that continues. ## What to see - **The Biblical Message** — 17 large canvases on the Bible. - **The Song of Songs room** — five red paintings about love. - **The blue windows** — in the concert hall, on the Creation. - **The mosaic above the pool** — Chagall's work in the garden. - **Sketches and gouaches** — preparatory work for the cycle. - **The garden** — olives, cypresses and lavender as the artist planned. ## The Biblical Message The heart of the museum is a cycle of **seventeen paintings** Chagall gave to the French state in 1966. Twelve large canvases tell stories from **Genesis and Exodus**: the creation of man, Paradise, Noah's Ark, Abraham, Jacob and his ladder, Moses. They hang in the main hall, each full of details to pick out: angels, animals, flying figures. Five more paintings, on the **Song of Songs**, are gathered in a room of their own. Painted in shades of red and pink, they're about love, and many see them as a tribute to the artist's wife Vava. It's perhaps the warmest, brightest room in the museum. > **Don't miss** Be sure to step into the **concert hall**: three large **blue stained-glass windows** by Chagall on the Creation flood it with blue light, especially on a sunny day. Concerts are held there from time to time. Look too for the mosaic above the garden pool, best seen once you're outside, turning back towards the building. ## How the collection grew In 1972, before the opening, Chagall gave the museum **all the sketches** for the Biblical Message, so you can trace how the big paintings came to be. In 1986 the museum received the complete set of drawings and gouaches for Exodus and ten more paintings. Gradually the single-theme museum became a **monographic museum** of Chagall: today it holds one of the world's largest collections of his spiritual work, painting, drawing, prints, sculpture, stained glass and mosaic. Temporary exhibitions run in summer and autumn. ## The museum garden The museum is surrounded by a **Mediterranean garden** laid out to Chagall's own instructions: olives, cypresses, pines, lavender and flowers that bloom most of the year. Paths and benches wind between the trees, and by the building is the pool with the artist's mosaic shining above it. The garden has a small café with a terrace, a good spot to rest after the rooms and talk over what you've seen. It's quiet, with the city barely audible, though central Nice is very close. ## How to get there 1. On foot from Nice station, a 15–20-minute climb up Boulevard de Cimiez. 2. By bus from the centre to the Musée Chagall stop, about 10 minutes. 3. On foot from Place Masséna, about 25–30 minutes. 4. To the Matisse Museum, by bus further up the hill or 20–25 minutes on foot. ## Tips for your visit An hour to an hour and a half is enough. The museum is usually closed on Tuesdays, and entry may be free on the first Sunday of the month, so check before you go. The audio guide helps with the Bible stories even if you don't know them well. The Chagall Museum pairs naturally with the [Musée Matisse](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/musee-matisse), higher up the same Cimiez hill; together they make half a day of art. A good order: Chagall first, then the bus up to Matisse and a stroll in the olive grove. The museum is on one level and pushchair-friendly. Photos without flash are allowed. Children enjoy hunting for animals and angels in the paintings. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Check it isn't a Tuesday closure - [ ] See the Song of Songs room - [ ] Step into the blue-window hall - [ ] Find the mosaic above the pool - [ ] Rest in the garden ## Places in Nice: compare and choose Places in Nice rated by YesGo. - [Chagall Museum](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/musee-chagall) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Ticket - [Saint-Paul-de-Vence](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/saint-paul-de-vence) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free - [Antibes](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/antibes) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Free - [Musée Matisse](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/musee-matisse) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Nice museums ticket - [Cagnes-sur-Mer](https://yesgo.io/france/nice/cagnes-sur-mer) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free ## Don't mix it up The Chagall Museum is the national museum in Nice; Chagall lived in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, and the Fondation Maeght there also holds his work. ## Tips - Closed Tuesdays. - Windows glow in sunshine. - Then on to Matisse. - Rest in the garden. ## Questions ### How much is entry to the Chagall Museum in Nice? Entry is ticketed; see the official website for current prices. ### How do I get to the Chagall Museum? On foot from the station in 15–20 minutes or by bus from the centre. ### How long do I need at the Chagall Museum? About an hour to an hour and a half. ### What is Chagall's Biblical Message? A cycle of 17 paintings on Genesis, Exodus and the Song of Songs. ### When is the Chagall Museum closed? Usually on Tuesdays; check before you go. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. Prices, hours and the closing day weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Musée Marc Chagall - Museum official website, musees-nationaux-alpesmaritimes.fr --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.