Discover the Underwater Museum of Marseille

Statues have graced the world for thousands of years, in cathedrals, museums, and sculpture gardens. But now visitors to Marseille will be able to enjoy them in a new location—underwater.

The Underwater Museum of Marseille (Musée Subaquatique de Marseille) recently opened its doors, so to speak, with ten newly-created sculptures near a popular city beach. Admission is free, and guided tours are also available.

The museum’s founder, Antony Lacanaud, was inspired by Mexico’s underwater sculpture garden near Cancun, which opened in 2009. Such sculpture gardens have begun to pop up worldwide, and Marseille’s is one of the first in France, along with two others near Cannes and Corsica.

The statues are made of a type of concrete intended to attract sea life, both flora and fauna, creating a kind of artificial reef. It seems to be working—one starfish took up residence on the statue Sea Urchin just days after it was installed!

The king of the museum is, of course, Poseidon, the god of the seas…

…while nearby are his friends, the Nereides, or sea nymphs.

Encouraging contemplation is the serene The Seed and the Sea…

…while no self-respecting underwater museum would be complete without a big fish.

The Underwater Museum has artistic and scientific missions and is an excellent site for studying the Mediterranean’s underwater biosphere. It has established partnerships with local schools, using the new attraction to educate students about marine conservation.

The museum is located 100 meters offshore from the city center beach Les Catalans and is ringed by a circle of security buoys to make it easy to find. The sculptures are 5 meters underwater and easily accessible to swimmers (masks recommended).

The museum’s opening has attracted a lot of press, and it was recently featured on the popular French television show Thalassa. Here’s a video preview of the broadcast.

For those looking for a new way to enjoy art on their next visit to Provence, the Underwater Museum of Marseille is not to be missed.

Practical Information

Le Musée Subaquatique de Marseille (MSM) Website (currently in French only)
There are 10 works by 10 artists submerged offshore from Plage des Catalans.

Book guided tours through the museum’s partner Club le Grasm, here.

Image Credits: All credits are shown on the images except for The Seed and The Sea, which came from the museum’s website.

Keith Van Sickle

Keith and Val Van Sickle made their first trip to Provence decades ago, and it was love at first sight. After that, they came back every year until 2008, when they began a part-time life there, splitting their time between Provence and California.

Over the years, they’ve travelled all over Provence, seeing sights both well-known and obscure. Their French friends have introduced them to favourite restaurants and wineries and picnic spots and taught them funny local expressions (not all for polite company).

Keith now shares this local knowledge in his new book, An Insider’s Guide to Provence. Packed with the Van Sickles’ favourite things to see and do, it’s a must-have for anyone travelling to this glorious corner of France.

Keith previously published two books about the couple's experiences in Provence. One Sip at a Time: Learning to Live in Provence, and Are We French Yet?, both are available from Amazon.

You can see all of Keith’s blog posts at Life in Provence.