It was nice while it lasted but now it’s over. Nice municipal museums have been free for years but now the city has instituted admission fees. But only for visitors! Residents of “greater Nice” are eligible for a free museum pass.

The move is controversial. Some say that the city’s budget demanded it while others point out that Nice’s museums are not well frequented as it is and that they are an important part of the city’s cultural life. We are more than a sun and sea destination! Not to mention the proud artistic heritage of Nice and the Cote d’Azur.

The new admission policy splits Nice Municipal Museums into four groups. A €10 pass allows you admission into all the museums in the group for 48 hours. Here are the groups:

• Arts including the Matisse Museum, MAMAC, Palais Lascaris, Théâtre de la Photographie & de l’Image, Espace Ferrero, Galerie de la Marine and Galerie des Ponchettes
• Fine Arts including Musée de Beaux Arts and the Museum of  Naïve Art
• History including Massena Museum and Prieuré du Vieux-Logis
• Science including Museum of Archaeology (sites of Cimiez and Terra Amata) and Museum of Natural History

Students and those under 18 are admitted free.

It remains to be seen how well this new policy will work. The lack of individual admissions means that choosing museums from several different groups could be very expensive indeed. Keep in mind that there are admission fees for private museums in Nice, such as the Chagall Museum.

Click here for information and links to all Nice museums and galleries.