Musée d'Histoire de Marseille and Jardin des Vestiges

The Musée d'Histoire de Marseille stands at the Centre Bourse, on Rue Henri Barbusse in the 1st arrondissement of Marseille, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France. It was built around archaeological remains found when the shopping centre was developed in the 1960s: the quays and docks of ancient Massalia, the Greek colony founded around 600 BC and later a Roman port. The museum tells the story of the city across roughly 2,600 years, from its Greek and Roman origins through the Middle Ages and the modern port. Its most striking exhibit is the well-preserved hull of a Roman cargo ship from the 2nd century, recovered from the harbour mud and displayed in a dedicated hall. Other displays include objects, maps, models and archaeological finds that explain trade across the Mediterranean and the growth of the city. Next to the museum, the Jardin des Vestiges is an open-air archaeological garden preserving part of the Greek harbour wall, a Roman dock and other ancient stonework, set among greenery in the middle of the modern city. A visit takes about one and a half hours. The permanent collection is free per the city listing and temporary exhibitions are free on the first Sunday of the month. Municipal museums in Marseille are normally open Tuesday to Sunday, but exact opening hours were not confirmed, so visitors should check musees.marseille.fr before going. The entrance is on the Centre Bourse side, which can be confusing, so visitors should follow museum signs. The site is a five-minute walk from the Vieux-Port, and it is served by Metro lines 1 and 2 at Vieux-Port or Colbert and by tram T1 at Canebière-Capucins. A weekday afternoon is typically quiet, and the museum pairs well with a stroll to the nearby harbour.