Musée d'Archéologie de Nice-Cimiez

The Musée d'Archéologie de Nice-Cimiez stands at 160 Avenue des Arènes de Cimiez, on Cimiez hill in Nice, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, beside the excavated baths and amphitheatre of Roman Cemenelum. Cemenelum was the capital of the Roman province of Alpes Maritimae and flourished in the 1st to 3rd centuries CE. The museum presents finds from the excavations of the site, which began in the 19th century and continued through the 20th, and it also holds material from the Greek settlement of Nikaia and from the surrounding region. Exhibits include pottery, glass, coins, jewellery, sculpture, inscriptions and architectural fragments, together with objects of daily life such as tools and lamps, which help to explain how the town worked. A section is devoted to the paleochristian period, with finds from the church and baptistery on the site. The museum is arranged chronologically and thematically, with displays on public life, bathing, religion, trade and burial. The modern building was designed to sit alongside the excavation, so that visitors can step outside to see the baths, the streets and the small amphitheatre that the objects came from. The remains have been consolidated by the City of Nice over successive campaigns, and the museum has been updated with new displays and labelling. According to the listing used for this guide, entry is free, with hours of about 10:00AM to 6:00PM in summer 2026, and visitors should confirm by phone. A visit takes about an hour, and a visit with the ruins takes one to two hours. The museum combines naturally with the Musée Matisse next door. The building has step-free access in the main galleries, but the outdoor ruins involve slopes and uneven paths.