Departmental Museum of Ancient Arles

A careful scenography, a classification that mixes chronology and thematic, models and plans, try to make the ancient testimonies of the city, from prehistory to late antiquity, accessible to everyone.

Since its opening in 1995, and in order to constantly diversify its offer of visits to the public, the museum has added an auditorium and the Roman-inspired Hortus garden adjacent to the museum and the remains of the Roman circus.
Excavations in the Rhône have considerably enriched the collections, and an 800 m2 extension has been added to the building in order to present nearly 500 objects relating to trade and navigation, including the 31 m long barge Arles Rhône 3, which was brought out of the river and restored, an imposing testimony to trade by river in Roman times. A policy of temporary exhibitions, general or thematic visits of the collections, courses and workshops for all types of public allow us to apprehend the richness of an archaeological heritage of which we are the heirs. Coming to the museum means going back in time to meet a tangible antiquity and to measure how close it is to us.