Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours Museum

Address: 1 Place François-Sicard, 37000 Tours, France

Website: https://www.mba.tours.fr

Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00am-6:00pm, closed Mondays

Admission: €7-€9 (adult)

The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours is the principal fine arts museum in Tours, France, with collections covering several centuries of European art. It showcases painting, sculpture and decorative arts relevant to the Loire Valley and beyond.

Galleries present works from the Renaissance period through the modern era, including paintings, sculptures and graphic arts. The museum’s holdings emphasise artistic developments important to the region and France more broadly.

The museum’s origins trace to post-Revolutionary efforts to assemble public art collections; its holdings were expanded over the 19th and 20th centuries through purchases and donations. The institution has occupied purpose-adapted gallery space in the city as its collections grew.

Located in central Tours, the museum sits close to the city’s historic core and cathedral, within the Loire Valley cultural area. It is easily reached from local public transport and attracts visitors touring the region’s châteaux and historic towns.

• Collections scope: Collections span paintings, sculptures, drawings and decorative arts from the Renaissance through the 20th century, with a focus on regional and French schools.

By train: Tours station is central and about a 10-15 minute walk to the museum. By car: Central parking is available near the cathedral and municipal lots; the museum is within easy walking distance of Tours’ main square.

• Start low and work up through the chronological displays; the museum's medieval collection hides in rooms many visitors rush past.
• Check for temporary exhibitions from French and Italian collections; they often spotlight lesser-known regional artists.
• Visit on a late-afternoon Friday when local crowds are thinner and the light in the upper galleries softens.