Why go
Begin with the Museum of the French Navy if the ships and arsenal have caught your attention. Its historic entrance and ship models put the waterfront in context. The Musée d’art shifts the focus to Provençal painting and later art, while the Museum of Asian Arts connects objects from Asia with Toulon’s maritime past.
The full story
The Museum of the French Navy stands near the old port, behind the arsenal’s monumental gate of 1738. Founded in 1814, it uses models and other displays to explain Toulon’s place in French naval history. The gate and neighboring clock tower also recall a waterfront heavily damaged during the Second World War. Pairing this museum with a walk beside the harbor makes the ships’ sheltered setting easier to understand. The Musée d’art follows a different thread. Its collections include paintings of Provence from the 17th to the early 20th century, works associated with the Fauves, modern and contemporary art, and photography. It is a useful choice if you want to see the region interpreted by artists rather than through military history. In Le Mourillon, the Museum of Asian Arts occupies a waterfront house once owned by descendants of Jules Verne. The collection includes objects from India, China, Southeast Asia, Tibet, and Japan, some donated by naval officers. For a city-focused account, the Museum of Old Toulon and its Region brings together maps, images, models, and other records of local history.