Are you acontemporary art lover? We recommend a visit to the New Villa Paloma National Museum during your stay in Monaco. Housed in an early 20th-century villa in the La Condamine neighborhood, it is open duringtemporary exhibitions. These exhibitions are dedicated to major artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the tranquil setting of this institution and its garden, with a superb view of the Rocher!
Here are some useful tips for planning your visit to the New Villa Paloma National Museum in the Principality of Monaco.
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Is a visit to the New Villa Paloma National Museum worthwhile?
Yes, this exhibition space opened in 2010 and is well worth a visit! It has enabled the New National Museum of Monaco, created in 1972 in the Villa Sauber, to add 875m2 of space over 3 floors. The Villa Paloma, dating from the early 20th century, also offers visitors a pleasant setting. We enjoyed its elegant garden overlooking the Rock. During our visit, we enjoyed an exhibition dedicated to American artist George Condo. We loved his paintings and sculptures depicting hybrid, sometimes deformed, human figures.
With your ticket to Villa Paloma, you can also visit Villa Sauber. These tours are some of the best things to do in Monaco!
What you can see
A vegetable garden
As you enter the museum, you enter a lush setting. To your right, you’ll see a small vegetable garden, formerly an educational garden. We were able to identify aromatic plants, edible flowers and local, seasonal fruits and vegetables. The aim of the garden is to preserve and promote local flora, with a view to passing on the knowledge. It is the subject of workshops for both the general public and schools.
An antique garden overlooking the Rock
We were seduced by the Villa Paloma garden. Built in successive balconies, it offers stunning panoramic views of the Rocher and Port de la Condamine. The museum is located in the hills above Monaco. Its “antique-style” gardens were designed by Octave Godard, a pupil of the famous landscape gardener Edouard André (1840-1911). Octave Godard is best known for his contribution to the invention of the Mediterranean garden in the early 20th century, characterized by regular forms and the use of local plants. He was very active in Nice!
Stained glass and mosaic paving
The all-white Villa Paloma looks quite sober. One part of the building is more contemporary, in perfect harmony with the classical, geometric façade. The interior is equally uncluttered, although some decorative elements caught our eye, such as this superb stained glass window. Very colorful, it shows Art Nouveau influences, with the use of plant and animal motifs, but also Art Deco, with a very geometric background. In our opinion, the blue and purple tones were in perfect harmony with the brighter touches of pink and red. On the next floor, a Rococo-influenced mosaic paving also impressed us!
High-quality temporary exhibitions
The museum offers high-quality temporary exhibitions, showcasing the 10,000 works in Monaco’s national collection. We were lucky: during our stay in Monaco, an exhibition on the American artist George Condo was taking place! As we like his figures, both strange and full of humanity, we were delighted. We had never seen so many of the artist’s works. They came from private collections and national museums all over the world! Occupying the entire villa, the exhibition allowed us to deepen our knowledge of the painter. We wandered through themed rooms highlighting the major themes in his work (portraits of women, forgery of old masters, imaginary figures…). We’re sure that you too will discover an exhibition that will leave a lasting impression on you at Villa Paloma!
An audiovisual room
In addition to numerous exhibition rooms, Villa Paloma features a pleasant audiovisual room. A film is shown at regular intervals to provide a better understanding of certain aspects of the current exhibition. For example, we saw a documentary on George Condo. We found his interview very interesting, as the painter explained his artistic approach and motivations. We were captivated!
A reading room: “La Table des Matières” (The Table of Contents)
Finally, on the garden level, we spotted a room that intrigued us, called “La Table des Matières”. Don’t be afraid to enter: it’s a library, a social space and a forum. It was designed in 2011 by the museum’s visitors’ service. Curators and mediators, as well as gardeners, transmit content intended for the museum’s public: wall texts, videos, plants, a selection of books… One of the walls is also intended to host the “Work of the Month”, presenting a contemporary artist or a heritage work. So you can sit back and satisfy your curiosity!
Access to the New Villa Paloma National Museum in Monaco
Where is the museum?
- The museum is located in the Condamine district of the Principality of Monaco.
- To get there, it’s a 15-minute walk from the station, and 30 minutes from the famous Place du Casino.
Access by car and parking
You’ll find underground, pay parking lots (for parking longer than 1 hour) close to the museum. The “L’Engelin” parking lot is located 1min from the museum. You can also opt for the “Jardin Exotique” parking lot, a 5-minute walk away.
OUR TPS FOR RENTING YOUR CAR IN Provence
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a car that is powerful enough (the roads are steep) but compact (some passages are narrow).
- Think of thecomplete insurance (some roads are tortuous and narrow).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
Public transport access
The Principality has an extensive bus network. You can easily reach the museum by taking lines 2 and 3, then getting off at the “Villa Paloma” stop. Alternatively, you can take line 5 (“Parc Antoinette” stop), accessible via a public elevator. To plan your itinerary, we recommend you visit the official transport network website here.
Visiting difficulties
The museum is accessible to people with reduced mobility. There’s an elevator inside for access to the upper floors. There’s also an elevator to the second part of the garden, slightly below. However, if you have mobility problems, the museum is not easily accessible on foot. Located on the heights of the principality, you need to be in good physical condition to reach it! We recommend using the public elevators. To guide you, we recommend downloading the city map here, which shows the location of escalators, public elevators and staircases.
A special brochure for people with reduced mobility is also available here.
Visit the New Villa Paloma National Museum: useful tips
Schedules and prices
Please note that the museum is only open during exhibition periods, at the following times:
- July and August: 11 am – 7 pm.
- Rest of the year: 10am – 6pm.
- Last entry 30min before closing time.
- Closed January 1, May 1, 4 Grand Prix days, November 19 and December 25.
Museum rates are as follows:
- Full admission (including visit to the Villa Sauber National Museum): €6
- Free admission on all Sundays, and permanently for under-26s, jobseekers…
To see the full list of free beneficiaries, visit the official website here.
How long
Allow 1h to 1h30 for your visit, depending on your interest in contemporary art and whether or not you’d like to take a break in the garden and in the “Table des Matières” room.
Best moment
The museum isn’t very busy, but we’d still advise you to visit in the morning to minimize the number of visitors, especially during the summer months. If you can, avoid Saturday afternoons when family visits are scheduled. Then why not take advantage of the nearby Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology?
Direction of visit
There’s no set order for visiting the museum, but we recommend you start on the first floor, where temporary exhibitions usually begin, before moving on to the upper floors. You can then enjoy the bookshop/shop and the pleasant garden terrace.
Visiting with children
If you’re a family, we recommend you visit the museum at weekends, as family workshops are regularly organized. During the school vacations, special workshops for young visitors are organized in conjunction with the temporary exhibitions. For further information, please consult the museum’s calendar of events on the official website here.
Eating out
The museum has no restaurant or refreshment bar. Eating and picnicking are also prohibited, even in the garden. However, it is located in the Condamine district, with its many fine restaurants. Discover our selection of the best restaurants in Monaco in our dedicated article!
Hotels
There are plenty of hotels in the Condamine district, particularly around Port Hercule, as well as in the rest of the principality. To help you find your way around, here are our recommendations:
WHERE TO STAY IN Monaco
Option 1: In Monte Carlo
Discover luxury palaces in Monaco’s most sought-after district:
- Hotel de Paris – see prices, pictures and availability
- Hermitage Hotel – see prices, photos and availability
- Hotel Métropole – see prices, photos and availability
Option 2: Larvotto
Close to Larvotto beach, you’ll find some splendid resort hotels.
We recommend..:
- Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort – view prices, pictures and availability
- Le Méridien Beach Plaza – view prices, pictures and availability
Option 3: At Port-Hercule
Boutique hotels, with superb views of the port and the Rock.
- Hotel Miramar – prices, pictures and availability
- Port Palace – see prices, photos and availability
