10 Best Museums in Lille

Palais des Beaux-Arts, also known as the Louvre of Lille, is a massive museum that showcases fine arts from antiquity to the 20th century. The permanent collection is particularly impressive, containing works from legendary artists like Goya, Donatello, David, El Greco and Toulouse-Lautrec.

Don't forget to check out the temporary exhibitions when you visit this museum. They typically focus on a singular artist and offer valuable insight into their work, often framed as a retrospective. You can see it all for yourself within the city centre by the Republique Beaux-Arts underground station.

Lille Museum of Natural History (Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Lille) is a historic museum where you'll find impressive zoological specimens on display. The museum dates back to 1822 when it was first opened to show off a local amateur collection, but it has since grown to include pieces from all over the world.

When you visit this museum, you'll find a wide variety of displays and exhibits showcasing prehistoric insects trapped in amber, taxidermied animals and skeletons of long-extinct species like mammoths. You'll find it all just east of the city centre.

Le Tripostal is a former post sorting facility that's since been transformed into a cultural centre with regular contemporary art exhibitions. The building itself dates back to the 1950s, but it didn't become a museum until 2004 after Lille became considered a European Capital of Culture that year.

When you visit, you'll be able to see a variety of contemporary art on display across 3 unique stages. The pieces on display are rotated regularly, so you could enjoy an entirely different experience on subsequent visits. It's all located in Euralille, northeast of the city centre.

The Birthplace of Charles de Gaulle (Maison natale Charles de Gaulle) is the former home of the man who led Free France and features numerous artefacts on display. Gaulle fought against the Nazi occupation of the country and was instrumental in pushing the Nazis out of France.

When you visit this historic site, you'll find all sorts of artefacts and items from his life on display, creating a detailed look into his lived experiences. Plus, you get to see the atmosphere of the industrial middle class of the time. It's all located north of the city centre around Vieux-Lille.

Hospice Comtesse Museum (Musée de l'Hospice Comtesse) houses a collection of items from centuries past in an old hospital building. Many of the pieces on display date back centuries and range from paintings to wood carvings, furniture and more from the local region.

The building itself is an important part of history, as it originally began as a hospital in the 13th century. Many of the expansions came centuries later, and you can see the differences in architectural styles. Check it all out for yourself in Vieux-Lille, just north of the city centre.

WAAO - Centre d’architecture et d’urbanisme is an architectural centre where you can learn all about urban planning and design and how the 2 affect life. While a lot of the exhibitions here focus specifically on Lille, the overall concepts can be applied anywhere people live.

When you visit this museum, you'll find all sorts of exhibitions on display, and they regularly change. They tend to focus on a singular theme, typically linking architectural and urban design to a prominent social issue. You can see it all in person east of the city centre and just south of the Lille Grand Palais metro station.

The Museum of Dolls & Antique Toys (Musée de la Poupée et du Jouet Ancien) lets you explore a massive collection of toys from centuries ago, unleashing your inner child. You'll find toys from several different time periods, including some of the first Barbie dolls and even 19th-century porcelain dolls.

One of the more popular aspects of this museum is the array of electric trains. You'll find immense tracks with trains chugging along them, showcasing the popularity of these fun models throughout time. It's all located a few miles north of the city centre by the riverbank.

The Lille Métropole Museum of Modern, Contemporary and Outsider Art (LaM, Lille Métropole Musée d'art moderne, d'art contemporain et d'art brut) lets you explore recently created art. You'll find modern art, which is art created from the 1860s to around 1970, alongside contemporary art, which is the art of the past 50 years or so.

One of the more unique styles on display here is outsider art, which consists of works created by artists outside of the mainstream art world with no major connections to the industry. These works are pure expressions and are often created by self-taught artists. You'll find it all on the east side of town around Villeneuve-d'Ascq.

The Musée des Canonniers de Lille details the rich history of defence equipment that was used throughout Lille's history, showing off artefacts like cannons. 3,000 objects are hosted here in total, and that includes 2 cannons and several rifles, with the oldest dating back to 1777.

One of the more prominent pieces on display here is the Gribeauval, which was donated to the gunners of Lille by Napoleon Bonaparte. A Gribeauval is a massive yet lightweight cannon that offers both power and range. See it for yourself around Euralille, northeast of the city centre.

Musée de l'Institut Pasteur de Lille is a science museum that lets you explore the history of great innovations, especially those discovered by Louis Pasteur. In addition to Pasteur, you'll also find a focus on Albert Calmette and Camille Guerin.

When you visit this museum, you'll find numerous models and exhibits that let you enjoy the wonders of science in a way that combines art and discovery. Children are often especially wowed by this museum. You can see it all for yourself east of the city centre, right by the Lille Grand Palais metro station.