Monaco's museums, ranked by what I'd actually pay for

Nobody comes to Monaco for its museums, and yet it has a couple I wouldn’t miss. The trouble is that plenty of guides still send people to places that have moved or have been shut for a long time. I’ve ranked them by what I’d pay for, with September 2026 details, so you don’t climb a hill to a locked door.

The two that earn their ticket price

The first is the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. It dates from 1910, when Prince Albert I opened it on the cliff edge of the Rock, it holds more than 60,000 objects and its aquariums rank among the longest-running anywhere. Adults pay from €20.50, and the official website allows about two hours. The highlights, for me, are the shark lagoon and the roof, 85 metres above the sea. In 2026 the Mediterranean aquarium is closed for works, but it’s still well worth it.

The second is the Prince’s Car Collection, and this is where guides most often get it wrong. It’s no longer on the Fontvieille terraces. Since July 2022 it has been at Port Hercule, beside the Rainier III swimming stadium, on Route de la Piscine. There are around a hundred cars across 3,500 m², ranging from a De Dion Bouton built in 1903 to a Lotus Formula 1 car from 2013, and entry costs €15. I go into it in detail on its own page, along with where to spot supercars on the street.

The New National Museum, running at half strength

Monaco’s New National Museum has two sites, and in 2026 only one is open. Villa Sauber, on Avenue Princesse Grace, is closed for renovation and extension, with no reopening date published. The one you can visit is Villa Paloma, home of the New National Museum, at 56 boulevard du Jardin Exotique.

Until 3 January 2027 Villa Paloma is showing «Victor Brauner, The Magical Adventure». It opens daily during exhibitions, 10:00 to 18:00, and in July and August from 11:00 to 19:00, with last entry half an hour before. It closes on 1 January, 1 May, the four days of the Grand Prix, 19 November (National Day) and Christmas Day, as well as between exhibitions. For the whole holiday calendar, see Monaco opening hours and public holidays.

What I like most about this museum is its pricing. Entry is €6, but on Sundays it’s free for everyone, and on any day for under-26s, students, disabled visitors and jobseekers. There are drop-in guided tours on Saturdays at 11:00 and Sundays at 15:00, €6 on top of entry, and in July and August a 30-minute one on Thursdays at 12:30. I’d pair it with the Exotic Garden of Monaco, which is on the same boulevard.

The small ones, district by district

The Museum of Old Monaco is the one I’d visit simply because it’s there. It sits on the same street as the cathedral, at 2 rue Emile de Loth, and it has been run since 1924 by the Comité National des Traditions Monégasques. It’s free and opens every day except Monday, from 10:30 to 17:00. Its space is shared between the history of the Rock’s lanes, with their language and customs, and a display of Monegasque ceramics. It’s no life-changer, but it gives you the background to the neighbourhood you’re in and fits into any stroll round Monaco-Ville.

The Stamps and Coins Museum is in Fontvieille, at number 11 on the terraces. It opens daily from 09:30 to 17:00, until 18:00 in July and August, and costs €3 for adults and €1.50 for ages 12 to 18, pensioners and students. Unofficial sources say it opened in 1996 and shows every stamp series since the first ones bearing the Principality’s effigy. The official site doesn’t say whether under-12s pay or which days it closes, so with children I wouldn’t assume they go free. If you collect, it’s a must; if it’s specifically Monaco’s euro coins and where to get them that interest you, see Monaco euro coins.

Is there a Formula 1 museum in Monaco?

It’s one of the most repeated searches, and the short answer is no, not under that name. What people asking for it want is the Prince’s Car Collection, which has Grand Prix F1 cars and Monte Carlo Rally cars alongside the classics. If it’s the race itself you’re after, that’s a different page, the one on the Monaco Grand Prix.

Nor should you mix it up with temporary exhibitions. In summer 2026 the Grimaldi Forum put on a show about Monaco and the motor car, from 1 July to 6 September, which has now closed.

What I’ve left out, and why

The Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology does exist and is sold as a combined ticket with the Exotic Garden, but the only official price I’ve found is labelled 2025 and its hours aren’t published. I’d rather not send you there blind. The Fontvieille zoo, which some guides still list, is closed, and the Palace itself confirms that on its website without giving a reopening date. To see how they all fit into a plan with the rest of the city, have a look at my Monaco things-to-do ranking.