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Origin and history

The Toulon National Marine Museum originated in 1796 when sculptor Jacques-Félix Brun gathered models of ships and sculptures from the arsenal to preserve them. In 1814, a decree formalized the creation of the museum under the direction of Charles Dupin, accompanied by a school of drawing and modelling. The museum occupies various places in the arsenal before being moved after the Second World War, notably in the Royal Tower (1524), where it coexists with the municipal museum.

In 1981, the museum finally settled in Monsenergue Square, near the monumental gate of the arsenal (1738), becoming a conservatory of the Toulon naval history. His collections include models of ships, galleys, submarines and aircraft carriers, illustrating the technical and strategic evolution of the French Navy. The ground floor evokes the arsenal under Louis XIV and Vauban, while the floor approaches the 20th century, including events such as the 1944 scuttle or the Franco-Russian alliance.

The museum regularly organizes temporary exhibitions, such as Napoleon and Toulon (2023-2024) or Operation Dragoon (2024-2025), highlighting unknown aspects of local history. It also preserves iconic pieces, such as the Chinese cannon or the manoeuvre board of the Clemenceau aircraft carrier. Since 2004, its collections have been centralized on the current site, following the closure of the Royal Tower Annex.

Ranked Museum of France and linked to the network of the Musée national de la Marine (Paris, Brest, Rochefort, Port-Louis), it plays a key role in preserving the Mediterranean maritime heritage. Its collections also reflect the activity of the workshops of the arsenal, such as that of sculptors, closed at the end of the 19th century. The museum remains a living testimony of Toulon, Europe's first military port.

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