Louvre-Lens Museum

A perfect example of how creative museum curation can produce a miracle. This modern architectural masterpiece houses parts of the Louvre collection in 3 parts. The “river of time” with its eclectic choice of all time masterpieces, a temporary exhibition and a smaller space dedicated to an artist. You need at least two hours to walk the galleries, but you have a Cafe with snacks and a posh restaurant to fill your tank and enjoy this well proportioned museum. Don’t miss a walk through the Center of Lens and peek in its Art Deco train station. The “Le fleuve du temps” gallery is free access while the temporary has a paid entrance.

Great museum! Well worth a visit. There were a lot of visiters though, so we had to wait at certain rooms to see everything. Worth a visit if you love art!

Truly incredible museum. An amazing collection of striking artifacts, classical statues and iconic artwork. I also was pleasantly surprised to find that only for special events/exhibitions do you need a ticket, otherwise entry is totally free to see this absolutely incredible place. An absolute MUST if you're in the area.

Fabulous! Love the layout. Loved the collection of art… A lot of of it was very whimsical. I’ll post my photos.

Free admission, nice collection in a quiet place. There is additional exhibition that costs extra. Audio guide available for 2 euros.

The Louvre-Lens may not be as vast as the Louvre in Paris, but it’s a remarkable museum in its own right. Its collection is impressive, and you can’t help but be drawn in. What makes it even more enjoyable is the lack of crowds, allowing you plenty of time to observe and fully immerse yourself in the art.

Beautiful Museum and absolutely worth a visit. We didn’t have to pre-book tickets as it was very empty. There is also a nice restaurant just outside the museum and a canteen inside serving salads, sandwiches and wine.

We used this as a pit stop while on a road trip, and it exceeded my expectations. The museum is free and enables you to see loads of incredible art. I loved the layout in the main room, with artefacts in chronological order. The information was really useful along with some fun activities for children/adults. The museum itself is not grand, but I think that adds to its appeal. What seems quite ordinary from the outside opens up into an airy and spacious blank canvas for the art to stand out against. I don't know if we could have spent too long here, which is why I have marked it down a star. However there seemed to be cafés and other paid exhibitions which you could delight yourself with. Free parking, free museum. Excellent stuff.

This museum was designed by renowned Japanese architect SANAA, and plays with the concept of inside v.s. outside. The experience begins at the train station - Lens is 1hr north from Paris - and winds through a lovely wooded park to the museum. The architect's touch is present but very subtly. There is a unassuming fence of reeds on the right, wiring for path lighting weaves back and forth across the trees, the informational placards for the area have raised markings so it's a joy to see AND feel your bearings. The museum itself has a low slung profile and beautifully reflects the natural landscape around it. At times it seems the building is hardly there as trees and clouds move across its surface. The interior is just as stunning, circular pods discovered outside in the concrete are repeated inside as pop-up library, information, and eating areas. Exhibits are displayed in chronological order so it's easy for any adult or child to glance up to see what millennia they're currently "in". Best of all, there's lockers for storing your bags if you're in transit from Paris to another city and.... it's free!! (as of June 2015)

Cool space. Very impressive and true to the sites history as mine. Perm collection is OK. A few great pieces, lots of high-end filler. It's the Louvres little brother, after all. Temp exhibit on war was outstanding. The curator did a great job capturing the essence of war-related art and it's role in our understanding of conflict, I almost missed it but you can see the storage area for priceless pieces on the lower level. That was kind of cool. The food in the cafeteria was OK. Nothing special but better than your average museum cafeteria.