What to do in Nice when it rains
It is raining. Nice has not closed. Your sunglasses can take the afternoon off.
Yes, it rains in Nice. Not very often, but often enough for the city to have developed activities that do not involve a sunbed. Several of its best museums can turn a wet day into a very good one.
Matisse or Chagall in the morning. Lunch in town. Palais Lascaris or the Photography Museum in the afternoon. Then a drink. The rain has achieved very little.
1. Matisse Museum
In Cimiez, in a Genoese villa surrounded by olive trees. The exhibition Henri Matisse - Yves Saint Laurent. Beauty, Fashion and Happiness runs until 28 September 2026. The museum opens 10 am to 6 pm until the end of October, closed Tuesdays.
2. Marc Chagall National Museum
Built around Chagall’s Biblical Message cycle and an exceptional collection of his work. In 2026 it opens 10 am to 1 pm and 2:30 pm to 6 pm from May to October, closed Tuesdays.
3. Palais Lascaris
A 17th-century Baroque palace in Old Nice with decorated salons and a historic musical instrument collection. Compact enough to be useful when the rain becomes ambitious.
4. Charles Nègre Photography Museum
Beside Cours Saleya. Small enough to combine with lunch, serious enough to justify the visit. The Mathieu Forget exhibition runs until 27 September 2026. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm.
5. Villa Masséna
On the Promenade des Anglais, covering the history of Nice and the Riviera inside a Belle Époque mansion. Open 10 am to 6 pm until the end of October, closed Tuesdays.
6. Jules Chéret Fine Arts Museum
A little away from the obvious centre, in a 19th-century villa with collections spanning the 16th to 20th centuries. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm until the end of October 2026.
And MAMAC?
Closed since January 2024 for major renovation connected with the Promenade du Paillon extension. The work will take several years. If an old blog sends you there, it may also have excellent advice on fax machines.