For over 10 years now, on the 3rd Saturday in May, museums in France and in Europe have been opening their doors, free of charge to visitors. Organized by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, this event aims to facilitate the accessibility of culture to all. In addition to presenting their permanent collections, some museums offer activities, workshops, meetings, shows, but also readings and concerts.
Launched in 2005, the “Nuit européenne des musées” (European Night of Museums) on the initiative of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, the broad event is now held in many other countries in Europe. For many years, UNESCO is supporting this initiative, giving to this event a broader impact. Conceived in a festive and convivial spirit, the European Museum Night, which begins at sunset and ends around one o’clock in the morning, is thus an opportunity to make the widest possible public awareness of the richness of our museums’ collections. Throughout the years, the goal shifted from a national event to European event for the museums and the public, which contributes to the construction of the “Europe of Culture”.
18 countries are participating in this event. Below you can find the list of the countries where events will take place (and the number of events held):
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Finland
France
Georgia
Greece
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Nicosia
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Slovakia
Spain
Ukraine
France is a country where you’ll find the most events with 1200 events in all over the country. For example, Versailles Castle is participating in the event and the prestigious castle will open its doors to the public from 7.30 pm – 1 am.
Below you will find the official map embedded. You can use it to find any events held on European Night of Museums:
The full version is available on the official website. You can find all information related to this event there. The website is available in 5 languages: French, English, Italian, German, and Spanish.
