In March 2026, Nancy's museums offer family guided tours on the theme "Colours and Light". A programme designed to explore the collections in a different way, together as a family.
In March 2026, Nancy's museums are organising a series of family guided tours entitled "Colours and Light" ("Des couleurs et de la lumière"). These visits take place on multiple dates throughout the month and are aimed at families with children. The theme invites visitors to explore the collections of Nancy's museums through the lens of colour and light in works of art.
A Cross-Cutting Theme for Nancy's Museums
The theme "Colours and Light" provides a thread that runs across the various collections of Nancy's museums. Colour and light are fundamental elements in the visual arts, whether in painting, glasswork, sculpture, or decorative arts. By choosing this angle, the cultural mediators offer a reading of the works that speaks to children and adults alike.
How does a painter use light to give depth to a scene? Why do certain colours draw the eye before others? How did the master glassmakers of the School of Nancy play with transparency and hue? These questions, accessible at any age, allow visitors to approach the works through a concrete, sensory lens.
The Museums Involved
Nancy has several museums whose collections lend themselves particularly well to this theme. The Musée des Beaux-Arts, located on Place Stanislas, houses paintings from the 14th to the 21st century. The chiaroscuro effects in Baroque works, the Impressionists' explorations of colour, the experiments of modern artists: each room offers a different field of exploration.
The Musée de l'École de Nancy, dedicated to Art Nouveau, is another space where colour and light occupy a central place. The glasswork of Émile Gallé and the Daum brothers uses light as a material. The vases, lamps, and stained-glass pieces from this period play with transparency, gradients, and reflections. For children, coloured glass is a particularly engaging medium: you can see light pass through the material and change colour depending on the angle.
Tours Designed for Families
The "Colours and Light" tours are designed as routes adapted for families. This means the pace, vocabulary, and proposed activities take into account the presence of children. The cultural mediators who lead these visits are trained to address a mixed audience: they alternate between explanations for adults and exchanges with younger visitors.
This type of family guided tour differs from a standard visit. The goal is not to see as many works as possible, but to pause before a few selected pieces and take the time to observe them, discuss them, and sometimes participate in small hands-on activities linked to the theme.
Why Colour and Light Speak to Children
Colour is one of the first elements children perceive in a work of art. Before understanding the subject of a painting or the technique of a sculptor, a child sees colours. Red, blue, gold catch their attention. Starting from this natural perception to explore a work is an effective educational approach.
Light, for its part, introduces the notion of contrast. Children intuitively understand that a lit area draws the eye, that shadow creates mystery. By showing them how artists manipulate these effects, you give them interpretive tools they can use before any work, in any museum.
Nancy's Museums: A Rich Heritage
For visitors who are not yet familiar with Nancy's museums, this cycle of tours is a good entry point. The city has a network of museums covering varied periods and disciplines.
The Musée des Beaux-Arts, one of the oldest museums in France (founded in 1793), presents collections of paintings, sculptures, and graphic arts. Its Daum glasswork collection, displayed in a dedicated basement space, bridges fine arts and decorative arts.
The Musée de l'École de Nancy, housed in an early 20th-century villa, is entirely devoted to Art Nouveau as it developed in Nancy between 1890 and 1914. Furniture, glasswork, ceramics, stained glass: the collections reveal an artistic movement that left a deep mark on the city.
The Musée Lorrain (Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine), under renovation for several years, traces the history of Lorraine. Information on its reopening and accessible collections is available on the City of Nancy website.
Nancy, a City of Art and Architecture
Beyond the museums, Nancy itself is a field of observation for anyone interested in colour and light. The Art Nouveau facades in the city centre, with their coloured ceramics and worked ironwork, play with daylight. Place Stanislas, with its gilded gates and fountains, changes appearance depending on the time of day and the season. The Parc de la Pépinière, steps away, offers a green setting where light filters through the trees.
For families combining a museum visit with a city walk, Nancy offers a natural route between indoor and outdoor heritage.
Practical Information
The "Colours and Light" guided tours take place on multiple dates in March 2026 in Nancy's museums.
Exact dates, times, participating museums, and booking details are published on the Nancy Tourisme website. It is advisable to check the programme before visiting, as time slots may vary from week to week and places are sometimes limited.
Nancy's museums are located in the city centre or nearby, accessible on foot, by public transport (Stan network), or by car. Parking is available near Place Stanislas and in the city centre.
For any questions about family tours, the museums' cultural programme, or access conditions, information is available on the official Nancy Tourisme website.
