Musée International de la Parfumerie

Top choice in Grasse


This whiz-bang museum is a work of art: housed in an 18th-century mansion enlarged with a modern glass structure, it retraces three millennia of perfume history through beautifully presented artefacts (including Marie Antoinette's travelling case), bottles, videos, vintage posters, olfactive stations and explanatory panels. The museum offers interesting insights into how the industry developed in Grasse. Kids are well catered for with dedicated multimedia stations, a fragrant garden, a film testing sense of smell and a reconstructed 19th-century perfume shop.

Multi-lingual audioguides (€1) help you navigate the vast collection; there are also 90-minute guided afternoon tours on Saturday (English and French) and Sunday (French only). The museum is half-price if you show your ticket for Les Jardins du MIP.


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