Founded by Jean Durry in 1963, the Musée National du Sport is a French museum devoted to the history of sport. After the closure of its exhibition site in Paris, it moved to Nice in the Alpes-Maritimes and opened in a new dedicated space within the Allianz Riviera stadium. Its collections retrace the history of sport from its origins and also examine the technical evolution of equipment and the role of sport in society.
The museum’s holdings include paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, posters, photographs, periodicals, books, sports clothing, medals, trophies, and private archives. It also organizes temporary exhibitions, sometimes in partnership with other institutions, on themes related to its collections and specific sporting subjects. Alongside exhibitions, the museum conducts scientific studies with universities and research centers and publishes scientific works and popular science brochures.
Relocation to Nice
Le Musee National du Sport was created in 1963 as a French museum dedicated to sport. Its collections retrace the history of sport from its origins. After the exhibition site in Paris closed, the museum moved to Nice in Alpes-Maritimes. It later opened in a new dedicated space within the Allianz Riviera stadium, giving it a specific location linked to a major sports venue.
From French Sports Museum to National Museum
The Musee National du Sport was founded by Jean Durry in 1963. It later opened in Nice inside the Allianz Riviera stadium. The museum includes a total area with both permanent and temporary exhibition spaces. It was also officially inaugurated on an unspecified date. These facts place the institution within a specific sporting and urban setting, while showing its evolution from the Musee du Sport francais to the Musee national du Sport.
Governance and Advisory Structure
The Missions et Fonctionnement of the Musee National du Sport are established by the sports code. Their governance includes a president and a general director, as well as an advisory committee attached to the president. Vincent Duluc succeeded Annie Lheritier as president of Missions et Fonctionnement in 2019. The advisory committee is a scientific body that gives opinions on cultural directions and on all activities of Missions et Fonctionnement, and it can include up to twelve members chosen for their expertise. The general director is appointed by joint order of the culture and sports ministers, and Marie Grasse was renewed in this position by ministerial order.
Collections and Research Activity
The collections of the Musee National du Sport trace the history of sport, the technical evolution of equipment, and the role of sports activities in society. They also support scientific studies conducted in partnership with universities and research centers. In addition to their research function, the collections are used to organize exhibitions and to publish scientific works and popular science brochures. The holdings include paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, posters, photographs, periodicals, and books, as well as sports clothing, medals, trophies, and private archive collections.
Temporary Exhibitions and Collaborations
The Musee National du Sport has used temporary exhibitions to present its collections and explore specific themes, either on its own or in partnership with other institutions. In 2007, it presented a rugby exhibition and also hosted A toute vitesse, an exhibition on automobile racing. That exhibition included the Camille Jenatzy La Jamais Contente and the Bugatti Type 50 driven by Jean-Pierre Wimille. The museum also presented Zoom, le geste sportif recomposé in collaboration with the Institut National du Sport, de l'Expertise et de la Performance (INSEP). Beyond its own premises, it lent objects from its collections to other museums in France for cultural projects. It also contributed with the Musee Francais de la Carte a Jouer to Y'a du sport au musee ! at the Musee du Jouet de Poissy, and to Allez la France ! Football et immigrations, histoires croisees at the Musee de l'Histoire de l'Immigration.
Stadium, l heritage du sport
In 2024, the National Museum of Sport launched Stadium, l heritage du sport, a digital platform developed in partnership with the National Library of France under the Gallica marque blanche framework. The platform is intended to enhance and make accessible sports heritage collections drawn from French museums, sports federations, clubs, local authorities, and the State. By bringing together these sources, it provides a shared digital access point for a wide range of sports-related heritage material.