The museum
Marseille soap
Ideally located on the quays of the Old Port, the Musée du Savon de Marseille signed by the Savonnerie de la Licorne welcomes you to the heart of a historic site... inside the former Arsenal des Galères built by Louis XIV.
This monumental military arsenal was designed by Colbert in the second half of the 17th century to house and arm the galleys of King Louis XIV, including the famous and sumptuous Réale, 57 metres long and equipped with 32 pairs of oars.
Until 1748, the Arsenal housed convicts sentenced to forced labour and galley slaves, before being transferred to Toulon, where it is now home to the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier!
This 1666 painting, on the right, signed Jean-Baptiste de La Rose, shows the Old Port, the Arsenal des Galères and the current site of the Marseille Soap Museum.
Today, you can still feel the spirit of the place in the Musée du Savon, with its characteristic white stone and exposed wooden beams. Our museum opens the doors to the history of soap, from prehistoric times to the present day, through frescoes, works of art, documents, objects and rare items.
An interactive museum thanks to our sensory area and our Marseille Soap-making demonstration workshop, where you can personalise your own creation.
A place to discover whether you're on your own, with the family, with children or in a group. And our large two-storey boutique is just next door, where you can discover hundreds of products and our entire collection of genuine Marseille soaps.
Find out more
Rare and unusual objects
Old books, paintings, old advertisements, century-old machines, statues of Manon des Sources, Papet and Ugolin from the Musée Grévin de Provence... discover hundreds of objects linked to the world of soap and the history of Marseille, including some unusual and rare items.
Manufacturing demonstration
Saponification, grinding, plodding, cutting...our guide explains the stages involved in making Savon de Marseille in our workshop, with demonstrations of how our machines work.
Customise your own soap
At the end of our demonstration workshop, it's up to you! You personalise your own soap with different designs and take it home with you! Total duration of the demonstration and personalisation workshop: approximately 30 minutes for 20 people.
Espace Sensoriel, which fragrance?
The Marseille Soap Museum has created a sensory and fun area to test your olfactory sense. Try to discover the scent of a dozen soaps...Open the little wooden boxes...pastis, lavender, verbena, olive? What will your score be?
The Soap Museum Shop
Right next door to our Soap Museum, our two-storey boutique welcomes you with thousands of creations from our traditional workshop on Cours Julien in Marseille. You'll also find a selection of regional products and favourites from local artisans.
The Marseille Soap Museum on video
To discover on site
Shop
de la Savonnerie
de la Licorne
in Marseille
Visit the museum
soap
Visit the museumsoap
Practical information
Guided tours of the factory
The Museum is open every day.
Our adjoining shop is open every day from 9am to 8pm, all year round.
Manufacturing workshop
Soap customisation workshop opening times: 11am-12pm-2pm-3pm-4pm-5pm every day.
Languages of the descriptive panels and the soap-making workshop:
Explanatory documents on request:
Privatisation
Take advantage of a unique site, right in the centre of Marseille, close to car parks and public transport, for conferences, seminars and receptions, as well as tailor-made events. For more information, call 04 96 12 00 91.
Groups
Bookings recommended for groups wishing to take part in the workshop: 04 96 12 00 91
School
We can offer you specific, fun workshops, quizzes and educational tools. Contact us on 04 96 12 00 91.
How to get there
> Bus 60, 82, 82S, 83, 582 Place aux Huiles station
> Metro M1, Vieux-Port station 500 metres away
> FerryBoat Place aux Huiles
> 100 metres from the Théâtre de la Criée
> Ombrière du Vieux-Port de Marseille 500 metres away
Nearby attractions
Soap Museum shop
At 26 Quai Rive Neuve, right next to the Musée du Savon, come and discover the largest Savonnerie de la Licorne boutique in Marseille, spread over two floors.
Atelier de la fabrique
At 34 Cours Julien, in the "quartier des créateurs", come and explore our workshop and how real Marseille soap is made during free visits.
Cours Julien shop
Next to our traditional manufacturing workshop, come and visit our soap shop, where the delicate scents of Savon de Marseille waft through the air.
Boutique Vieux-Port / Town Hall
At 112 Quai du Port near Marseille Town Hall, opposite Notre-Dame de la Garde, discover one of our boutiques with its giant golden unicorn inside!
Boutique Vieux-Port / Mucem
At 240 Quai du Port, at the foot of Fort Saint Jean and the Mucem, come and visit one of our boutiques with its huge golden Savon de Marseille.
