Lille / The verdict
Is La Piscine museum in Roubaix worth it?
La Piscine is a go: a 1932 Art Deco public swimming pool converted into a museum, where the old pool basin still sits under a stained-glass sunburst window surrounded by sculpture, ceramics, textiles and paintings. Entry is EUR 11 during exhibitions and EUR 9 off-season, it is 30 minutes by metro from central Lille, and free slots include Friday evenings, first Sundays and under-18s every day.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team.
The Lille story
Lille is the France that feels Flemish: stepped gables and brick facades rising around the Grand Place, cobbled Vieux Lille lanes lined with estaminets pouring Trappist beer, and the Palais des Beaux-Arts holding a collection second in France only to the Louvre at a fraction of Paris prices. Twenty minutes away by metro, Roubaix's La Piscine turns an Art Deco swimming pool into one of the most beautiful museum interiors in the country, and Louvre-Lens hangs 250 Louvre works in a single chronological hall without the Paris scrum. Eurostar drops you in the centre in about ninety minutes from London, no onward transfer.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Go
La Piscine is a go: a 1932 Art Deco public swimming pool converted into a museum, where the old pool basin still sits under a stained-glass sunburst window surrounded by sculpture, ceramics, textiles and paintings. Entry is EUR 11 during exhibitions and EUR 9 off-season, it is 30 minutes by metro from central Lille, and free slots include Friday evenings, first Sundays and under-18s every day.
Go if
- Museum and architecture fans; the building alone justifies the trip and the collection is broader than expected
- Anyone with a second day in Lille; Roubaix is a 30-minute metro ride away
- Budget culture hours: Friday nocturne 18h to 20h is free, as are under-18s, students on Fridays and first-Sunday collections
- Rainy-day half-days; expect two to four hours inside
Skip if
- Monday is your only free day; the museum closes every Monday
- You want a blockbuster blockbuster; the permanent collection impresses less than the building, per some reports
- A two-stop metro ride feels like a trip too far on a single-day visit; the old town alone fills that
What it costs
- Adult entry during a temporary exhibition: €11 (reduced EUR 9; free for under-18s). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Adult entry outside exhibition periods: €9 (reduced EUR 7 between exhibitions). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Same-day SNCF TER ticket holder entry: €9 (show a valid day-of TER ticket for the reduced rate; TER trains run Lille-Flandres to Roubaix in about 10 minutes). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Audioguide: €2 (also a free smartphone guide via the museum app). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Friday nocturne, 18h to 20h: €0 (free entry every Friday evening; first Sundays are also free for the permanent collections and students enter free on Fridays). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 12 traveler reports (Nov 2024 to Sep 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 0 were negative.
What people like
- Reports call the converted pool hall one of the most beautiful museum interiors in France, worth the trip alone.
- The collection surprises with breadth: Rodin, Picasso ceramics, textiles and a reconstructed sculptor's workshop.
- Travelers praise the easy access: 30 minutes by metro, or a short TER hop one stay found cheap and convenient.
- The free windows earn credit: Friday nocturnes, first Sundays and free entry for under-18s.
What people complain about
- A couple of reports find the permanent collection less exciting than the building that holds it.
- The Monday closure and 13h weekend start catch morning planners out.
- Roubaix adds 30 minutes each way, and one itinerary simply ran out of time for it.
- The main hall echoes badly when busy, and queues form for the well-publicised temporary shows.
How to do it right
- Ride metro line 2 from Lille's centre to Gare Jean Lebas or Roubaix Grand-Place in about 30 minutes; the museum is a roughly 500-metre signed walk from either stop.
- Alternatively take the TER from Lille-Flandres to Roubaix in about 10 minutes; a Roubaix-stay report found regional trains cheap for hopping between towns.
- Check the exhibition calendar first: adult entry is EUR 11 when a temporary show runs and EUR 9 between them, and the building-plus-collection mix lands differently depending on the show.
- Go on Friday evening for the free 18h to 20h nocturne, or the first Sunday of the month for free collections access.
- Allow two to four hours: the pool hall, sculpture garden, Rodin buffet and Bouchard workshop add up fast, and one report ran out of time.
- Finish at the on-site tearoom run by a famous Lille patisserie; the vanilla waffle is the reported order, and the garden is pleasant in good weather.
The trap to avoid
Arriving on a Monday or mid-afternoon on a weekday. The museum closes every Monday, and Saturday-Sunday hours start at 13h rather than 11h, which catches morning planners. Reports also flag that the glossy building oversells a quieter permanent collection for some tastes, so if the current temporary exhibition does not appeal, check the exhibition calendar before the 30-minute metro ride.
What to do instead
Why this verdict
La Piscine is the sight that sends people to Roubaix at all, and it delivers on two layers. First the building: a 1927-1932 Art Deco public pool by Albert Baert, closed in 1985 and reborn as a museum in 2001. The old pool basin still lies beneath a stained-glass sunburst window, flanked by the original changing cabins, which now act as gallery cells. Reports repeatedly call it one of the most beautiful museum spaces in France, and even the lukewarm write-ups concede the venue impresses.
Then the collection. It sprawls across sculpture, ceramics, textiles, design and painting: Rodin’s carved buffet, a reconstructed Henri Bouchard workshop, Bourdelle, Bonnard, Foujita, Picasso ceramics and the Ecole de Roubaix artists, plus temporary exhibitions that local coverage keeps recommending. One museum-day vlog calls the trip worth the journey alone; a longer report warns four hours pass quickly inside.
The straightforward notes: a couple of reports find the permanent collection a notch below the building itself, and one Lille day-tripper simply ran out of time for Roubaix, so treat it as a proper half-day rather than a squeeze-in. Practicality is easy: metro line 2 from central Lille to Gare Jean Lebas or Roubaix Grand-Place in about 30 minutes, then a short walk; or a 10-minute TER train to Roubaix station, which one Roubaix-stay report found a cheap way to hop between the northern towns.
Timing and tickets
Open Tuesday to Thursday 11h to 18h, Friday 11h to 20h with a free nocturne 18h to 20h, and weekends 13h to 18h; closed Mondays and on some holidays. Entry is EUR 11 during exhibitions and EUR 9 between them; under-18s always free, students free on Fridays, first Sundays free for the collections, audioguide EUR 2. Combined tickets with La Manufacture or Villa Cavrois cost EUR 13.50 and EUR 19.50.
Book or check times
La Piscine: hours, prices and accessLa Piscine museum: current exhibitions
Questions
How do I get to La Piscine from Lille?
Metro line 2 to Gare Jean Lebas or Roubaix Grand-Place takes about 30 minutes, then a roughly 500-metre walk. A TER train from Lille-Flandres to Roubaix takes about 10 minutes.
How much does La Piscine cost?
Adult entry is EUR 11 during temporary exhibitions and EUR 9 between them, with reduced rates EUR 9 and EUR 7. Under-18s enter free every day, students free on Fridays, Friday evenings 18h to 20h are free for all, and first Sundays are free for the permanent collections.
Is La Piscine open on Mondays?
No, it closes every Monday and on some holidays. Hours are Tuesday to Thursday 11h to 18h, Friday 11h to 20h, weekends 13h to 18h.
Is it really a swimming pool?
Yes: a 1932 Art Deco public pool by Albert Baert that closed in 1985 and reopened as a museum in 2001. The basin, cabins, showers and sunburst window are all intact, now framing sculpture and decorative arts.
How long do you need at La Piscine?
Two hours covers the highlights; reports that slowed down passed four hours including the temporary exhibition and tearoom. Treat it as a half-day with travel from Lille.
Is the permanent collection good?
Mostly yes, with sculpture, ceramics and textiles the standouts, but a couple of reports find it a notch below the building. Checking the current temporary exhibition before going settles the question.
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