The Musée du cinéma d’animation, still widely listed as the Musée du Film d’animation, gives Annecy a permanent home for the art form the city has championed since its international animation festival began in 1960. Listed at 18 Avenue de Trésum, on the slopes above the Old Town, it draws families, animators and art lovers curious about how drawings learned to move.
The museum’s 450 m² permanent exhibition draws on the “Musées de France” collections of the Musée-Château d’Annecy. The route traces the evolution of animation’s techniques, styles and imaginative worlds. Visitors encounter optical toys and antique projection devices from the pre-cinema era, original drawings, sketches and storyboards, and puppets and sets from stop-motion productions. Hands-on stations let children and adults test the principles of persistence of vision for themselves, which makes the visit as playful as it is historical.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
June brings the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, which means peak crowds and higher hotel prices. Come in spring or autumn for quieter galleries, and arrive at opening time on weekdays. Opening days and hours vary by season, so confirm them on the Annecy museums website before you go. That site also lists combined tickets covering the city’s other museum venues. The Trésum area sits a short uphill walk from the Old Town canals and the Palais de l’Île. After your visit, the lakeside Jardins de l’Europe make an easy stroll.
