About Sursock Museum

The Sursock Museum is an iconic landmark art space that enriches Beirut’s cultural scene. The Sursock Museum was born out of Lebanese collector Nicolas Sursock’s commitment to the endorsement and promotion of art. Recognizing the need for institutional support of artists in Lebanon, Sursock left his mansion to the city of Beirut as an art museum upon his death in 1952. It is a historic Magical white palace from the outside, rich with art pieces from within.             


The Museum opened its doors in 1961 with an exhibit of works of contemporary Lebanese and international artists. The museum’s collection consists of 5,000 pieces, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, glassware, and iconography, dating back to the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.Much of the 20th century, as well as archival photos, were taken by aerial surveillance pre-WWII that has very interesting views of the region. It is distributed on several levels, in the main floor is an exhibition about the city, the upper floor has the main Sursok belongings, an authentic view of the rooms and the classy decoration and antique items. The original house is also interesting to see how people of that era lived and entertained. It features a private collection of Lebanese painters in addition to exhibitions around architecture, paintings, and screening of movies during movie night. The ground floor is for modern art, they change the pieces every now and then and exhibit new work.

the first floor has old vintage photographs taken by Lebanese photographers of people of Lebanon and Greater Syria. A true treasure not to be missed. the second floor has different art pieces for Lebanese artists. The underground had a photography collection about Beirut City. The Debbas photography collection is a must-see for those wanting a glimpse of historic Beirut. 

It is a pleasure to sit in the museum front garden surrounded by gardenias and bougainvillea and meet friends for coffee or lunch. The food there is delicious. The museum shop is worth a visit for the upmarket offerings of the crafts scene in modern-day Lebanon.  A line of trees interrupted by paths restores symmetry and welcomes a contemporary concrete, metal and glass building, which houses a library, a cafeteria, and a car lift. The esplanade in front of the museum is organized around a central path surrounded by six skylights. This mineral garden paved with stone hosts sculptures throughout the year.  I highly recommend you come here if you want to get a feel of Lebanese contemporary art and of an art institution supporting the country's development of the young artists.

Must See

Selection of Photographs from The Fouad Debbas Collection offers an amazing  selec­tion of postcards and studio photo­graphs from the fervent collector’s intricate collection. 

 The exquisite pieces of artwork of Chafic Abboud, Rafic Charaf, PaulGuiragossian, Mohammad Rawas, Aref Rayess, Omar Onsi, and others.

 The store offers a comprehensive selection of contemporary art books and gifts.

The state of art restaurant offers a wide range of Mediterranean dishes, coffee, and desserts.

The special exhibition hall, the twin galleries, the specialized research library, the grand auditorium.

How to reach

14 min (4.9 km) via Alfred Naccash and Elias El Hrawi by car.

56 min (4.2 km) via Elias El Hrawi by walk.

Halt-taxi - The most convenient form of transport in Beirut, as they are absolutely everywhere. The fare will be charged per destination and not per distance traveled. A typical journey from one side of Beirut to the other (roughly 3 km) may cost LL10 000.

By service

The more common form of transport, especially with daily commuters, as they are cheaper than the taxis,  the price of the ride is fixed at 2,000 L.L (€1).

By Bus

 Bus fares cost either LL500 (OCFTC bus 24) or LL1000. The service is very efficient and the buses come very often, 

By Car

Car rental prices range from economical LL40,000/day to luxury prices. Those can change according to the season, so make sure you contact the car rental company beforehand to check prices as well as pickup/drop-off locations.

 

Tips

Strickt checking at coat-check facilities, bags are not allowed inside Museum.

Coat and collapsible umbrellas are allowed inside but no large umbrellas.

Non flash still photography for personal use only permitted.

Sketching of collections allowed with pencil only.

Food and drinks allowed in the Museum's esplanade and restaurant only.

Animals are not permitted within Museum premise.

Museum is smoke free.

Visit Time

Monday: closed

Tuesday: closed.

Wednesday : 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Thursday: 12:00 am to 9:00 pm.

Friday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Saturday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Sunday; 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

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Waiting Time

0 hour

 

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Entrance Fee

No

 

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Time you can spend

1 to 2 hours

 

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Weather

Broken Clouds 24.55°C

 

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