The Musée d'Histoire de Marseille traces the city's 2,600-year story from its Greek founding through Roman trade, medieval fishing village, Renaissance free city and modern French port. Its setting is the unusual part: the museum extends out into the Jardin des Vestiges, the excavated remains of the original Greek port that were uncovered in 1967 during construction of the Centre Bourse shopping centre. Wooden hulls of Greek and Roman ships, a stretch of rampart, the fresh-water basin — all preserved in the open air where they were found.
Inside, the collection runs to thousands of objects, with strong sections on the Greek period, Roman-era trade, and the city under royal authority. The displays were modernised in 2013 and are well done, with bilingual labels. Allow two hours including the Jardin des Vestiges. The museum is tucked into the basement of the Centre Bourse mall but is far more interesting than its location suggests.