Bassins de Lumières
Bassins de Lumières
4.5
Speciality MuseumsPoints of Interest & LandmarksArt Museums
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
The Bassins de Lumières, the world's largest digital art centre, presents monumental immersive digital exhibitions devoted to the major artists in the history of art and contemporary art.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience Bassins de Lumières and nearby attractions

See what travellers are saying
  • julie p
    Cape Town, South Africa67 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Visual fun experience.
    What a wonderful experience. Loved that it was in an old submarine base. Great use of space and ideal for an art presentation. The cube was also very enjoyable and I loved the bean bags so you could soak it all up in a relaxed position. We had a young toddler in with our group who was so entranced with the nature scene and wanting to chase after the rowing boat! Lovely experience.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 19 September 2023
  • Peter J
    London, United Kingdom278 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Absolutely brilliant
    A truly amazing light show set in some WW2 submarine pens. Yes, it sounds bit bizarre but the scale and delivery in a unique setting was amazing. Staff friendly and helpful.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 21 September 2023
  • Jeremy D
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    One of the Coolest Things I've Ever Experienced
    I saw the Dalí, Gaudí, and Cube exhibits, all of which where fantastic and unique. The Dalí presentation was set to a range of Pink Floyd songs, and it was incredible to see how they linked the art works and moving images with the music. This section was about 35 minutes I believe. Gaudí was set to a variety of songs and the visuals were spectacular, but this section was only 10 minutes. The Cube was a large square room with two different 10 minute stories that looped, and you could sit on bean bags on the floor to watch the beautiful imagery. The physical space of the building was like a boardwalk in the complete darkness, surrounded by water, with the images all around on the walls. Cannot recommend this enough.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 21 September 2023
  • Emily G
    London, United Kingdom64 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic way to spend an afternoon.
    Absolutely fantastic. I could’ve stayed there all day taking it all in. We saw the Dali and Gaudi exhibits. Look forward to coming back to Bordeaux too experience the next one. Best interactive art I have been to.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 7 November 2023
  • Wanderer731845
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    bordeaux short visit
    amazing city . use public transport trams really quick and efficient also river bus but not the river tours. Cite du vin, Bacalan market and all waterfront. 3 days not enough as didnt manage a vinyard tour which would probably good use for a whole day. too many good small restaurants even with one for lunch and another for dinner each day.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 18 November 2023
  • awexelman2022
    8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing Immersive Art Experience
    One of the coolest things I have ever seen! If you like immersive art or Pink Floyd music this should not be missed. The Dali exhibition was my favorite. Plan for around 2 hours and don’t miss the immersive cube either.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 4 December 2023
  • Lorraine H
    170 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing experience. Don’t miss it if you’re near Bordeaux
    Amazing light & sound show. The powerful Pink Floyd music & beautiful moving art projections on the concrete bunker, provided an amazing sensory experience. The best tourist attraction in Bordeaux for me. Don’t miss it. Even if you are not a Dali or Pink Floyd fan, you’ll still enjoy it. I am now a new Floyd fan. We walked from city du vin in September in the heat & it was a little too far, down ugly streets. Not a pleasant walk. Get a taxi or the bus. It’s well worth the effort.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 11 December 2023
  • Liege-Bastogne-Liege
    Zurich, Switzerland455 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    serene and beautiful
    Knockout. An extrordinary place, four huge submarine bays, still filled with water, with walkways between, lit by a huge dynamic 3-d illumination of world-famous artworks. it is unique. On the day we visited, it was Dali, l'egnime sans fin'. His artworks are perfect for such a setting: the surreal imposed upon the surreal. And even more powerful considering that this base was built by the Axis for one purpose, for war. It's dull inside to maximise the effect of the extraordinary show, but if you look carefully, you might notice signs or instructions here and there, in traditional German script, painted onto the walls by the Nazis. Eerie to a point but a powerful repurposing for good over evil.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 12 March 2024
  • Lorraine B
    268 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing!
    AMAZING!! At first we were disappointed cause Tin Tin wasn't in exhibition but once inside we forgot all about it. We walked into a pitch black area and next thing we know there's digital lights and music everywhere. A truly impressive experience one should immerse in.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 10 April 2024
  • A C
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loved this museum. Definitely worth the trip
    This is an amazing museum and we all loved it. It is a little way out of town but absolutely worth the trip. We were warned to take something warm to wear as it can be cool inside. It was cool and after an hour (no idea where the time went) we were looking for our jackets.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 10 April 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles754 reviews
Excellent
558
Very good
116
Average
39
Poor
17
Terrible
24

IrishTraveller0
Dublin, Ireland156 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
The light show is decent, gets a bit repetitive though. When you first enter, its pretty much pitch black after the sun so people are bumping into each other so be careful on entry and hold small childrens hands etc. After a few minutes though your eyes adjust and it's fine.
It's a shame there isn't more on the building, much more interesting than the light show. It's extremely dark so hard to see or appreciate the building architecture and engineering, it would be good if they opened part of it up with full lights.
No cafe or restaurant inside just the food trucks in the carpark and a bit expensive, 2.50 for a bottle of water.
To get there take the green line tram to Place Ravezies and then head back the way you came to the roundabout and take first left, cross the road and go to the bus stop (3 minute walk) and take bus 9 , 3rd stop is Base sous marine, same tram ticket will work on bus. Don't walk, it's a depressing, rundown road/area. When you get off the bus there are no directions! Go back the way you came for about 3 minutes and you will see the entrance to the carpark (it's the first road you meet) beside a circus school!
Written 11 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sir, We have read your message and are sorry that the visit did not meet your expectations. Regarding transport, it is indeed more interesting to stop one stop earlier (Latule stop), to avoid having to retrace your steps. We have understood your various remarks and will forward your feedback to the departments concerned. Cordially, l'équipe des Bassins des Lumières
Written 12 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

laineenfrance
Darvel, UK49 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Couples
We pre booked timed tickets and found an enormous queue to get in. Plus another long queue for people who hadn’t booked. This was our first outing since lockdown and the volume of people spoiled the visit for us, despite everyone wearing masks and sanitising. The worst bit is when you first enter and people all bunch together - this is a huge area and it could be made clearer to move away on entering. Lots of bored children running around too.
The projections themselves are magnificent, but we were relieved to get back outside.
Written 23 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kind42
Oxford, UK54 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
The submarine pens in Bordeaux have been transformed into an amazing art space. The art is projected onto the walls and onto the water and the art moves and changes whilst music plays.

At the entrance we were told it takes about an hour to see through all the shows but we actually stayed about 2 hours because we enjoyed it so much. It is also lovely and cool when the weather is hot.

It is worth finding the cube and going inside to see the two special shows.
Written 24 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JKL69
Lyon, France49 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
The first time when I was able to enjoy art presented on screens was in Paris. When I was visiting Bordeaux for the 1st time, I fell upon this event quite unexpectedly & I did not hesitate! Presentation at the Bassins de Lumières is even better than my previous experience in Paris. It is held in a former submarine base and the water reflections plus the music background made the presentations even more "grandiose". If you haven't had the chance to experience this, jump at this opportunity eyes closed!!
Written 3 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Katie A
21 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Friends
Visited with kids and their grandparents and absolutely loved this experience. So wonderfully done: the music and the art and light show, fitting so well together. Kids aged 9 and 13 enjoyed it and so did us adults. We took public transport and it did require a tram and a bit of a walk (or bus but wait was long) from the centre. There is a car park, it looked quite full.
Appreciated having some history of the base included inside and to be able to contemplate how it once was and how it has now been turned into such a positive space. Highly recommend to anyone visiting Bordeaux or nearby places. Will definitely return for future exhibitions.
Written 9 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ithaca96
Colmar, France345 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
This is one of the real great art experiences. In the huge old WW2 bunker, projections of Gustaf Klimt, Egon Schiele and Paul Klee flitter and flimmer all over the 4 enormous basins for submarins - on floors, in the water, all over the walls. You literally walk around in great works of art, with selected music to go with the different artworks. Cannot be praised enough!
Written 17 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Windycil
Cardiff, UK37 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Friends
This immersive art show was the highlight of my trip to Bordeaux. Masterpieces by Renoir, Monet etc are projected digitally onto the concrete walls of a former ww2 submarine bunker in time to music and reflected into water. It was so atmospheric and totally mesmerising. Would thoroughly recommend this experience . Reasonably priced at 13.50
Written 27 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rita S
Stockport, UK293 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Couples
Located in a bit of an odd area, we took the bus from our hotel to get here. But what a cool experience, it wasn’t the digital art that impressed me at first but the fact that this was a submarine bunker and the history behind it is pretty amazing, 6,500 people worked on building this place during the war, really astounding! You could imagine a submarine sat in one of the bays. There is a small section which tells you some of the history (and in English) but to be honest they could make a lot more of this. The digital art was very good along with the music, this is played in all 4 sections so you can move from “room to room” looking behind you, above you, below you and at the sides, through the archways, the colours reflecting off the water, brilliant. Was not as keen on the films shown in the cube, this was a separate area and you sit on the floor on bean bags to watch a series of 3 or 4 short films. Total price for an adult was €15 each
Written 14 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hugh K
Deal, UK5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Couples
A completely enveloping environmental experience in a massive World War II submarine bunker. The sound and the moving visuals totally surround you. It’s fast and loud in near darkness. Really not to be missed. Amazing. The only drawback is getting there - it’s really badly signposted. We used Tram B to Cite du Vin and walked to the very far end of Rue Lucien Faure. If you get that far you’ll find it.
Written 1 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

HilliardSonographer
hilliard165 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Couples
This place (as previously reviewed) is wonderful. We spent the suggested 2 hours walking through the different rooms.
We purchased our tickets, and parking spot, on their website. After you pick your entrance time, you also choose the parking time.
We opted for the 1000 time for both.
In hindsight, we would have skipped paying 2 euros for the parking because there were plenty of free spaces at 1000.
There are several rooms to walk through. There’s also a room with stadium seating at the back of the building by the toilets. We preferred the open walk through rooms.
There are two light shows in the big rooms. One immediately follows the other. We preferred The Venice, over Somelia, although both are nice.
The Cube is a square room where you sit on the floor. There’s 2 light shows in the Cube. We preferred the molecule show better than the futuristic video.
As others have said, there’s no cafe. Of course there’s a gift shop at the exit.
We plan on taking visitors there in the future.
Written 15 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 258
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

BASSINS DE LUMIÈRES (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

All Bordeaux HotelsBordeaux Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Bordeaux
All things to do in Bordeaux
Day Trips in Bordeaux
RestaurantsFlightsHoliday HomesTravel StoriesCruisesCar Hire