Paris Museums

If you’re going to be doing the museum circuit while in Paris—and you definitely should—you may want to invest in a Carte Musées et Monuments, which offers admission to 65 museums in greater Paris. The card is cost-effective if you plan to visit more than three museums or sights every day and will enable you to sail past admission lines. It is available at major museums, tourist office kiosks, and many metro stations. Ask for a brochure listing participating museums and monuments. A pass for two days is €30, for four days €45, for six days €60. For more information, call Association InterMusées, 4 rue Brantôme, 3 ème (☎01 44 61 96 60; www.intermusees.com). Most museums, including the Musée d’Orsay, are closed on Mondays, while the Louvre, Centre Pompidou, and Musée Rodin are closed on Tuesdays.

• Île St-Louis

The Bibliothèque Polonaise de Paris hosts the only official “museums” on the island, but the elegant hôtels particuliers that abound can be considered museums in their own right. Many of them have ...more

• 1er Arrondissement

Museums in the first are, of course, dominated by the most renowned of all art showcases in the country (and perhaps the world): the Musée du Louvre. This grand monument is an essential part of any ...more

• Other Museums In Châtelet-Les Halles

 Musée De L’Orangerie. The Orangerie has come a long way from its original role as the greenhouse of the Jardin des Tuileries. Opened as a museum in 1927, the intimate building is home to a ...more

• 3ème Arrondissement

Even if you’re not the traditional museum-going type, the 3 ème will surprise you with its range of options, from beautiful and elaborate mansions to unconventional and well-maintained attractions ...more

• 4èmeArrondissement

The 4 ème ’s undeniable attraction is the Centre Pompidou, but those looking for a less touristed way to explore can enjoy the Musée de Jeu de Paume or take a tour of author Victor Hugo’s stately ...more

• 5ème Arrondissement

Any visit to Paris would be incomplete without a stop at the resplendent Musée de Cluny. Its elegant, varied, and accessible exhibits thrill the artsy, the intellectual, and the young-at-heart. The Institut ...more

• 6ème Arrondissement

The Latin Quarter's alternative to large-scale, conventional museums is its bounty of private galleries, which offer contemporary art displays with enough variety to suit every taste. Rue de Seine and ...more

• Invalides (7ème)

The 7 ème is a museum lover’s dream, with most of its best stretched along the quais lining the Seine. Visitors can indulge themselves in the best of Impressionism and satisfy their curiosity about ...more

• Musée Rodin

79 rue de Varenne, 7ème. Varenne. ☎ 01 44 18 61 10; www.musee-rodin.fr. Open Tu-Su Apr.-Sept. 9:30am-5:45pm; Oct.-Mar. 9:30am-4:45pm; last entry 30min. before closing. Gardens open Tu-Su Apr.-Sept ...more

• Musée D’Orsay

62, rue de Lille, 7ème. Solférino, RER Musée d’Orsay. Access to visitors at entrance A of the square off 1 rue de la Légion d’Honneur. ☎ 01 40 49 48 14; www.musee-orsay.fr. Wheelchair-accessible ...more

• Invalides Museums

Esplanades des Invalides, 7 ème . Invalides or Saint François-Xavier. ☎ 01 44 42 37 72; www.invalides.org. All open M and W-Su Apr.-Sept. 10am-6pm, Oct.-Mar. 10am-5pm; Tu 10am-9pm. Last ticket sales ...more

• Other Museums In The 7ème

TMusée De Maillol.  In an arrondissement with some of the best art museums in Paris, the Musée de Maillol holds its own. Aristide Maillol was a sculptor, artist, and painter who, inspired by Paul ...more

• Champs-Élysées (8ème)

You’ll find a variety of museums, especially of objets d’art in the north of the arrondissement , while modern and diverse expositions take the stage on and around the Champs-Élysées. The former ...more

• Galleries

The 13 ème has a coterie of new galleries along rue Louise-Weisse (Chevarelet) and the perpendicular rue Duchefdelaville. Expect glossy, colorful photos, loopy (and looping) videos, and gleefully bold ...more

• Opéra (9ème)

Musée Gustave Moreau. This monographic museum, housed in Gustave Moreau’s home and atelier (studio), opened in 1896, two years before the artist’s death. Symbolist master, Matisse and Roualt’s ...more

• 11ème Arrondissement

Espace D’Art Yvonamor Palix. Small gallery displays contemporary abstract painting with a special focus on Mexican contemporary art. White gravel covers the ground floor and exhibits change monthly ...more

• 12ème Arrondissement

There are more hospitals than museums in the 12 ème , which isn’t necessarily a cultural hotspot. However, in October 2007 the arrondissement welcomed a new museum, the Cité Nationale de l’Histoire ...more

• 14ème Arrondissement

 Fondation Cartier Pour L’Art Contemporain. The Fondation Cartier looks like an avant-garde indoor forest, with a stunning modern glass facade surrounding the natural wildlife and local flora ...more

• 15ème Arrondissement

Mémorial De La Libération De Paris. Opened in 1994 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the French Liberation, the Mémorial du Maréchal Leclerc de Hauteclocque and the Musée Jean Moulin honor ...more

• Passy And Auteuil (16ème)

 Musée D’Art Moderne De La Ville De Paris. The magnificent Palais de Tokyo (see Sights) is home to one of the world’s foremost museums of modern art. Though the collection is smaller than that ...more

• Batignolles (17ème)

Musée Jean-Jacques Henner. Three full floors display works by Alsatian artist Jean-Jacques Henner (1829-1905). The exhibits feature landscapes, nymphs, and soft-focus subjects. Closed for renovations ...more

• Montmartre (18ème)

The 18 ème ’s museums are as varied as the arrondissement itself. At the northern end past the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur is the historic Musée de Montmartre, which stands in stark contrast to the ...more

• Buttes Chaumont (19ème)

 Explora Science Museum. Dedicated to making science youth-friendly, the Explora Science Museum is La Villette’s star attraction, located in the complex’s Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie ...more

• Belleville And Père Lachaise (20ème)

While not really worth a separate trip, the 20 ème ’s sole museum, La Maison de l’Air, makes for an interesting addendum to a leisurely afternoon spent lounging in the Parc de Belleville . La ...more