15 best Paris museums to visit

Home of the world’s most infamous smile, and more Monet and Picasso than you can shake a stick at, Paris is awash with an incredible number of museums. In fact, I was impressed to learn that there are over 130 Paris museums.

It doesn’t take a mathematician to work out that it’s unlikely you’re going to be able to visit them all!

As such, I’ve curated my handpicked list of the best museums in Paris, ensuring you get a wonderful balance of culture and arts that takes you through diverse offerings and the passage of time.

With countless visits to the city over the years, I’ve developed my own personal favourite museums in Paris, all of which feature in this guide.

For a truly Parisian experience, grab a sketch pad and pick a museum for the day. 

1. The Pompidou Centre

Address: Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004 Paris

Opening times:

• Wednesday to Monday: 11:00 – 21:00
• Closed Tuesdays

Book:

• Pompidou Centre Modern Art Museum Entry Ticket
• Pompidou Centre Private Guided Tour
• Centre Pompidou Ticket and Seine River Cruise

Striking for its industrial-esque exterior, and an iconic landmark in Paris, I love that the Pompidou Centre draws you in with its fun and vibrant colours.

Inside you’ll find the largest modern art collection in Europe. The multi-purpose complex led the way in terms of how art institutions globally would develop in the modern age.

The inside-out architecture, designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, is a great place to explore art from the 20th and 21st centuries.

I also think this is a fantastic spot for people-watching, as it’s an area of Paris that draws an interesting blend of characters.

2. The Louvre

Address: 75001 Paris

Opening times:

• Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday: 09:00 – 18:00
• Friday: 09:00 – 21:45
• Closed Tuesdays

Book:

• Louvre Museum Timed-Entrance Ticket
• Skip-the-Line Louvre Museum Masterpieces Guided Tour
• 2-Hour Louvre Museum Guided Tour with Ticket

Is a trip to Paris ever complete without a visit to the Louvre? It may be an obvious choice, but I couldn’t not include it here!

I’m sure it will come as no surprise that this museum, with its infamous pyramid glass skylights, is the world’s most visited museum.

In fact, it’s also the world’s largest museum, so there’s more than enough to keep you entertained and satisfied day after day. 

The Louvre was established in 1793 and has grown and grown since. Many of the 10 million annual visitors simply come to file past the Mona Lisa.

But if you just do this, you’re missing out on 35,000 other works of art which deserve just as much attention in my opinion.

3. Musée d’Orsay

Address: 1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 75007 Paris

Opening times:

• Tuesday to Sunday: 09:30 – 18:00
• Late opening on Thursday until 21:45
• Closed Mondays

Book:

• Musée d’Orsay 1-Day Ticket with Reserved Access
• Musée d’Orsay Guided Tour with Options
• Musée d’Orsay Skip-The-Line Private Guided Tour

Such a beautiful museum, in so many ways, the Musée d’Orsay holds a huge pull for Impressionist and Post-Impressionist fans.

Once a train station, the building is impressive. Be sure to reserve some time simply to grab a coffee and watch time go by, quite literally, watching the clock face. 

Here you can spend many happy hours exploring the galleries of Monet, van Gogh, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, and more. This is possibly my all-time favourite museum in Paris.

4. Musée de l’Orangerie

Address: Jardin des Tuileries, 75001 Paris

Opening times:

• Wednesday to Monday: 09:00 – 18:00
• Closed Tuesdays

Book:

• Musée de l’Orangerie Reserved Entrance Ticket
• Orangerie Museum Guided Tour with Monet’s Water Lilies
• Orangerie Museum Entry Ticket and Seine Cruise Ticket

If you’re a Monet fan or simply want a romantic museum for a gentle amble, then I’m sure you’re going to love the Musée de l’Orangerie.

Here you’ll find the eight enormous ‘Nymphéas’, or water lilies. I love how these curve the walls of two very simple oval rooms, yet somehow you could stay in there for hours. It’s relaxing in a way few other things are!

Don’t miss out on what else is here though. Head downstairs and you’ll find impressive works by Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso and Matisse.

If you’ve got time, I’d also recommend exploring the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume collection of Impressionism too.

5. Musée des Arts et Métiers

Address: 60 Rue Réaumur, 75003 Paris

Opening times:

• Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00
• Late night Friday until 21:00
• Closed Mondays

The name of this museum translates to the museum of arts and crafts, yet this is such a misnomer! This museum is actually Europe’s oldest science museum. 

I think this science museum, founded in 1794 by Henri Grégoire, is fascinating in terms of its scientific and technological displays.

It’s vast, housing so many incredible objects, such as Pascal’s calculating devices.

I have no doubt that the models will leave you awed, and there are so many things spanning so much science that you’ll want to come back for more.

6. Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais

Address: 3 Av. du Général Eisenhower, 75008 Paris

Opening times:

• Currently closed until 2024 for renovations
• Opening hours TBC once opened

Ambling along the Champs-Elysées, you can’t help but notice the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais.

Unsurprisingly, these galleries were actually constructed to form part of the Grand Exhibition of 1900 (of Eiffel Tower fame). You may recognise them from films and stories set at the time.

Even if you don’t dip inside, I’m sure you’ll want to take lots of photos of the grand exterior with its Beaux-Arts style steel-framed glass roof.

The exhibitions inside vary, so I’d recommend checking out what’s on when you’re there.

Good to know: The Grand Palais Paris is currently closed for renovations and is due to open in 2024. In the meantime, you can visit the temporary exhibiiton, Grand-Palais Éphémère.

7. Petit Palais

Address: Av. Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris

Opening times:

• Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00
• Late openings on Friday and Saturday until 20:00
• Closed 1st January, 1st May, 14th July, 11th November and 25th December

Hop over the road from the Grand Palais and you’ll find its little brother, the Petit Palais, built also for the Grand Exhibition.

Leave the Belle Époque exterior behind you if you can, and inside you’ll be treated to a wonderful feast of fine art and sculptures with work by artists such as Courbet, Doré, and Poussin.

If you love Art Nouveau, then I’d suggest heading straight downstairs where you can spend some glorious time exploring the jewellery and artefacts by Lalique and Galle.

8. Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain

Address: 261 Bd Raspail, 75014 Paris

Opening times:

• Tuesday to Sunday: 11:00 – 20:00
• Late opening on Tuesdays until 22:00
• Closed Mondays

With Paris’s museum history, it’s no surprise that it’s also the place to witness art of the moment.

In Montparnasse, and underneath Cartier’s Parisian offices, you’ll find the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain.

I think the building itself is like a work of art. But importantly, it houses modern exhibitions and installations by photographers and artists, with many live events called Nuits Nomades.

9. Musée de Cluny

Address: 28 Rue du Sommerard, 75005 Paris

Opening times:

• Tuesday to Sunday: 09:30 – 18:15
• Closed Mondays

At the opposite end of the chronological scale, there’s Musée de Cluny. Here, in the Latin Quarter, you’ll find this national museum of medieval art.

Famed for its exquisite allegorical Lady and the Unicorn tapestry, there’s so much more to explore besides.

For an experience with a difference, I’d recommend attending one of the medieval-themed concerts.

The building itself is a museum-piece, standing as a rare example of 15th century Gothic architecture. It’s calling out for you to have fun with your camera!

10. Musée du Quai Branly

Address: 37 Quai Jacques Chirac, 75007 Paris

Opening times:

• Tuesday to Sunday: 10:30 – 19:00
• Late opening on Thursdays until 22:00
• Closed Mondays

Book: Musée du Quai Branly Ticket & Seine River Cruise

The lush green living walls of the Musée du Quai Branly are striking and worth a visit alone in my opinion. Just a short walk down from the Eiffel Tower, along the river, it’s hardly an effort.

But making it even more worth the walk are the diverse collections of the Musée des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie and the Laboratoire d’Ethnologie du Musée de l’Hommethere.

Rooms are dedicated to art from Africa, Oceania, Asia and the Americas. There’s so much eclectic cultural variety here. From Aztec statues to Ethiopian frescoes, you’ll be immersed and awed for hours.

11. Jeu de Paume

Address: 1 Pl. de la Concorde, 75008 Paris

Opening times:

• Wednesday to Sunday: 11:00 – 19:00
• Late opening on Tuesdays until 21:00
• Closed Mondays

If photography is your thing then I know you’ll love the Jeu de Paume. The galleries, occupying two hangar-like buildings, don’t convey quite the same intimacy and architectural wonder as other Paris museums.

But it still makes it onto my list of the best museums in Paris because of its impressive displays. 

This is a striking and cool place to be. Head down to the basement where you can enjoy video art and digital installations.

If nothing else, spend a happy half-hour in the bookshop and rest your weary feet in the café.

12. Musée des Arts Décoratifs

Address: 107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris

Opening times:

• Tuesday to Sunday: 11:00 – 18:00
• Late opening on Thursdays until 21:00
• Closed Mondays

If you want to see how the French other-half lived during different points in history, then I think the Musée des Arts Décoratifs is a fascinating insight.

It’s within the Louvre and houses 150,000 items, mostly of French furniture and tableware.

But what really impresses are the 10 period rooms, showcasing reconstructed Parisian living spanning history from the late 15^th century to early 20^th century.

13. Musée Marmottan-Monet

Address: 2 Rue Louis Boilly, 75016 Paris

Opening times:

• Daily from 10:00 – 17:15
• Late opening on Thursdays until 20:15

If you’re a Monet enthusiast, then of course you’ll want to spend some time in the Musée de l’Orangerie. But make sure you don’t forgo the opportunity to visit the largest Monet collection in the world.

Musée Marmottan-Monet was originally a museum of the French Empire.

However, in 1966, Monet’s son, donated 165 of his father’s works, palettes, photographs and sketchbooks, transforming this museum. It’s a real insight into the man behind the art.

Also here you’ll find plenty of other artist’s works, including Manet, Renoir, Caillebotte, Gaugin, and Berthe Morisot.

14. Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine

Address: 1 Pl. du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre, 75116 Paris

Opening times:

• Wednesday to Sunday: 11:00 – 19:00
• Late opening on Thursdays until 20:20
• Closed Tuesdays

Opened in 2007, this is a relatively new museum in Parisian terms. It’s quickly making its way onto the list of best museums in Paris because it offers something quite different.

This is an architecture and heritage museum and inside you’ll be taken aback by the sheer scale of the building itself.

As well as the mock-ups of building facades ranging from those of heritage buildings to cathedrals, the interactive screens bring the impressive models alive.

If that’s not enough to keep you entertained, then head upstairs and you’re treated to full scale replicas of stained-glass windows and both medieval and Renaissance murals.

In my opinion, this is a museum that definitely has the wow factor.

15. Musée Carnavalet

Address: 23 Rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris

Opening times:

• Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00
• Closed Mondays

Want to be taken on a tour of Paris through the ages? The Musée Carnavalet is what you’re looking for.

There are 140 rooms which take you on a chronological journey from pre-Roman Gaul right up to 20th century Paris.

The details and inclusions are impressive, with beautifully restored furniture and exceptional period interiors. There’s even a chunk of the Bastille!

Let me know any of your own favourite museums in Paris in the comments, or get in touch on social media!

Want to know more about what you can do in Paris beyond museums? Check out my list of the 20 best things to do in Paris or unearth the best hidden gems in Paris.

For accommodation inspiration, discover my pick of the best luxury hotels in Paris. If you’re not sure which city to visit next, have a read of my guide to choosing between London or Paris.