As a Paris, France local and art lover, I’ve realized that the hardest thing isn’t finding museums in Paris — it’s narrowing down the museums you want to see!
Paris is a worldwide center for art and visiting museums is one of the best things to do in the City of Light. With this in mind, I’ve narrowed down the top Paris museums to suit different interests.
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19 Museums in Paris
Musée du Louvre (Louvre Museum)
One of the world’s most famous art museums lives up to the hype with thousands of objects and works of art on display.
📍 Google Maps | Website | 🎫 Cost: €17 Adults Online, €15 Adults in Person, Free Under 18 | 🕕 Hours: 9 am – 6 pm Sat-Mon & Wed-Thu, 9 am – 9:45 pm Fri, Closed Tue | 👉 Book a private skip-the-line tour of the Louvre
The Musée du Louvre (The Louvre Museum) has one of the largest and most extensive collections of art in the world. It’s also the most visited museum in the world. The Louvre’s permanent collection is massive and includes the famous Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci.
You’re sure to find something to love amidst the museum’s 35,000 works of art and 380,000 objects. Its art and culture collection contains works by famous artists and lesser-known artists.
It’s important to plan ahead for all visits to museums in Paris, but especially to the Louvre. The Louvre has numerous cafés and restaurants. It offers everything from the upscale to the casual, so planning is essential. Read this guide for more essential things to know before going.
📚 Related Reading: The Louvre Museum is in the 1st arrondissement, which is one of the best places to stay in Paris for sightseeing.
Musée de l’Orangerie
This intimate museum will fascinate fans of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art movements.
📍 Google Maps | Website | 🎫 Cost: €12.50 Adults, Free Under 18 | 🕕 Hours: 9 am – 6 pm daily, Closed Tue | 👉 Book a private, skip-the-line tour of the Orangerie Museum
The Musée de l’Orangerie has an impressive art collection of Impressionist works of art. Meanwhile, it’s much less crowded than the Musée d’Orsay. This is also one of my favorite museums in Paris for a short visit.
The enormous Water Lilies mural by Claude Monet is the Musée de l’Orangerie’s top treasure. This painting takes up an entire room! The Musée de l’Orangerie also has a café.
Musée Rodin (Rodin Museum)
This charming museum focuses on the work of a single great sculptor in an old Paris mansion.
📍 Google Maps | Website | 🎫 Cost: €13 Adults, Free Under 18 | 🕕 Hours: 10 am – 6:30 pm daily, Closed Mon | 👉 Book a private tour of the Rodin Museum
Musée Rodin is one of my favorite museums in Paris because it is small enough to see in an hour. However, the house museum of French sculptor Auguste Rodin is beautiful enough that you’ll want to stay all day.
You’ll find Rodin’s sculptures throughout the mansion and garden. Meanwhile, the garden café is perfect for a snack on a sunny day in Paris. Musée Rodin is also close to the Musée du Quai Branly for a combined trip.
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This museum about the history of Paris makes the ideal first stop on a trip to the French capital.
📍 Google Maps | Website | 🎫 Cost: Free | 🕕 Hours: 10 am – 6 pm daily, Closed Mon
This national museum in Paris has an impressive collection that showcases the history of Paris. It’s one of my top recommendations for where to start any Paris visit. Learning the city’s history makes the rest of your trip richer!
The permanent collection is excellent. Focus on the 17th-century and 18th-century rooms to learn about the French Revolution. Then, relax in the courtyard garden with a drink from the renovated café.
Invalides
History and military buffs shouldn’t miss this jam-packed collection of three historic museums.
📍 Google Maps | Website | 🎫 Cost: €15 Adults, Free Under 18 | 🕕 Hours: 10 am – 6 pm daily | 👉 Book an Invalides semi-private Napoleon and military tour
Invalides is three museums in one building. Here, history and military lovers can visit any or all of the institutions.
The Army Museum focuses on French military history. The Musée des Plans-Reliefs focuses on military models. The Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération focuses on a group Charles de Gaulle created during the Second World War.
The Invalides museums are also close to the Eiffel Tower, the Musée Rodin, and the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac.
Musée d’Orsay
This stunning former train station hosts some of the world’s greatest 19th and 20th-century art.
📍 Google Maps | Website | 🎫 Cost: €16 Adults Online, €14 Adults in Person, Free Under 18 | 🕕 Hours: 9:30 am – 6 pm Tue-Wed & Fri-Sun, 9:30 am – 9:45 pm Thu, Closed Mon | 👉 Book a skip-the-line Impressionists tour of the Musée d’Orsay
The Musée d’Orsay is famous among Paris museums for its collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works of art. Lovers of 19th-century painting and sculpture will love this museum in the 7th arrondissement, one of the best neighborhoods in Paris.
Book tickets in advance for this popular attraction. Extend your stay with lunch. The Musée d’Orsay features an upscale restaurant and several more casual cafés.
The Centre Pompidou
Contemporary artwork fans will love the Centre Pompidou for its stunning collection.
📍 Google Maps | Website | 🎫 Cost: €15, adults, free under 18 | 🕕 Hours: 11 am – 9 pm Fri-Mon & Wed, 11 am – 11 pm Thu, Closed Tue | 👉 Book skip-the-line Pompidou tickets
The Centre Pompidou is the heart of modern art and contemporary art among museums in Paris. Here, you’ll see works by major 20th-century artists such as Joan Miró. You’ll also see recent work by living artists.
You can dine at the rooftop restaurant. Also check out the public library, the Musée National d’Art Moderne, and the music research center inside.
Musée Picasso de Paris (Paris Picasso Museum)
See Picasso’s masterpieces at this breathtaking Parisian mansion.
📍 Google Maps | Website | 🎫 Cost: €14 Adults, Free Under 18 | 🕕 Hours: 10:30 am – 6 pm Tue-Fri, 9:30 am – 6 pm Sat-Sun, Closed Mon | 👉 Book a private guided tour of the Picasso Museum
The Musée Picasso in Paris isn’t just for Picasso fans. The Hôtel Salé, which hosts the Paris museum, is a wonderful example of a private Parisian mansion. Plus, the museum hosts traveling exhibitions. In 2023, contemporary artist Sophie Calle took over the museum.
The location of the Picasso Museum makes it a great stop on any museum day. Begin at Paris’s city hall, the Hôtel de Ville. Walk up to the Musée Carnavalet. Then, head to the Picasso Museum, stopping for a coffee in its café. Finally, finish up with the Musée des Arts et Métiers in the northern Marais district.
Musée de Cluny (Cluny Museum)
Step back into a past filled with tapestries and unicorns at the Musée de Cluny in the Latin Quarter.
📍 Google Maps | Website | 🎫 Cost: €12 Adults, Free Under 18 | 🕕 Hours: 9:30 am – 6:15 pm daily, Closed Mon | 👉 Book a medieval Paris private tour
The Cluny Museum centers on Medieval art. History lovers will adore this museum. Works of art in its collection include the stunning “Lady and the Unicorn” tapestries. You can also see stained glass panels from Sainte-Chapelle here.
The museum itself has beautiful 15th-century architecture. There’s also a bookshop and a café.
Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (Museum of Hunting and Nature)
Dive into the relationship between humans and nature at this taxidermy-filled museum in a mansion.
📍 Google Maps | Website | 🎫 Cost: €12.50 Adults, Free Under 18 | 🕕 Hours: 11 am – 6 pm Tue & Thu-Sun, 11 am – 9:30 pm Wed, Closed Mon
Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature is worth visiting for architecture alone. Two 17th-century Paris mansions are combined to showcase the museum’s collection.
Here, you’ll find a lot of taxidermy. Avoid the museum if you dislike taxidermy, as it appears often. But you’ll also see paintings of animals and nature. There is a significant weapons collection, too.
The Paris Sewer Museum
Those seeking the unusual–and informative–can be sure to find it at the Paris Sewer Museum.
📍 Google Maps | Website | 🎫 Cost: €9 Adults, Free Under 18 | 🕕 Hours: 10 am – 5 pm daily, Closed Mon
The Paris Sewer Museum is possibly the strangest museum in Paris. However, it’s also one of the most fascinating.
You can only visit through a guided tour. This will take you into the underground “city below the city.” Although this Paris museum may seem odd, it’s an interesting way to learn about the history of Paris.
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
The Museum of Decorative Arts does more than just display the past—it immerses visitors in it.
📍 Google Maps | Website | 🎫 Cost: €14 Adults, Free Under 18 | 🕕 Hours: 11 am – 6 pm, Tue-Sun, Closed Mon
Musée des Arts Décoratifs focuses on the decorative arts. It’s a 7-story building that shows off more than 6,000 items, making it a great place to spend a rainy afternoon in Paris.
This museum isn’t just for interior design fans. The items on display include clothing and jewelry as well as interior furnishings. Its restaurant, Loulou, serves particularly good French-Italian food.
📚 Related Reading: Best Paris Restaurants
Musée d’Art Moderne (Modern Art Museum)
A free and comprehensive museum for modern art.
📍 Google Maps | Museum Website | 🎫 Cost: Free | 🕕 Hours: 10 am – 6 pm, Tue, Wed, and Fri; 10 am – 9:30 pm Thu; 10 am – 8 pm Sat, Closed Mon
Musée d’Art Moderne is a modern art haven in Paris. It’s a “Musée national,” or national museum, so entrance is free. Its permanent collection is top-notch, with nearly 15,000 works. And, it’s not the only museum nearby. You’ll find other museums within the same Trocadero complex.
The Musée d’Art Moderne has a great permanent collection. Its art installation exhibitions are exceptionally good as well. Check the calendar before you go to see what’s going on.
The restaurant at Musée d’Art Moderne has a great terrace that overlooks the busy surroundings.
Jeu de Paume
This historic building hosts intimate yet breathtaking shows of 20th and 21st-century art.
📍 Google Maps | Museum Website | 🎫 Cost: €12 Adults, €7.50 Children (Tue-Fri only) | 🕕 Hours: 11 am – 7 pm, Wed-Sun; 11 am – 9 pm Tue; Closed Mon
Jeu de Paume is my favorite contemporary art museum in Paris. Its small size makes it feel more like an art gallery than a big Paris museum. Its temporary exhibitions have even exposed me to works of art by artists I’ve never heard of. At the same time, it’s held retrospectives that include some of my favorite works of art.
The Jeu de Paume is across the Tuileries Gardens from the Musée de l’Orangerie. This means you can easily combine the two into one-afternoon museum trip. Begin at the Orangerie for a modern art museum, then move on to contemporary works at the Jeu de Paume.
Louis Vuitton Foundation
The Louis Vuitton Foundation’s ultra-modern building hints at the wonderful art found within.
📍 Google Maps | Museum Website | 🎫 Cost: €16 Adults, €5 Children | 🕕 Hours: 11 am – 8 pm, Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri; 10 am – 8 pm Sat & Sun; Closed Tue
The Louis Vuitton Foundation is one of the newest museums in Paris. The museum, which opened in 2014, is near the Jardin d’Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne. This makes it perfect for a combined day of art and nature.
The museum features primarily contemporary works. You will not find medieval art here! Expect to see artworks from the late 20th century. The Louis Vuitton Foundation also features site-specific works, so check the calendar before going.
Petit Palais
Art fans will adore the masterpieces found within the Petit Palais’s permanent collection.
📍 Google Maps | Museum Website | 🎫 Cost: Free | 🕕 Hours: 10 am – 6 pm, Tue-Sun, Closed Mon
Petit Palais is a “musée national” (national museum) so it’s free—but that’s hardly its only draw. This museum in Paris is the little sister of the nearby Grand Palais, currently closed for renovations through spring 2025. However, the two together make a great combined trip.
The collection at Petit Palais focuses on art from antiquity onward. The Impressionist collection is particularly strong.
Musée Marmottan Monet
Fans of Monet shouldn’t visit Paris without stopping at the Musée Marmottan Monet.
📍 Google Maps | Museum Website | 🎫 Cost: €14 Adults, €9 Children | 🕕 Hours: 10 am – 6 pm, Tue-Wed, Fri-Sun; 10 am – 9 pm Thu; Closed Mon | 👉 Book a Skip-the-Line Tour of the Marmottan Monet Museum
The Musée Marmottan Monet is a museum in Paris with an impressive collection of works by Impressionist painter Claude Monet, as its name implies. However, it has a great collection of works by other 19th and early 20th-century artists, such as Berthe Morisot.
This is the perfect place to dive deeper into Impressionism after the Musée d’Orsay. It’s also the perfect starting point for a Paris art tour if you want to avoid larger and more crowded museums.
📚 Related Reading: Fans of Monet should consider doing a day trip to Giverny to see the gardens and water lilies that inspired the Impressionist artist.
Musée Jacquemart-André
Step into the lives of wealthy 19th-century Parisians and explore their world-class collections.
📍 Google Maps | Museum Website | 🕕 Temporarily Closed (Through September 2024)
Musée Jacquemart-André is an art museum in Paris that makes the perfect stop for those who hate crowds but still want to see a world-class art collection. The house museum belonged to Édouard André and Nélie Jacquemart. Nélie left the house and its art to the government after their deaths.
The museum’s collection contains wonderful works by painters of many nationalities. However, it is particularly strong in 15th and 16th-century Italian works.
Musée de l’Homme
This anthropology museum fascinates visitors with its exhibitions about the history of humanity.
📍 Google Maps | Museum Website | 🎫 Cost: €13 Adults & Children | 🕕 Hours: 11 am – 7 pm, Wed-Mon, Closed Tue
Museums in Paris don’t have to focus on art. The Musée de l’Homme’s collection is anthropological, instead. You can find it in the Trocadero, across from the Eiffel Tower, also near the Modern Art Museum.
Musée de l’Homme is a free museum that walks you through the history of humanity. It shows biological, social, and cultural histories in fascinating ways. There is a café and restaurant on the second floor.
👉 Pro Tip: You qualify for the reduced rate of €10 if you present a full-price ticket from the last three months for the Jardin des Plantes, Paris Zoo, or this museum.
FAQs About Paris Museums
Are there any free museums in Paris?
There are many free museums in Paris. These include the Carnavalet Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Petit Palais. Permanent exhibitions of a “musée national” (national museum) like these are generally free.
What are the best museums in Paris for children?
The best museums in Paris for children include the Musée des Arts Forains, which features old carnival rides. The Petit Palais and Musée Carnavalet also have special tours for children, making them good choices.
What are the best museums in Paris for adults?
The best museums in Paris for adults are the Louvre Museum, the Carnavalet Museum, and the Musée d’Orsay. These three museums provide an excellent overview of French art and history.
👉 Want More Museums? Check out my list of the best museums in France.
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Museums in Paris offer everything from art to history and more. You can visit iconic museums like the Louvre. Or, you can focus on smaller museums like the Musée Rodin or the Musée Picasso de Paris. Incorporate your favorites into your ideal Paris itinerary!
