Insiders Guide to
Top Paris Museums
There are over 150 museums in paris –
14 of them are free!
Paris museums are the most visited in the world. The real challenge is choosing the right ones for your Paris vacation.
The Louvre Art Museum is so big and has so many incredible works of art from all periods of history that you could spend days there, without seeing any other museums!
Or you could choose to focus on the small Paris museums with specialized themes like specific artists, the history of Paris, or photography.
You're likely to find long ticket line-ups at many museums in Paris. A Paris Insiders secret is to buy a Paris City Pass before you leave home. This lets you bypass the ticket lines at over fifty-five Paris museums and monuments, and includes lots of extras, including unlimited Metro travel!
When we last visited the fabulous Musée d'Orsay, which houses the greatest collection of Impressionist paintings in the world, we were able to breeze past the long line in front of the left-hand door, and instead go directly in through the right-hand door (Entrance C) with no waiting. It's worth it!
Louvre Art Museum
The Louvre can be overwhelming, buy don't worry, we're here to help.
Use Paris Insiders Guide tips to plan your visit to one of the most famous, and biggest, museums in the world.
Here's some good advice about how to make the most of your time there…
Orsay Museum – the Impressionist Gem
Van Gogh, Manet, Monet and all the most famous Impressionist painters, together at last.
Musée d'Orsay is a jewel of a museum.
Spend a morning viewing the Impressionists, and then have lunch in the museum's spectacular Belle Époque dining room.
Centre Pompidou – Modern Art
It's the converse of the Orsay Museum, filled with the masters of modern art such as Warhol, Kandinsky, Duchamp, and of course Picasso.
Sleek, modern and controversial when it was first built, the Pompidou Center is the greatest modern art museum in Europe.
one of the best of Paris insiders secrets
The Paris Pass is a great way to save money and have unlimited access to museums, monuments, and other attractions.
Free entry to 60 museums and monuments in Paris.
Also included as part of the package is a Metro Pass, allowing you to travel anywhere in Paris free!
Art Museums in Paris
We all know about the Louvre, the Orsay Museum and the Pompidou Center, but what about the other dozen or so Paris museums dedicated to art?
Did you know that there's another modern art museum in Paris that we like even better than the Pompidou Centrer? Or that there are at least two Paris museums dedicated to Asian art? What about the arts of fashion and furniture? You need to read our guide!
Artist Museums in Paris
France loves and honors its artists, and there are a number of Paris museums featuring the work of a single artist.
Some of the greatest French artists are honored in these dedicated museums such as Delacroix, Gustave Moreau and, even though he wasn't French, Picasso.
Romantic Paris Museums
Some Paris museums are downright romantic. That is to say, charming, small-scale, and a delight to be in.
In fact, one of our favorite small museums in Paris is called the Museum of the Romantic Life (Musée de la Vie Romantique), located on an unassuming street in the 9th Arrondissement.
Museums of the History of Paris
There's a lot of history, and it takes a lot of museums to cover it!
In the Marais is Musée Carnavalet, following Paris through its history.
But there's also a Museum of the Middle Ages, museums of daily life and furniture from various periods, the Museum of French Liberation… The list goes on!
Paris Photography Museums
While you're in Paris take the chance to see the work of some of the best photographers in the world by visiting an exhibit at one of the city's photography museums.
Two of our favorites are the Institute of European Photography (Maison Européenne de la Photographie) and the Jeu de Paume in the Tuileries.
Family Museums
There's a lot for a family to see and do in Paris, including this list of kid-friendly museums.
There's a couple of hands-on science museums, a museum of music, the Museum of Natural History, a museum of arts and crafts, and even a toy museum!
Free Museums in Paris?
Did you know you could spend a week in Paris, see a dozen museums, and not spend a Euro?
Do it by visiting the fascinating free museums that are found throughout the city. Most of the museums owned by the City of Paris now offer free entrance.
Interested in the history of Paris? The museum is free. So is the City of Paris Museum of Modern Art, the museum of the French Resistance in World War II, and many other fascinating museums.
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