6 Fascinating Art Museums In Paris To Add To Your List

We all know about the Louvre, the Orsay and the Pompidou, but Paris is also home to other, less-well-known, but equally fantastic museums dedicated to art. One of the prettiest is Musée des Beaux-Arts housed in the charming Petit Palais, which was built for the 1900 World Expo. Is modern art your passion? Then the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris is the place to go. Whatever your interest, this guide to art museums in Paris will steer you in the right direction.

Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris

Located in the Palais de Tokyo, which was built for the International Exhibition of Arts and Technology of 1937, this spacious museum is dedicated to modern art of the 20th and 21st centuries. It's the go-to gallery if you're interested in Picasso, Matisse, Cubism, and Surrealism. As a City of Paris museum, admission is free (except for some special exhibitions).

• 11 avenue du Président Wilson, 75016
• Metro: Alma-Marceau, Iéna
• Open: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Thursdays until 10 pm
• Closed: Monday and public holidays

Musée Cernuschi: Musée d'Art Asiatique

The Cernuschi is located in one of our very favorite Paris quartiers. Wander through Parc Monceau and then view this remarkable collection of 20th-century paintings, Chinese art, and far eastern art collected by wealthy financier Henri Cernuschi. Found in a mansion neighboring the park, the museum plus the jardin make for a lovely day. This is a City of Paris museum and entrance is free.

• 7 avenue Vélasquez, 75008
• Metro: Monceau, Villiers
• Open: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Closed: Monday and public holidays

Musée de la Mode et du Textile

A must-see for fashionistas. With 16,000 costumes under one roof, the Museum of Fashion and Textiles follows the history of fashion from the 16th century to today. Once a separate museum, Mode et du Textile has been folded into the expansive Musée des Arts Decoratifs, located in a wing of the Louvre palace complex.

Because of the delicate nature of textiles the museum's collection is safely stored out of sight in climate-controlled conditions, but there are regular special, themed exhibitions that are worth your while to seek out. This at least means that there is always something new to see.

• Museum of Fashion and Textiles
• Palais du Louvre, 107 Rue de Rivoli 75001
• Metro: Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre
• Open: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
• Closed: Mondays and public holidays
• Mode et Textile Website…

Guimet Musée National des Arts Asiatiques

Covering seven millennia of art, the Guimet Museum boasts 20,000 objects dedicated to Asian civilizations — China, Japan, India and Korea, of course, but also the Himalayas, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Covering such a wide area and a wide variety of cultures, it's not surprising that it boasts one of the largest collections of Asian art in Europe.

• 6 Place d'Iena, 75016
• Metro: Iéna, Trocadéro
• 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Closed: Tuesdays and public holidays

Petit Palais: Musée des Beaux-Arts

This Right Bank landmark houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts of the City of Paris. Brimming with a collection of outstanding paintings and artwork, you'll be surprised at the number of absolute gems — from Impressionist masterworks to sculpture to woodwork.

The building itself is worth the visit with a winter garden, mosaic-trimmed ponds, and colonnades. And it's all free!

• Avenue Winston Churchill, 75008
• Metro: Clémenceau
• Open: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Thursdays until 8:00 pm
• Closed: Mondays and public holidays

Musée du Luxembourg

This was the first museum in France to open to the public, in 1750. It's a small, charming gallery tucked in the Jardin du Luxembourg. In fact, it's actually part of the Palais du Luxembourg, home of the French Senate, and the museum is operated under the auspices of the Senate.

The museum only shows one exhibit at a time, and there are only two or three each year. During periods between exhibits the museum is not open, so be sure to check in advance.

• 19 rue de Vaugirard, 75006
• Metro: Saint Sulpice, Mabillon