The 17 Best Museums in Paris

The museum and cultural offer of Paris is one of the largest in Europe, so much so that sometimes you need a guideline to avoid getting lost among so much variety and be able to make a better selection. It is impossible to stay with only one, but as I imagine that your time in Paris will not be infinite, I leave you a list of the most important museums in the city so you can choose which one or which ones you dedicate your time to.

It needs no introduction; it is the quintessential museum of Paris and one of the largest art collections in Europe. For this reason, I advise you to book tickets without queues in advance. Otherwise, you run the risk of the Louvre tickets being sold out due to the influx of visitors.

Types of tickets

In addition to general admission, there are varied ticket options for exploring the museum. Here are the best ones:

• Guided tour: undoubtedly the most recommended. To enjoy in depth the visual spectacle in front of you I recommend 100% book a guided tour of the Louvre Museum; when a professional explains the main works of the museum you enjoy and learn twice as much and in half the time.
• Family option: If you are traveling with your family and you are thinking about not seeing the Louvre because you are going with children: don't do it! You have the option of hiring a private guided tour for children that will awaken their interest in art and culture.

Interesting details

It is hard for me to be objective about this museum because, of all the museums in Paris, it is my favorite. The size of the museum, divided into two floors, and the lateral and orderly arrangement of the rooms allow you to enjoy it without stress and calmly. In addition, the light that bathes the main gallery and the tranquility that permeates the atmosphere make this place a very special place.

Types of entrances

• General admission: Both to see the permanent and temporary collections, the best option is to book your digital ticket to the Musée D'Orsay.
• Guided tour: In my case, I prefer to enjoy it alone, but do not rule out taking a guided tour of the Musée D'Orsay that will give you the information you need to fall in love with the museum itself and the works of art it contains.

Interesting details

The Pompidou Center in Paris is one of the most original you can see in Europe and one of the largest collections of contemporary art in the world. With a very particular architecture, the Pompidou museum is divided into four floors (there are two others dedicated to temporary exhibitions) where you can see works by Duchamp, Kandinsky, Picasso and Matisse.

Organize your visit

The spaciousness of the rooms of the Pompidou Museum allows you to experience a visit away from crowds. If you are traveling with children and you have to choose only one museum to take them to, choose the Pompidou; the contact with art will be much more fun and closer than in "conventional" museums and will awaken their curiosity.

Although it is not usual to find long queues at the Pompidou, you can also buy tickets for the Pompidou Center in advance.

Interesting details

Whether you are familiar with Rodin's work or have never seen one of his sculptures, you must visit this museum. The collection of 400 works collected inside a historic mansion of the eighteenth century is mixed with the exposed in wonderful gardens where you can stroll without crowds or rush.

As always, I recommend you get your ticket to the Rodin Museum in advance to simply arrive and enjoy.

Details of interest

If you like impressionist painting, it is in this museum where you can enjoy impressionist and post-impressionist works by Matisse, Picasso, Renoir or Cézanne. Located near the Louvre, in the Tulleries garden, the Orangerie is a small and specialized museum (you will recognize it by its appearance of Greek temple), but still remains one of the most visited in Paris and one of the most prominent in the city.

You may have seen Monet' s painting of the water lilies (the one he painted up to 250 times in search of perfection); eight of those works are in this museum. To make sure you don't miss them, be sure to buy your ticket to the Musée de l'Orangerie in advance.

*Due to renovation works in its rooms, this museum is currently closed until early March 2025.

Details of interest

The Spanish artist of reference in cubism, always had in Paris his second home. If you take a guided tour of the Montmartre district, you will discover the places he frequented during his stay in the French capital and more than one anecdote of the artist. For this reason, there could not fail to be a museum dedicated to his figure in Paris, specifically in the Marais district (a neighborhood that, by the way, is worth visiting).

Although it is not the largest existing collection of this artist, the works and documentation collected in this museum are still a window into the life and work of the Spanish genius. In addition, with your ticket to the Picasso Museum you can also admire pieces by Matisse, Miró, Derain or Cézanne that were part of the artist's own collection.

Interesting details

France is a country that attaches great importance to its military history whose achievements are embodied in the figure of Napoleon. On a visit to the Musée des Invalides, located in the hotel of the same name, you will learn about the European political landscape while viewing the collection of armor, war paintings, weapons and other objects related to the French Revolution and World War II.

The tour also includes the Dome Church where Napoleon's tomb is located.

Details of interest

All major cities have a wax museum in which are represented the great personalities that are part of the history of the city. Paris was not going to be less and also in his case, the wax museum (Grevin Museum) is quite successful and enlivened with the show you'll find in the Gallery of Mirages.

Ryan Gosling, Marilyn Monroe, Louis XIV or Mozart are some of the figures represented in the museum. This is one of the most fun visits to do with the family, but I recommend booking tickets to the Grevin Museum in advance to avoid the queues that form at the entrance.

Details of interest

In this museum you will not see works of art or learn about history. In this museum you will have a good time and you will be amazed at what your own senses can deceive you. The museum of illusions is, as its name suggests, focused on optical phenomena and intellectual challenges.

This experience, which can also be enjoyed in cities such as New York, Shanghai, Toronto or Dubai, is ideal to share with friends or children. If you want to take a break between visits on your trip to Paris, book your tickets to the Museum of Illusions and enjoy a different experience.

Interesting details

You'd better not go to this museum hungry, because you run the risk of getting a sugar rush. The visit to the Chocolate Museum in Paris includes a tasting of all the chocolate you want and will help you learn about the history of what is one of the most renowned treats in France and, of course, how it is made.

With a one and a half hour audio-guided tour that you can book online, your mouth will be watering during this visit.

Interesting details

You have to move away from the center of Paris to see this museum dedicated to the First World War, but if you are particularly interested in this part of history will be worth buying a ticket to the Museum of the Great War, being able to see a total of 70,000 objects and historical documents.

The collection began thanks to a private historian, Jean-Pierre Verney, who was gathering for 50 years the objects that were later bought by the community of Pays de Meaux, which currently houses the museum. One of the advantages of this museum is that it is adapted so that children can also visit it and, in an interactive way, learn a little more about this important period in the history of Europe.

Interesting details

Not all works of art in Paris are displayed on a pedestal or a frame. The cultural legacy of the city is also something worth admiring and within this legacy is framed the French wine tradition. In this museum you will learn more about wine, its production and its importance in the French capital. The entrance to the Wine Museum also includes wine tasting.

The wine museum is located in the vicinity of the Eiffel Tower and its galleries are built on the old quarries of Passy.

Details of interest

Impressionist painter Auguste Renoir lived in what is now the Montmartre Museum, which is why the stunning gardens surrounding the museum (overlooking a secret vineyard) still bear his name. This museum is dedicated to nostalgia; nostalgia divided between Renoir's life and the essence of the Montmartre neighborhood that inspired the artist during one of the most relevant artistic periods of his career.

In the Montmartre museum the most important thing is not the works of art (which are also there) but the history of a neighborhood and an era, the history of the artistic bohemia of Paris. If you fell in love with the stories of this place and those who inhabited it, I recommend you to visit the Montmartre Museum and take some time to assimilate all that this museum has to tell you.

Details of interest

The Petit Palais building, at the beginning of the Avenue des Champs Elysees, houses works of art ranging from antiquity to the early twentieth century whose set is known as the Museum of Fine Arts of the city of Paris.

Admission to the permanent collection is free, but the most interesting in this museum are the temporary exhibitions. It is also advisable to take a look at the building itself and walk through the placid central garden.

Details of interest

There are gastronomic museums, art museums, museums of the history of those who inhabited the city, war museums ... Of course, there had to be one that also tells the evolution of the city of Paris itself from its birth to the present.

This is the Carnavalet Museum, is located in the Marais district and houses all kinds of works of art, models, furniture and other objects related to the history of the French capital. A recommended visit for all those who are curious to know how the City of Light has become what it is today.

Details of interest

Don't let the name confuse you; at this museum you won't be learning about Japanese history, but you will still experience key pieces of modern and contemporary art similar to those at the Pompidou Museum. The Palais de Tokyo houses a smaller collection than its big brother, but equally interesting.

The Palais de Tokyo museum flees from the traditional to become a center of artistic creation in which the visual arts, fashion or music have a place. One of the most original and necessary visits for those art lovers looking for something new and out of the norm.

Details of interest

The access to the permanent collection of this museum, in one of the wings of the Palais de Tokyo, is free. The Museum of Modern Art focuses on the painting of the twentieth century and therefore in the currents such as surrealism, Dadaism, Fauvism or Cubism by artists such as Modigliani, Picasso, Matisse and Braque.

The Museum of Modern Art usually goes unnoticed by most, but I assure you that it is worth a visit.

Details of interest

Paris is the great capital of the arts, so it has many cultural centers where you can enjoy learning about the heritage of its artists. If in addition to visiting its monuments you have proposed to make your visit a real experience on French art and culture, here are some other exhibitions to complete your cultural agenda:

• The World of Banksy exhibition in Paris: the mysterious graffiti artist Banksy has a large number of murals scattered around the world that leave no one indifferent. In this immersive exhibition about his work you can learn more about the satire and social activism that this well-known British artist tries to convey.
• Marmottan Monet Museum in Paris: if you like Monet's work, this is your museum. It is the largest collection of paintings by the impressionist artist. Among all the paintings housed in the museum you can explore the mythical 'Impression, rising sun'.
• Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac in Paris: this is a collection of works of art from around the world that show the cultural diversity of the five continents. From masks to weapons through musical instruments or tapestries, a suggestive collection that will surprise you.
• Hotel de la Marine in Paris: although it is not a museum as such, this iconic monument of the eighteenth century that preserves the impressive decoration of the time, also has a collection of works that shows the evolution of art from ancient civilizations to the present day.

If you are a museum lover and, after reading this list, you have already penciled several into your travel plan, I recommend you invest in a Paris Museum Pass. These passes allow you to access various attractions, save money and, in many cases, avoid queues.

Paris Sightseeing Pass options

• Paris Museum Pass: If your main interest is museums and monuments: this pass offers you free admission without queues to numerous cultural sites for 2, 4 or 6 consecutive days, depending on the mode you choose. It is ideal if you plan to visit several museums during your stay.
• Paris Pass: A more complete option that combines museums, monuments and other tourist attractions: it includes boat trips or bus tours. Perfect if you want to enjoy a more varied experience in the city.
• Paris Explorer Pass: With this pass, you can choose a specific number of attractions instead of a limit of days: it is a good alternative if you prefer a more flexible plan without feeling the pressure of seeing many things in a short time.

For more information about these tourist passes I leave you our post, very useful to know if it is worth the Paris tourist card

If in addition to the cultural offerings that Paris has to offer, you feel like completing your visit to the City of Light with some other more relaxed attraction, a good icing on the cake is always to climb the Eiffel Tower and enjoy the incredible views of the city from the top. I leave you this article I wrote about Eiffel Tower Tickets and Tours so you can read all the details you need to know when planning your visit.

If on the other hand you feel like relaxing while you see the most incredible buildings of the city, taking a cruise on the Seine will be a great option. I have also written a guide on 7 Best Seine River Cruises to tell you everything you need. Bon voyage!