Most people visit Paris for a long weekend. If you have even just 2 to 3 days in Paris, these Paris museums should be at the top of your itinerary. The best part is, depending on where you stay in Paris, you can walk to these museums or catch a quick Metro ride. The best museums in Paris are waiting for you, easy to access and full of fascinating collections.
Best Paris Museums: 20 Amazing Museums in Paris
Get the Paris Museum Pass – Choose from 2,4 or 6 days with access to more than 60 of the top monuments and museums in Paris, including the Louvre and Versailles, and visit the Centre Pompidou.
1. Musée d’Orsay
Musée d’Orsay hosts art spanning from the years 1848 to 1914. Guests can admire artwork by big names such as Van Gogh, Monet, and Rodin. In short, it is a collection of all the greatest names in the art world. You can also view specific pieces, like The Starry Night and Van Gogh’s iconic self-portrait. We just had to include it. Musée d’Orsay is exceptional, from its unique setting to its valuable exhibits. Included in the Paris Museum Pass.
Address: Esplanade Valery Giscard d’Estaing, 75007, Paris, France Opening Times: 9:30 am until 6 pm Tuesday to Sunday, staying open until 9:45 pm on Thursdays. Closed Mondays. Admission Cost: $15 via the official site.
2. Musée des Arts Décoratifs
Inside, there’s everything from jewelry, lighting, fine furniture, crystals, and mannequins. This Paris museum is somewhere to visit if you admire the fine things in life. Its exhibits are elegant, with a serious wow factor. Anyone interested in history, fashion, and art will appreciate this museum. Watch for the Iris Van Herpen exhibit, which is a firm favorite.
Address: 107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001, Paris, France. Opening Times: 11 am until 6 pm from Tuesday to Sunday. Admission Cost: $15 per person via the official site.
3. Musée de l’Orangerie
The best thing to see inside the Musée de l’Orangerie is the Monet water lily murals collection. This is a bucket-list-worthy piece for any art enthusiast. The piece stretches around a vast curved wall – a sole exhibit in a plain white room that is said to evoke the feeling of an oasis in the middle of Paris. Musée de l’Orangerie is the place to visit if you have a passion for the arts.
Address: Jardin des Tuileries, 75001, Paris, France Opening Times: Open 9 am until 6 pm Wednesday until Monday, staying open until 9 pm on Fridays. Closed Tuesdays. Admission Cost: $12 per person via the official site.
4. Grand Palais
You never quite know what you will expect, which is half of the allure. Check out the official site and see what exhibits coincide with your trip. We’ll excitedly await its highly anticipated 2024 reopening.
Address: 3 Avenue du General Eisenhower, 75008, Paris, France Opening Times: Temporarily closed, reopening later in 2024. Admission Cost: N/A – varies depending on the exhibit.
5. Musée National d’Art Moderne
Musée National d’Art Moderne is set across two floors in the Centre Pompidou, 4th and 5th. The 4th level has contemporary art from the 1960s onwards while the 5th floor has modern art from 1905 to 1965. Make sure to see Xavier Veilhan’s Le Rhinoceros and Donald Judd’s Stack, which resemble a seemingly floating Jenga-like pile of squares in the minimalism section.
This vast complex also houses a massive library and music center in the Center Pompidou. The building is best known for its exterior, though, with a dramatic exterior staircase jutting up its wall. The design makes it look like the Centre Pompidou is constantly under scaffolding, with a network of criss-crossing metal bars. The Centre Pompidou is a modernist-looking building, and its architecture makes it an attraction in its own right. You can easily snap pictures for free from the outside before visiting the National Museum of Modern Art. It is included in the Paris Museum Pass.
Address: Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004, Paris, France Opening Times: 11 am until 9 pm from Monday until Sunday, opening until 11 pm on Thursdays. Admission Cost: $15 per person via the official site. It is included in the Paris Museum Pass.
6. Rodin Museum
If you could only see one exhibit in the Rodin Museum, make it The Thinker. This sculpture is Rodin’s most iconic work. Take advantage of admiring pieces by other artists, too, as the Rodin Museum offers a few exhibits from other artists such as Van Gogh. Think of it as the cherry on top.
Address: 77 Rue de Varenne, 75007, Paris, France Opening Times: Open 10 am until 6:30 pm from Tuesday until Sunday, closed Mondays. Admission Cost: $15 per person via the official site.
7. Louis Vuitton Foundation
You’ll want to spend a while snapping pictures of the Louis Vuitton Foundation’s eccentric exterior. When you finish, though, there’s a beautiful interior waiting area with a mixture of a temporary and permanent collection. The beautiful portrait Ladies and Gentlemen by Andy Warhol and a naturalistic piece showing a brown leaf ensnared within a tree called Acacia e Foglie di Zucca. The museum in Paris has tons of thought-provoking exhibits to admire.
Address: 8 Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi Bois de Boulogne, 75116, Paris, France. Opening Times: 11 am until 8 pm Wednesday until Monday, closed Tuesdays. Admission Cost: $20 per person via the official site, with discounts for under 26s, students, and artists.
8. Petit Palais
However, while all of this is very impressive, one thing particularly sets Petit Palais aside as an art museum in Paris. It is totally free to enter. You can add this art museum to your list of the best free things to do in Paris, and it is an easy way to spend a couple of hours entertained with high-caliber artwork.
Address: Avenue Winston Churchill, 75008, Paris, France. Opening Times: 10 am until 6 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. 10 am until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Closed on Mondays. Admission Cost: Free.
9. Musée National Picasso-Paris
Inside, you can view pieces by Picasso and by other artists like Sophie Calle to celebrate Picasso’s life and achievements. Don’t miss the blue-painted rooms marking Picasso’s incredible Blue Period. The museum’s collection is a beautiful ode to the late artist, with an autobiographical museum layout.
Address: 5 Rue de Thorigny, 75003, Paris, France. Opening Times: Open 10:30 am to 6 pm from Tuesday until Sunday. Closed on Mondays. Admission Cost: $15 per person via the official site.
10. Musée du Quai Branly
We’d recommend a visit if you’d prefer to push aside classics like Claude Monet and embrace a more international art collection. The museum is conveniently located right at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, making it an easy addition to your itinerary. And the sheer amount of fascinating exhibits and pieces makes it well worth a visit.
Address: 37 Quai Jacques Chirac, 75007, Paris, France. Opening Times: Open 10:30 am until 7 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Open 10:30 am until 10 pm on Thursdays and closed on Mondays. Admission Cost: $15 per person via the official site.
11. Musée Nissim de Camondo
Get ready to channel your inner Marie Antoinette. There’s everything from elegantly laden white cloth dinner tables to a grand sweeping staircase to make a dramatic entrance. Don’t miss out on getting the audio guide, which brings the beautiful set to life with stories and background history.
Address: 63 Rue de Monceau, 75008, Paris, France Opening Times: Open 10 am until 5:30 pm from Wednesdays to Sundays. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission Cost: $12 per person via the official site.
12. Louvre Museum
Out of all the exhibits in the Louvre, you have to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa. This is one of the most famous portraits of all time. Despite many visitors commenting on how small it is in reality, it is easily a bucket list piece of artwork to see in person. The Louvre also opens at night on select evenings, one of the best things to do in Paris at night. Could you see the Mona Lisa outside the usual hours?
13. Musée du Luxembourg
For Musée du Luxembourg, we’d highly suggest checking ahead to see if the exhibition interests you. If not, we’d still recommend visiting the gorgeous Jardin du Luxembourg, where you can admire the museum’s exterior for free while enjoying walks amongst flowerbeds.
Address: 12 Rue de Vaugirard, 75006, Paris, France. Opening Times: Opens 10:30 am until 7 pm from Tuesday until Sunday, and 10:30 am until 10 pm on Mondays. Admission Cost: $15
14. Musée Carnavalet
The Carnavalet Museum is a beautiful place to visit in Paris. The mansion setting gives the museum the feeling of exploring a private collection. And moreover, it is actually free to visit – making it one of the best free things to do in Paris.
Address: 23 Rue de Sevigne, 75003, Paris, France. Opening Times: Open 10 am until 6 pm from Tuesday until Sunday. Closed Mondays. Admission Cost: Free
15. Musée de l’Homme
We’d suggest checking ahead to see what exhibits coincide with your trip to Paris. Keep your eye out for the Incan mummy, too, which is labeled as the ‘movie chachapoya.’ The Museum of Humanity is easily one of the most surprising and varied Parisian museums, so we just had to add it to this guide. Nothing else covers such diverse human history like it in the French capital.
Address: 17 Place du Trocadero et du 11 Novembre, 75116, Paris, France. Opening Times: Open 11 am until 7 pm from Wednesday to Monday. Closed on Tuesdays. Admission Cost: $15 per person, but free for students.
16. Musée Marmottan Monet
Musée de Orangerie is better if you want to see the vast display of the Claude Monet water lilies. Still, Musée Marmottan Monet offers much more variety in terms of Monet’s works. If you are an art enthusiast, you’ll get a more in-depth look at Monet and his work at Musée Marmottan Monet.
Address: 2 Rue Louis Boilly, 75016, Paris, France. Opening Times: Open from 10 am until 6 pm from Tuesday to Sunday. Open later (until 9pm) on Thursdays and closed on Mondays. Admission Cost: $15 per person via the official site.
17. Musée Grevin
The wax figures include people like Lionel Messi (with his hands up in celebration), Marilyn Monroe, and even that squirrel off of Ice Age, who spends the whole time chasing a nut. The range of figures and characters makes Musée Grevin appealing to all ages.
This is one of the most family-friendly Paris museums, which is worth a mention. We’d highly recommend it when visiting Paris with young teenagers. And it is an excellent compromise for those wanting to lighten the mood after historical attractions in Paris.
Address: 10 Bd Montmartre, 75009, Paris, France. Opening Times: Open 10 am until 6 pm from Monday until Friday and 9:30 am until 7 pm on the weekend. Admission Cost: $19 per person via the official site.
18. Musée de Cluny
Of all the museum exhibits, make sure to see the Lady and the Unicorn tapestry room. Nothing quite summarises the medieval period like an excellent old tapestry. This room in the art museum contains six beautiful tapestries in total, all kept in low lighting to prevent damage. It is a magical experience with a real sense of atmosphere. To be transported back to the Middle Ages, the Lady and the Unicorn room is by far our favorite.
Address: 28 Rue du Sommerard, 75005, Paris, France. Opening Times: Open 9:30 am until 6:15 pm, Tuesday until Sunday. Closed Mondays. Admission Cost: $15 per person via the official site.
19. Eiffel Tower
The exhibits in the tower tell the story of the development of Paris’ cityscape. It also tells of Gustave Eiffel’s mission in building the tower, which is an interesting backstory for anyone scaling this structure. Historical exhibits, stories, and great views – what more could you want? It doesn’t get much better than standing on the top tiers of Paris’ wonderful landmark tower.
20. Catacombs of Paris
If you want a Paris museum with a ‘bite,’ the Catacombs of Paris offers a huge chunk of cultural history. It is ideal for someone after a museum experience outside of admiring traditional artwork. Make sure to snap a few pictures of this gruesome-looking labyrinth.
If you plan to see a lot of museums in Paris, the Paris Museum Pass is a great option. It offers skip-the-line entry to more than 60 museums. You can choose from 2, 4 or 6 days. See more details here.
Best Museums in Paris: FAQs
Before you head off, though, remember to look at these common FAQs. This is a great section to condense the information we’ve just given you.
What museums are a must-see in Paris?
The Louvre, Musée de l’Orangerie, and Musée d’Orsay are all must-visits in Paris. This famous trio is the classic selection of art museums, with a brilliant collection of permanent and temporary exhibitions. You should also stop by the iconic Eiffel Tower with historical exhibits on its upper floors.
Is the Picasso Museum Paris worth it?
Absolutely, the Picasso Museum is a beautiful ode to Pablo Picasso and his iconic works. Any art enthusiast should prioritize a visit.
What museum in France do tourists visit most?
The Louvre is easily France’s most famous museum. The glass-shaped pyramid is a postcard image of Paris, and the Louvre houses the famous Mona Lisa portrait – meaning it attracts millions of tourists annually.
What are the three musees in Paris?
The top three most visited museums in Paris are the Louvre Museum, Musée d’Orsay, and Pompidou.
Feeling inspired? Paris is the city of inspiration when it comes to museums and sightseeing. Location-wise, many of the museums are located around the Eiffel Tower. You can wander along the River Seine, walking the famed stretch between Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. From here, you can access the Musée de l’Homme, Musée du Quai Branly, Petit Palaias, Musée de l’Orangerie, Louvre Museum, and numerous fashion museums like La Galerie Dior. If you are stuck for time, check out our ultimate one-day itinerary and prioritize this section of Paris. The high concentration of museums in this area of Paris means you can easily combine a couple in one day.
Paris is an incredible city. When it comes to exhibits and stories, Paris takes preservation exceptionally seriously. We hope you have a wonderful time experiencing the best museums in Paris.
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