The 15 best museums in Paris

The Musée de l'Orangerie in the Tuileries, home to Claude Monet’s Nymphéas (water lillies) is a prominent feature on tourists' itineraries. Monumental in size, the water lily paintings follow the curves of the oval rooms, while the minimalist white walls fade into the background, allowing the ethereal romanticism of Monet’s late works to take centre stage. Downstairs, the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume collection brings together the École de Paris with the Impressionists on its walls. The selection of temporary exhibitions is equally enticing.

Address: Jardin des Tuileries, Place de la Concorde (côté Seine), 75001, Paris (1st arrondisement)

Opening Hours: Wednesday to Monday from 9am-6pm (last admission at 5.15pm); closed Tuesdays 

Expect to pay: €11 at the museum or €12.50 online for general admission

Under its 35,000 square metres of curved glass roofs, the collections at the Musée d'Orsay cover around sixty years of art history (roughly from 1848 to 1914), from realism to the Pont-Aven School, including impressionism and pointillism. It was a short, but incredibly intense time of artistic production. Find pieces from Courbet, Corot, Millet, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Caillebotte, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, Seurat, the Douanier Rousseau and more all on display in this unmissable Parisian museum. We recommend visiting several times.

Address: 1, rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007, Paris (7th arrondisement)

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30am-6pm; closed Monday

Expect to pay: €14 for general admission if purchased at the museum  (€16 if purchased online)

The Palais de Tokyo might be one of the best places for taking a selfie with the Eiffel Tower, but the museum – which was lavishly renovated in 2012 (expanding from 8,000 to 22,000 square metres) – is better known as the largest contemporary art centre in Europe, showcasing the finest current and emerging artists. Here, both artists and the public delight in the enormous space. You can explore numerous exhibitions (from the likes of Ulla von Brandenburg, Bernard Lavier, Henrique Oliveira), as well as concerts, performances, and discussions. Wander through the underground areas featuring a one-kilometre street art route, dance in its Yoyo club, browse its specialised bookshop, and eat at its two restaurants (Monsieur Bleu and Bambini). The Palais de Tokyo also stands out for its reasonable pricing policy.

Address: 13, Avenue du Président Wilson, 75016, Paris (16th arrondisement)

Opening hours: Friday to Monday, and Wednedesday from 12pm-10pm; Thursday from 12pm-midnight; closed Tuesday

Expect to pay: €13 for general admission

The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world. This incredible labyrinth of galleries, passageways, staircases, and escalators is spread across multiple floors, and owes its fame to its vast collections of art. Around 35,000 works are displayed across eight departments, divided among three wings. You could spend weeks trying to explore all the rooms, and you still wouldn’t reach the end. Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek and Roman treasures each have their own dedicated galleries, as do European decorative arts from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century, with the exuberant apartments of Napoleon III reigning supreme. It’s a truly astounding place.

Address: Rue de Rivoli, 75001, Paris (1st arrondisement)

Opening Hours: Wednesday to Monday from 9am-6pm (last entry at 5pm); closed Sunday

Expect to pay: €22 for EEA residents and €32 for non-EEA residents

Architecture lovers are in for a treat, with a museum as grand as it is central. The Bourse de Commerce opened in spring 2021 following an epic revamp by billionaire arts patron, François Pinault. It was restored from the ground to the dome by architect Tadao Andō, who installed a nine-metre-high concrete cylinder right in the middle. Such grandeur was necessary to house Pinault's private collection of 10,000 works. Glance at the names on display and you'll spot 24 creations by Bertrand Lavier, along with feminist photographs by Cindy Sherman, a wonderful collection of African and African-American figurative paintings, and a wax reproduction of the monumental statue, ‘The Rape of the Sabine Women’ by Giambologna from Urs Fischer.

Address: 2 rue de Viarmes, 75001, Paris (1st arrondisement)

Opening hours: Wednesday and Thursday from 11am-7pm; Friday from 11am-9pm; Saturday to Monday from 11am-7pm; closed Tuesday

Expect to pay: €15 for general admission

Analysing reality in all its complexity, Le BAL strives to cultivate a 'free zone' across photography, video, cinema and new media through exhibitions, performances, debates, screenings, and ambitious educational programme. This independent initiative is committed to exploring the historical, political, and social issues of representing reality through contemporary imagery. It seeks to challenge a world saturated with visuals – and to shield itself from the damage caused by having a society dominated by entertainment. 

Address: 6, Impasse de la Défense, 75018, Paris (18th arrondisement)

Opening Hours: Wednesday from noon-8pm; Thursday to Sunday from noon-7pm; closed Monday and Tuesday

Expect to pay: €8 for general admission 

Located in the Marsan wing of the Louvre Palace for over a century, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs has undergone several phases of renovation in recent years. In terms of the collection, we are looking at one of the most extensive holdings of design and decorative arts in the world. In numbers, that means 550,000 pieces, distributed across museums and libraries. The focus here is French furniture and tableware, but from extravagant carpets to delicate crystal and porcelain, there’s almost too much to admire. Themed galleries and departments dedicated to glass, wallpaper, drawing, or toys complete the museum. Don’t skip the temporary exhibitions, which are often top-notch.

Address: 107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001, Paris (1st arrondisement)

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 11am-6pm; closed Monday

Expect to pay: €15 for general admission

Le 104, located in the City of Paris’s former funeral parlours, has become a symbol of Paris’s cultural revival since opening in 2008. The focus is on contemporary and performing arts in a huge, 39,000-square-metre space. The Centquatre transcends the boundaries between disciplines to make culture accessible to the widest possible audience. A true artistic laboratory, it hosts numerous cultural events each year as well as artists in residence in its two glass-roofed halls. In addition to its rich programme, there’s also a restaurant, a café, several shops, and food trucks.

Address: 5 rue Curial, 75019, Paris

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday from noon-7pm; Saturday and Sunday from 11am-7pm; closed Monday

Expect to pay: €15 for general admission 

The Musée Carnavalet is the oldest museum managed by the city, showcasing the history of Paris since 1880. After a long renovation, visitors can now explore a completely reimagined 3,900 square metre exhibition space, featuring around 4,000 works from the museum’s collection of 615,000 pieces. You'll be delighted by works ranging from the Mesolithic period (9600-6000 BC) to the immediate contemporary era. Along the way, you'll notice the new exhibition layouts (especially for children), the gardens, and the famous period rooms, which recreate historical settings, such as the bedroom of the great Marcel Proust.

Address: 23 Rue de Sévigné, 75003, Paris (3rd arrondisement)

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am-6pm; closed Monday

Expect to pay: Free for general admission

Designed by Jean Nouvel, L'Institut du Monde Arabe is a fusion of traditional Arab influences and contemporary architecture. A museum dedicated to the history and archaeology of the Arab world begins on the seventh floor with artefacts from the classical era. It then descends through the centuries, from the early Islamic dynasties to the present day. The layout and displays may lack some inspiration, but the IMA more than makes up for it with its excellent bookshop dedicated to the Middle East, and the splendid panoramic view from its rooftop terrace (free to access). There are also high-quality temporary exhibitions held throughout the year.

Address: 1 Rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, 75005, Paris (

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday from 10am-6pm; Saturday and Sunday from 10am-7pm; closed Monday 

Expect to pay: €10 for general admission