A little overwhelmed by the sheer volume of museums in Paris?
I'd be surprised if you weren't. It took me all of five years in Paris to visit the majority of the city's museums. And even then I'm still missing a few. Beyond the Louvre, it's hard to know what's actually worth your limited time.
That's where I come in. This list is mostly in order, but keep in mind that my top ten list may not be everyone's top ten. I'm using local knowledge to direct you to the best, most interesting, and unique museums, big and small. Even if you can't get to them all, whatever you chose from this list will be a highlight.
Top 10 Paris Museums
1. Louvre
The Louvre's pyramids were unveiled in 1989, making them a relatively new addition to the museum.
This one probably goes without saying. Arguably one of the best museums in the world, a walk through the Louvre is like a walk through time, from antiquity to the modern day. With a permanent collection of 35,000 works of art (though their archives are home to some 480,000 pieces), you could quite literally spend an entire year trying to see it all. The Louvre displays some of the most well-known artworks in the world, like Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Liberty Guiding the People by Eugène Delacroix, and Vénus de Milo by Alexandros of Antioch. There are paintings, sculptures, Greek and Roman antiques, French crown jewels, Islamic artwork, an Egyptian collection, and so much more.
This royal residence turned world-renowned art museum is 652,00 square feet (60,600 square meters), so you'll need to go in with a plan to ensure you don't miss the highlights.
Address: Musée du Louvre, 75001 Paris, France
Buy tickets in advance - they're no longer sold in person!
2. Musee d'Orsay
You can see the Sacre Coeur Basilica from the Musée d'Orsay!
The Musée d'Orsay has been many things: a train station, a film set, a parking garage, a parcel sorting center in World War II, a processing center for prisoners of war in 1945, and finally, an art museum in 1986.
The museum features famous Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works from artists like Monet, Manet, Cezanne, Renoir, and Degas, and has a newly expanded Van Gogh wing. While there are a few sculptures, the museum's permanent collection is almost exclusively paintings.
When you visit, be sure to head all the way to the end of the hall on the top floor where you can look out the window of one of the museum's famous clocks for an impressive view of the city below.
Yes, the Louvre has everything. But the Musée d'Orsay is so... Paris. Personally, if I only had time for one museum, I'd go here (you can still explore the outside of the Louvre to see the pyramids if you're short on time!).
A film photo of the Musée d'Orsay's main hall, which used to be a train station. Does the black and white help you imagine it that way?
Address: 1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris, France
3. Centre Pompidou
The Pompidou Center was built "inside out" with the functional pipes on the exterior.
The Pompidou Center building is an attraction in and of itself. It was designed "inside out", meaning all the structural pipes are on the exterior of the building. Each system is color-coded: blue ducts for air conditioning, green for plumbing, yellow for electrical, and red for safety elements. The interior has a similar look, with exposed silver pipes running along the ceiling.
As for inside, you can look forward to over 80 works by famous artists such as Picasso, Giacometti, and Frida Khalo. The Pompidou Center is the largest museum for modern art in Europe! Admittedly, some of their installation and video pieces are not really my cup of tea, but the permanent collection is so massive that there really is something for everyone. If you're curious to see what's where, I love this interactive map on their website.
Originally, the Centre Pompidou was scheduled to close at the end of 2023 for major restorations. Now, this scheduled closure has been postponed until after the summer 2024 Olympics. After the games, the museum will be closed for five years, so go now!
Address: Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004 Paris, France
4. Musee de Montmartre
Lunch at Café Renoir inside the museum.
A painting of the museum, a former artist residence.
This lesser-known museum is another personal favorite of mine. It's another one of those places that will leave you thinking, "Wow, that was so Paris." The Musée de Montmartre features a small collection of posters, paintings, and drawings that showcase what Montmartre was like in its hay day as a hangout for artists and writers. The collection provides a strong sense of place and time. I left feeling like I'd learned a lot about this vibrant neighborhood and its history in a fun, digestible way. I don't know why it's not more popular.
Much as I love the artwork shown, what really makes this place exceptional is the grounds. The museum is surrounded by gardens, known as the Renoir Gardens, after the artist who lived on-site for two years. Be sure to peek over the property's stone wall to see the vineyard next door! Inside the gardens, you'll find tucked-away tables and a charming eatery, Café Renoir, where you can stop for a light lunch and a coffee. It's glorious. If you're interested in just seeing the gardens and not the museum, entry is only €5.
Address: 12 Rue Cortot, 75018 Paris, France
Tickets are not usually needed ahead of time, it's pretty quiet. But if you're going in the summer then you should buy your tickets in advance.
5. Musee Rodin
My favorite part of the Rodin Museum is the sculpture garden.
If you're into sculpture works, the Rodin Museum is for you. The museum is made up of a sculpture garden where you'll find Auguste Rodin's The Thinker and The Gates of Hell, as well as an 18th-century mansion to house the smaller works. The best pieces are outside, so I'd start there. It's a great place to sit and bring a journal or sketchbook.
Little tip: the bathrooms in the sculpture garden aren't super nice. Instead, head back to the ticketing office and go down to the bathrooms on the lower level.
Address: 77 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris, France
6. Petit Palais
Inisde the Petit Palais.
Be sure to stop at the Jardin du Petit Palais for a coffee!
I don't know why it took me so long to visit the Petit Palais, but now that I've been I recommend it to all first-time visitors.
The Petit Palais is a free(!) museum of fine arts and decorative artworks from the Renaissance up to the 20th century. There's nothing super famous in their collection, but the pieces are interesting and the building itself is a marvel.
It's situated across from the Elysée Palace, the French President's official residence, and next to the Grand Palais. So even if you don't go inside, it's worth walking through this area if only to see the building facades.
After a lap around the museum, be sure to visit their interior garden (Jardin du Petit-Palais) for a bite to eat and a coffee.
Address: Av. Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris, France
7. Musee de l'Orangerie
One of eight massive Water Lillies paintings in the Orangerie Musuem.
Eight of Claude Monet's massive Water Lilies paintings are included in the Musée de l'Orangerie's permanent collection. They're pretty much the main attraction and for good reason.
The long, rounded panels were designed specifically for the Orangerie Museum's rounded rooms. He worked on this so-called "great decoration" until his death when the works were donated as planned to the French state and installed in the museum. They were meant to be a symbol of peace following the first world war.
Read this next
Monet's Garden: A Day Trip to Giverny from Paris
As for the rest of the permanent collection, it's small but worth seeing. If you're already planning on going, I'd consider looking into getting a ticket for whatever temporary exhibition is on too. They're always wonderfully curated and interesting.
Address: Jardin des Tuileries, 75001 Paris, France (Inside the Tuileries Garden, near Concorde)
8. Musee Marmottan Monet
I loved the rich blues of this piece.
More water lillies!
Okay, so I've never actually been here. But hear me out! I've seen most of their permanent collection when it was on display for an exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. And it's stellar. There were so many Monets I'd never seen before, each as moving as the next. Most of these pieces were (happily) new to me, as in not in my art history classes and certainly not findable online.
It's a bit out of the way, which is why I never got over there, but the works are well worth the trip if you're a fan of Impressionism and Monet's works.
Address: 2 Rue Louis Boilly, 75016 Paris, France
9. Musee Carnavalet
Exterior signs that were saved from old shops in Paris prior to the shop's closing.
Yet another free and wonderful museum in Paris. Still with me? The Musée Carnavalet is dedicated to the history of Paris. Located in the Marais district, it opened in 1880 and includes historical items spanning 450 years.
Its collection includes old city signs (and entire shop facades that were saved before demolition), posters, paintings, decorative arts objects, interactive digital maps, ancient archeological finds, and so much more. It's rather eclectic, but easily one of the city's most interesting museums in my opinion.
The argument that this museum is more interesting to residents of the city, or at least second or third-time visitors, is probably valid. It's not flashy or famous, but it is fascinating.
Address: 23 Rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris, France
10. Musee Nissim de Camondo
Anyone else want to live here? Seriously, the whole house looks like this.
The Musée Nissim de Camondo is like a miniature Versailles! Visiting is like walking back in time since the entire museum is dedicated to French decorative art from the second half of the 18th century.
The mansion used to be one of the homes of the Camondo brothers at the end of the Second Turkish Empire. Their family's story is truly captivating. The brothers' sons, Isaac and Moïse de Camondo, became figures of the art world and avid collectors. Moïse was interested specifically in decorative arts from the late 18th century, so what you see inside are his curated pieces.
Getting to Versailles is kind of an all-day affair, so this centrally-located museum is a great alternative!
When you get tickets, I highly recommend picking up their audio guide (available in English) for a more in-depth history of the family and their extravagant mansion.
Address: 63 Rue de Monceau, 75008 Paris, France
This is a quiet museum that doesn't usually need advanced tickets. If you chose to buy tickets through their website ahead of time, use a browser like Google Chrome to translate because their ticketing site is only in French.
Honorable Mention
Musee National Picasso
A few of the hundreds of Picasso paintings on display in the musuem.
The Musée National Picasso is a bit like a fun house, going from one vividly-colored room of abstract figures to the next. There are almost 300 paintings, as well as photos, sculptures, drawings, and notebooks, comprising a collection of over 5,00 works on display (and tens of thousands in archives!).
It's a small but dense museum in the Marias with both famous and lesser-known pieces.
Address: 5 Rue de Thorigny, 75003 Paris, France
Truthfully, you could spend a lifetime trying to visit every museum in Paris to see everything they have to offer. Hopefully, this list narrows down the best of the best so you can pick and choose based on your interests.
And while I am a culture and museum lover, remember to find some balance when planning your trip. Sometimes the best part of being in Paris is doing a whole lot of nothing. What's your favorite museum in Paris? Let me know in the comments!
