20 Best Museums in Paris France

1. Louvre Museum

The magnificent Louvre Museum is one of the largest museums in the world. This museum is absolutely stunning! The Louvre Museum is situated in an historic city palace and houses an enormous collection of exquisite artwork. The best-known pieces in the collection are 'The Mona Lisa by Da Vinci' and the beautiful marble sculpture 'Venus de Milo'. More info Musée du Louvre.

📌 Important: The Louvre Museum is too popular. In high season, tickets will be sold out days in advance. It is always recommended to book your Louvre tickets in advance.

2. Musée d’Orsay

Beautiful Musée d’Orsay is housed in a former 19th century station hall. The collection consists mainly of Impressionist artwork. In the museum, you can see paintings by Gauguin, Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh. Almost all the pieces in Musée d’Orsay were created between 1848 and 1914. More info Musée d’Orsay.

📌 Important: Unfortunately, the same ticket problem applies to the Musée d’Orsay as to the Louvre: in high season, tickets will be sold out several days in advance. It is always recommended to book your tickets in advance.

3. Centre Pompidou

Centre George Pompidou is a one-of-a-kind landmark in Paris. This bright-colored structure sticks out with lots of tubes and stairs on the outside. The Centre Pompidou is a well-known institution that has an enormous collection of modern art. There are around 50,000 objects on display in museum. More info Centre Pompidou.

Note: The building of Centre Pompidou needs to be renovated. As a result, the museum will be closed for at least four years, starting at the end of 2025.

4. Musée de l’Orangerie

Musée de l'Orangerie is located in the beautiful gardens of the Louvre Museum. This lovely museum contains artwork from the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum’s collection includes artwork by Monet, Picasso, Renoir, and Rodin. The bright paintings 'The Water Lilies by Monet' are the highlights of the Musée de l’Orangerie.

5. Rodin Museum

Sculpture fans will absolutely enjoy Musée Rodin and its surrounding gardens. The elegant museum displays several well-known sculptures by Auguste Rodin. His most famous piece, 'The Thinker', can be found in the gardens of the Musée Rodin.

📌 Best Deal: Paris Museum Pass

Planning to visit many museums in Paris? Then you should buy the Paris Museum Pass. This is the most sold tourist card in Paris and you can choose from 2, 4, or 6-day options. The Paris Museum Pass grants access to more than 60 museums and monuments in and around Paris, including famous sights like the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Versailles and Centre Pompidou. It's a physical card, so after reservation it must be collected from the tour office near the Louvre. For some museums (like the Louvre Museum) you will also have to make a reservation in advance to guarantee your visit. This Paris Museum Pass is the best deal you can get in Paris (please note: many public museums have free entrance for children under 18 years, and for EU citizens under 26 years, in that case the tourist card is not interesting).

6. Picasso Museum

The Picasso Museum in Paris is housed in a historic hotel from the 17th century and is located in the district of Le Marais. The lovely museum houses 5,000 artworks by the renowned Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. The earliest item in the museum is a self-portrait from 1901. More info for visiting the Picasso Museum of Paris.

7. Musée Carnavalet

Musée Carnavalet is one of the oldest museums in Paris. The beautiful museum focuses on the history of Paris and is located in the district of Le Marais. The museum’s collection is divided into more than 100 small rooms. The highlights of the museum are 30 completely furnished historical chambers from the 18th century. The museum’s permanent collection is free to visit. More info Musée Carnavalet.

8. Petit Palais

Petit Palais is housed in a magnificent and beautifully constructed 19th century exposition hall. The collection mainly includes paintings and sculptures created by French artists in the 19th and 20th centuries. Well-known French artists Monet and Rodin created some of the artwork shown in Petit Palais.

9. Musée de l’Armée (Les Invalides)

The Paris army museum is Musée de l’Armée. This museum located in Hôtel des Invaldides has an enormous collection of historical French army memorabilia. The museum houses medieval armor and swords from the 13th century, along with contemporary photography and film. More info about the museums in Les Invalides.

10. Musée Marmotten Monet

Musée Marmottan Monet is dedicated to the renowned French artist Claude Monet. The museum is located in a beautiful Paris mansion. The permanent collection of the museum includes works by Monet and Berthe Morisot. More info and tickets Musée Marmottan Monet.

11. Musée Grévin (Wax Museum)

Musée Grévin is the wax museum of Paris and has been around since 1882. The museum is named after Alfred Grévin, a well-known French cartoonist and costume designer. The French museum has over 200 wax figures of national and international celebrities. Among those are statues of Edith Piaf, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Kathy Perry (More info and tickets Musée Grévin).

12. Cité des sciences et de l'industrie

Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie is Paris' main scientific museum. The massive, five-story museum has been around since 1986. It is the largest science and engineering museum in all of Europe. The highlights of the museum are a beautiful planetarium and a real submarine (Info and tickets Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie).

13. Musée de l’Homme

The development of humans is the primary topic in Musée de l’Homme. You can learn how people developed from Neanderthals to modern humans through an interactive program that includes quizzes and assessments (Info and tickets Musée de l’Homme).

14. Musée du Quai Branly

Since Musée du Quai Branly first opened its doors in 2006, it has assembled a unique collection of artwork from all around the world. The museum displays artwork from Africa, America, Australia, Asia, and Oceania. The permanent collection of the museum includes paintings, musical instruments, weaponry, and masks. More info Musée du Quai Branly.

15. Musée Grande Galerie de l’Évolution

Musée Grande Galerie de l'Évolution shows how the plant and animal kingdoms have evolved through the years. The museum houses a large variety of animal species. Most of them are African savannah and marine animals. The museum is located close to Jardin des Plantes, a beautiful botanical public park in Paris. More info Musée Grande Galerie de l’Évolution.

16. Musée Jacquemart

Musée Jacquemart houses the private collection of billionaire Edouard André. He was a great admirer of antique Italian artwork. The museum’s collection is extensive and covers 187 rooms. Several paintings by the well-known Italian painter Botticelli can be found in the museum. More info Musée Jacquemart.

17. Musée Bourse de Commerce

This brand-new museum has been open since 2021 and is situated in an 18th century French monumental mansion. The museum houses the private art collection of French billionaire François Pinault. The museum has a large collection of modern artwork. More info Musée Bourse de Commerce.

18. Musée des Plans-Reliefs

Musée des Plans-Reliefs houses a large collection of war attributes from the time of Napoleon Bonaparte and is part of your tour in Les Invalides. There are numerous historical battle outfits and weaponry on display. The top floor of the museum includes a large collection of three-dimensional replicas of 18th century cities. The models are the originals from that time and were used during war battles. More info about the museums in Les Invalides.

19. Parfum Museum Fragonard

Musée du Parfum Fragonard is Paris’ perfume museum. The museum has been around since 1926 and illustrates the history of perfumes over the years. The chic museum houses a significant collection of perfumes and one-of-a-kind perfume bottles. The museum also offers a fun perfume workshop. More info and bookings Musée du Parfum Fragonard.

20. Montmartre Museum

Charming Musée de Montmartre is located in the 18th district of Paris. The museums illustrate the history of the beloved area of Montmartre. The collection of the museum includes graphics, posters, and paintings. It is also possible to enjoy the peaceful garden of the museum. More info Musée de Montmartre.