The 19 best museums in Paris

Where is it? Chaillot

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.

Where is it? Les Halles

After a long wait, the Bourse de Commerce finally opened its doors in spring 2021, following its transformation by billionaire arts patron François Pinault. In terms of architecture, Parisians and visitors alike are in for a treat, with a museum as grand as it is central, restored from the ground to the dome by Tadao Andō, featuring a 9-metre-high concrete cylinder installed right in the middle of the dome. Such grandeur was necessary to house François Pinault's private collection of 10,000 works. A glance at the names on display reveals the ambition of the place: in the 7,000 square metres of the Bourse, we spotted 24 creations by Bertrand Lavier, a wax reproduction of the iconic monumental statue The Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna from Urs Fischer, feminist photographs by Cindy Sherman, and a wonderful collection of African and African-American figurative paintings. This is truly a must-see.

Where is it? Bois de Boulogne

The Louis Vuitton Foundation dropped anchor in the Bois de Boulogne park in October 2014, on the site of a former bowling alley. Located in the upscale western suburbs of Paris, this 3,850-square-metre contemporary art venue with 11 galleries is grand, impressive, and excels in its chosen role: showcasing the stars of today’s art world. Since its opening, the venue has hosted blockbuster exhibitions as frequently as Bernard Arnault (chairman and chief executive of LVMH) appears on the Forbes list. Some of the big names who have been featured include Basquiat, Warhol, Sherman, Charlotte Perriand, and Giacomettias, as well as the Chtchoukine, Courtauld, and Morozov collections. Stay tuned to see who’s next

Where is it? The Marais

It's hard to imagine Paris, and more specifically the Marais, without the Centre Pompidou. Known by Parisians as Beaubourg (a name it shares with the immediate surrounding area), it houses the largest collection of modern art in Europe, if not the world (only New York’s MoMA can compete). In fact, the galleries can only display a tiny fraction (around 1,300 pieces) of the 50,000 masterpieces in the museum’s collection at any given time. The collection is refreshed annually, with gargantuan temporary exhibitions (Bacon, O'Keeffe, Kandinsky, and more), as well as a library, a performance space, and an art-house cinema. This is an essential stop on any art lover’s trip to Paris.

Where is it? 7th arrondissement

Under its 35,000 square metres of glass roofs, the Musée d'Orsay collections cover around sixty years of art history – roughly from 1848 to 1914 – spanning realism to the Pont-Aven School, including impressionism and pointillism. It may seem like a short period, but it was an incredibly intense time of artistic production. Courbet, Corot, Millet, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Caillebotte, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, Seurat, the Douanier Rousseau and more are all on display in this unmissable Parisian museum. We recommend visiting several times: the list of classic works on display here is almost endless.

Where is it? Tuileries

The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world. A true city within a city, this incredible labyrinth of galleries, passageways, staircases, and escalators, spread across multiple floors, 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 Louvre’s 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.

Where is it? Champs-Elysées

Located in a grand palace celebrating the Belle Époque, right across from the Grand Palais, the Musée des Beaux-Arts at the Petit Palais is far from being overshadowed. Here, the permanent collections date back to antiquity, housing a delightful ensemble of works by Poussin, Doré, Courbet, and the Impressionists. You’ll also find intricate furniture by Hector Guimard, a fantastic bestiary by ceramicist Jean Carriès, as well as delightful temporary exhibitions (Carl Larsson, Oscar Wilde, Jean-Michel Othoniel). As a nice bonus, the Petit Palais has its own small garden, complete with a mosaic-lined pond, palm trees, colonnades, and a café with a terrace where you can enjoy a drink before or after your visit.

Where is it? Tuileries

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.

Where is it? The Marais

This is probably one of the best spaces in Paris dedicated to photography. The MEP (Maison Européenne de la Photographie) showcases emerging photographers alongside retrospectives of major figures in the field such as Larry Clark, Joel Meyerowitz, and Martin Parr. Each year, the MEP also displays works from its own extensive collection. In total, around ten monographic exhibitions are held annually, delighting the hearts and eyes of photography enthusiasts.

Where is it? Tuileries

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.