Destinations

The 15 Best Museums in Paris

Everywhere you turn there's another exhibition or collection to spend hours with.

By Lindsey Tramuta and Melissa Liebling-Goldberg

December 7, 2022

The 15 Best Museums in Paris From the Louvre to the Louis Vuitton Foundation

There’s a reason Beyonce and Jay-Z, and then the cast of Netflix’s Lupin brought their talents to the Louvre: it’s the most visited—and arguably the most iconic—museum in the world. But they could have taken up residence at a number of the city’s storied art institutions and galleries which showcase centuries of sculpture, painting, illustration, and photography: Stand rapt before Monet’s Water Lilies at L’Orangerie, take in Europe’s leading collection of contemporary art and culture at the Centre Pompidou, or spend the afternoon perusing the rooms of the Pinault Collection at the Bourse de Commerce. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer breadth of visual history here, so read on to find our editors' picks for the best museums in Paris.

Read our full Paris travel guide here.

This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

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Petit Palais
As its name suggests, the Petit Palais is the little sister of the Grand Palais, but don't be fooled: the building is still plenty stately. Designed by Charles Girault for the World’s Fair of 1900, the building became a museum in 1902. Its architectural grandeur was meant to pay tribute to the arts and the city of Paris, initially housing decorative murals and sculptures. Since there is free entry to the permanent collection, many visitors simply come to take in the quiet and sunshine in the garden.
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Centre Pompidou
When the Centre Pompidou, known by locals as Beaubourg_, opened in 1977, it was a radical (and controversial) design for a museum—all industrial pipes and open glass views of Paris. Forty-plus years later it's the undisputed grande dame of Paris's contemporary art world. Within the massive 100,000-piece collection that stretches back to 1905, you’ll find everything from Picassos to video installations. It is highly recommended to book your tickets in advance for a specific time slot and note that if you’re in town on the first Sunday of the month, admission to the permanent collection and children’s gallery is free.

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Musée du Louvre
The Louvre hardly needs an introduction—it is still the most-visited museum in the world, with more than 7.8 million visitors in 2022. The former royal palace is now the magnificent home of some of the world's most iconic artworks (ever heard of the Mona Lisa?). Don't freak out, but walking through the halls where Louis XIV once strolled (he lived here before moving to Versailles), surrounded by the most famous art on earth can be an overwhelming experience. What’s more, there are some 35,000 artworks and artifacts from prehistory to the 21st century housed within its walls. As a result, it could take a lifetime to see and experience it all so don’t try (the museum sells multi-day passes so you can spread out your visit).
Ambroise Tezenas
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Hôtel de la Marine
This recent addition to the capital’s cultural offering is unlike any other in the city, largely by dint of its heritage and size. Perched over the Place de la Concorde, the museum occupies the former royal Garde Meuble—the depository for the King’s furniture collections, crown jewels, tapestries, and decorative arts—and what later became the country’s naval headquarters for 200 years. Given that it is only a year old, it remains moderately trafficked but the word is out. Open to the public for the first time in 250 years, its new incarnation as an immersive museum experience allows visitors to explore the 18th century apartments of the Garde-Meuble intendants, recreated and restored to their original layout and design, as well as the structure’s grand reception halls filled with period furnishings, paintings, and objets d’art. Key to the visit is the audio guide, which leans theatrical. You could speed through the audio guide in an hour, get a view of the Place de la Concorde from the covered balcony, and take in the jaw-dropping Cabinet des Glaces, a mirror-walled boudoir not unlike the hall of mirrors in Versailles, covered in paintings.

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Fondation Louis Vuitton
As one of few privately owned and funded art spaces in Paris (owned by LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault), the Fondation Louis Vuitton arrived with a bang when it opened to the public in 2014. Star Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry designed the building, which looks like a magical sailboat afloat on a man-made lake in the Bois de Boulogne. Thanks to the spectacular architecture and blockbuster exhibitions, the museum is bustling at all times, despite its location in the far reaches of the 16th Arrondissement.
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Musée Picasso Paris
The Hôtel Salé alone is reason to visit, but of course the real draw is Picasso's oeuvre, more popular than ever following a much-hyped 2014 reopening. And since the museum is centrally located in the bustling Marais, it's easy to work the Musée Picasso into a day out shopping and dining. While there are other single-artist museums in Paris, the combination of Picasso's fame and the beauty of the setting make this one of the very best. Timed tickets must be reserved online in advance to visit the museum. Reserve tickets in advance to avoid long lines.

Micro/Courtesy Grand Palais
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Grand Palais
As associated with years of Chanel runway shows being held in the nave of this stately Beaux-Arts space as it is with the art exhibitions it houses, the Grand Palais is an emblem of French grandeur and architectural process. The time has come, however, for the grand dame of buildings, originally built for the World’s Fair of 1900 to be refurbished. It is closed for renovations until 2024, but in its place, there is now the Grand Palais Ephémère, a 100,000-square-foot temporary space on the Champ de Mars, which hosts the artistic, cultural, fashion and art events that would normally be held in the Grand Palais.
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Musée des Arts Décoratifs
Occupying the west wing of the Louvre—though not part of the Louvre—the Musée des Arts Décoratifs is the definition of grand. And, as the home to one of the world’s largest collections of decorative arts and design, including fashion, it has to be. It’s also the city’s second oldest museum, after the Louvre, making the historic building itself and its stunning, vaulted central atrium, part of the draw. It doesn’t command the same visitorship as its grand neighbor or the Musée d’Orsay, but it remains a favorite.

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The Bourse de Commerce-Pinault Collection
One of the most long awaited temples to modern art in Paris (twenty years in the making) sits prominently between the Seine River and Les Halles in the 130-year-old Bourse de Commerce building, once a grain and commodities exchange a stone’s throw from the Louvre. The Pinault Collection, named for the 5,000 piece private collection of contemporary greats from arts patron and billionaire François Pinault (founder of Kering), occupies a striking, domed building painstakingly restored by the award-winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando over the course of a decade. One stunning, winding staircase brings visitors up to additional gallery spaces while another leads to the Halle Aux Grains restaurant on the third floor, run by beloved restaurateurs Michel and Sébastien Bras (and yes, ancient grains get a spotlight on the menu). Advanced booking recommended.
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Musée d'Orsay
A vast collection of Impressionist art is the focus at the Musée d’Orsay, the second-most-visited museum in Paris (after the Louvre, of course). At every turn, you'll be delighted to recognize yet another piece from pop culture or that art history class you took. There is no room not worth exploring here, so let yourself just wander among masterworks by names like Degas, Cézanne, Manet, Renoir, and Monet. Pre-booking online is recommended for priority access within 30 minutes of the reserved time.

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The Carnavalet-History of Paris Museum
To understand present day Paris, it’s worth stepping into the past at the Musée Carnavalet, the museum of Parisian history located in the heart of the Marais. Vestiges from old Paris, from furnishings to signage and storefronts, objects (from stained glass to a 6,000 year old canoe discovered in the Seine), artwork and cultural artifacts, take up two grand 17th century buildings that underwent a five-year renovation, reopening in spring 2021. Among the most important features in the museum’s new iteration: greater accessibility for reduced mobility visitors, improved navigability through each space, and a more robust collection—more than half of the pieces on display in the permanent collection were kept in storage prior to the redesign. Tickets to the permanent collection are free and do not require advanced booking.
Musée Rodin
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Musée Rodin
Auguste Rodin lived in the Hôtel Biron in the later stage of his life, where the gardens inspired some of his work. The former home opened as a museum to the public in 1919, almost 200 years after it was built for a wealthy financier. The high ceilings of the intimate rooms allow visitors to see Rodin's sculptures and drawings up close, while the large gardens showcase his most famous bronze sculptures, like "The Gates of Hell" and "The Thinker."

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Palais de Tokyo
The Palais de Tokyo is the largest center for contemporary art in Europe. Opened in 2002, its mission is to celebrate living artists across multiple disciplines. As part of the renovation of the building, the 1937 structure was stripped back to the original concrete, giving it a raw and unfinished feeling that is distinctly different from the typical white-room museum layout. Visitors should start their exploration in the subterranean levels, where art such as large-scale graffiti works are on display, and end with a drink or dinner either at Monsieur Bleu or Bambini, the more festive spot from the Paris Society Group.
Sophie Boegly/Courtesy Musée de l'Orangerie
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Musée de l'Orangerie
If you’ve strolled through the Tuileries gardens, you’ve seen L’Orangerie right on the edge, which is visible from the Place de la Concorde and set up in a former greenhouse. The more intimate scale belies the astonishing art housed within. Among the most well-known works are Monet’s "Nymphéas," the water lily paintings he donated to the state in 1918. Also on display: a strong selection of Post-Impressionist works, including Matisse, Modigliani, and Picasso.

Courtesy Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain
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Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain
Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel in 1994, Fondation Cartier is an ultra-modern museum and cultural center for contemporary art, and the gardens—here, called Theatrum Botanicum—are treated as an art installation of their own. Before the opening of the Fondation Louis Vuitton, this was the top destination for contemporary art in Paris. Given the less-than-central location, the average visitor to Paris may overlook it; those initiated in contemporary art, however, won’t leave Paris without stopping here.