My Favorite Free Museums in Paris
Paris doesn’t have to be expensive. Some of my favorite things to do in Paris are free. Here’s a round-up of my seven favorite free museums in Paris. And unlike museums with an entry fee, free museums often have no line.
Le Petit Palais, 8th Arrondissement
Le Petit Palais was built for the 1900 Paris World Fair. It now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts. Before you enter, look at that door, the most beautiful in Paris. The City of Paris has acquired the current collection of paintings and sculptures since 1870, either as commissions or through purchases directly from the artists. Cézanne, Monet, Courbet, Picasso, Rembrandt, Rubens, they’re all here. But the building itself is reason enough to visit. It’s an architectural jewel built by Charles Girault. Stop to take a picture on the magnificent staircase. Don’t miss the courtyard. You’d never know you were in the middle of Paris!
Musée Cognacq-Jay, 3rd Arrondissement
One of the loveliest museums in Paris! This 16th-century, rococo-style mansion contains an outstanding collection of mostly 18th-century artwork. Note the intricately carved wood paneling in the rooms (called boiserie). By wandering through the rooms of this gem, you can imagine how Ernest Cognacq, founder of the department store La Samaritaine, and his wife, Louise Jay, lived in the 19th century. They collected furniture, porcelain, and paintings (notably by Fragonard, Watteau, François Boucher, and Tiepolo) to create one of the finest private collections of this period. Don’t miss the glass cases filled with snuff boxes, sewing cases, pocket watches, perfume bottles, and cigar cutters. Audioguides are available in English for a small fee.
"Le banquet de Cléopâtre" de G. Tiepolo by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra licensed under Creative Commons.
Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, 16th Arrondissement
The Centre Georges Pompidou will be closing for a five-year renovation in 2025. Don’t despair. Next time you’re in Paris, head straight to the modern art museum in the Palais de Tokyo. The permanent collection on the lower floor picks up where the Musée d'Orsay leaves off, at the beginning of the 20th century. Discover Fauve paintings by Maurice de Vlaminck and André Derain and Pablo Picasso's early experiments in Cubism. Delaunay, Chagall, Matisse, Rothko, and Modigliani are also here. A prime spot for Eiffel Tower views is on the Palais de Tokyo's sprawling terrace. Don’t miss the museum shop, one of the best in Paris.
Musée Histoire de Paris Carnavalet, 3rd Arrondissement
One of the oldest museums in Paris, the Carnavalet Museum is dedicated to the history of Paris. It originally opened in a historic mansion in the Marais in 1880. Discover the story of Paris, from its origins to today. Your journey begins in prehistoric times. Then you travel through the centuries watching Paris become the Paris you know and love today. See numerous objects from the French Revolution and little mementos from Proust, for example. This museum is packed with fun facts and little anecdotes.
Musée Bourdelle, 15th Arrondissement
The Musée Bourdelle is one of the best-kept secrets in Paris. Discover the studio of sculptor Antoine Bourdelle (1861–1929) and see how a Parisian atelier from the late 19th and early 20th centuries looked. The museum contains more than 500 works. Bourdelle's collection of works by artists including Eugène Carrière, Eugène Delacroix, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Adolphe Joseph Thomas Monticelli, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, and Auguste Rodin is also on display. You can also marvel at the original plaster casts of his 21 studies of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Maison Victor Hugo, 4th Arrondissement
Victor Hugo was one of France’s most celebrated nineteenth-century writers. The Maison de Victor Hugo is located in Hugo’s former apartment in the Place des Vosges. Hugo lived in this building, L’Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée, from 1832 to 1848. The building, Louis XIII style by Isaac Arnauld, is one of the most beautiful in the Place des Vosges. The novel Les Misérables was largely written in this very spot. The apartment is divided into four sections, Before Exile, During Exile, and After Exile. Victor Hugo’s resistance against Napoléon III’s coup d’état in 1851 forced him into exile in Guernsey until 1870. Take home a copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame from the small bookshop in the museum.
Musée de la vie romantique, 9th Arrondissement
The Dutch painter, Ary Scheffer, built this small villa in 1830. Scheffer hosted weekly salon evenings here. George Sand, one of the most notorious and talented writers at the time, attended these soirées with the most famous of her many lovers, the composer Frederic Chopin. The ground floor of this small and charming museum is devoted to George Sand. On the upper floor, you can see Scheffer’s paintings. Stop for a tea in the tranquil garden.
Have you visited any of these museums? Let me know what you think in the comments!