Paris is renowned for its dozens of world-class museums, from head-spinning fine art collections to history, science and industry exhibits, chilling underground catacombs, and even old curiosity cabinets. Better still, many of the city’s finest collections are entirely free.
Browse Museums & Galleries by Interest
The Best Modern Art Museums in Paris (& How to Enjoy Them)
Last Updated on May 13, 2026 The birthplace of countless artistic movements, Paris is also (unsurprisingly) home to some of the world’s finest modern art collections. From…
Best Free Museums in Paris, from Fine Art to City History
Last Updated on May 12, 2025 When I was a young teaching assistant and a newcomer to Paris, I had to stretch my meager budget as best…
The Best Independent Art Galleries in Paris
Last Updated on June 19, 2024 Paris is home to a number of “greats”– from monuments to food and fashion, museums and art galleries. Especially when visiting…
Best Small Museums in Paris: 10 Gems You Shouldn’t Overlook
Last Updated on May 13, 2026 The first time I set foot inside the Louvre Museum, I had already been living in Paris for three or four…
Weird Museums in Paris, from Curiosity Cabinets to Underground Kingdoms
Last Updated on January 16, 2025 Among the hundreds of museums, galleries and special collections that make up the Parisian art and culture scene, a few are,…
5 Great Museums for Kids in Paris: Family-Friendly Collections
Last Updated on March 28, 2025 I often get e-mails from parents asking how to keep their young ones stimulated and happy in the French capital. And…
Monet Museums in Paris: Where to Find the Impressionist Master?
Last Updated on January 30, 2025 The French capital is one of the best places worldwide to take in the mesmerizing work of Impressionist master Claude Monet…
5 Parisian Museums With Fantastic Views
Last Updated on October 14, 2025 While the primary reason you’ll be beelining to some of the French capital’s best museums is for their collections and exhibitions,…
The Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris: 8 Reasons to Love It
Last Updated on January 25, 2024 More than a museum, it’s a cultural touchstone Few places in Paris carry the sort of sentimental weight that the Centre…
Inside the Musée Carnavalet, a Museum Dedicated to Paris History
Last Updated on May 12, 2025 Anyone aiming to better understand the long and complex history of the French capital would do well to pay a visit…
History of the Paris Catacombs (& How to Visit Them)
Last Updated on April 16, 2025 Few places in the French capital inspire the kind of morbid fascination than the Paris Catacombs do– and that’s little surprise…
Inside Musée de Cluny, Paris’ Newly Renovated Medieval Museum
Last Updated on June 7, 2023 The Musée de Cluny/Musée National du Moyen Age (National Museum of the Middle Ages) is arguably one of France’s finest and…
Inside the Atelier des Lumières, Paris’ First (All)-Digital Art Museum
Last Updated on February 9, 2024 When I learned that an all-digital art museum and cultural space called the Atelier des Lumières would be opening its doors…
The Jeu de Paume Gallery in Paris, Showcasing Photography & Multimedia Art
Situated at the northwestern edge of the Jardin des Tuileries, the Jeu de Paume in Paris is one of the city’s most important exhibition spaces dedicated to…
Inside the 104 (Cent-Quatre), a Vibrant Art Hub in Paris
Last Updated on September 8, 2025 The 104 (Le Cent Quatre), a vast communal art center in Paris’ 19th arrondissement, isn’t really a place most tourists know…
The Jean-Jacques Henner Museum in Paris
Last Updated on June 27, 2025 A quietly stunning collection Most tourists know nothing of what I consider to be one of Paris’ finest single-artist collections, the…
Inside the Paris Wine Museum (M. Musée du Vin)
Last Updated on November 13, 2023 Aside from the humble baguette, there is perhaps no other staple more common in French homes than the bottle of wine…
Exploring the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, Inside & Out
Last Updated on January 24, 2024 We don’t wish to disappoint you: this newcomer to the Parisian arts scene doesn’t resemble a giant, patterned couture bag from the…
Rodin Museum in Paris: Spotlighting France’s Most-Famous Sculptor
Last Updated on September 14, 2023 The Rodin Museum in Paris (Musée Rodin) is dedicated to the work, life and legacy of the nation’s celebrated sculptor of…
The Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris: Why & How to Visit
Last Updated on January 11, 2024 Holding one of the finest collections of masterpieces from impressionist Claude Monet, the Musée Marmottan Monet is a small Parisian museum…
Why to Visit Fluctuart, Paris’ First Floating Art Gallery
Last Updated on July 3, 2023 Opened in July 2019, Fluctuart is the world’s first floating “urban art center”. Docked at the foot of The Pont des…
Quai Branly Museum in Paris: A Full Guide
Last Updated on June 30, 2023 Inaugurated in 2006, The Musée du Quai Branly (Quai Branly Museum) harbors one of Paris’ most important collections, dedicated to arts and…
The Guimet Museum in Paris, Dedicated to Asian Art
Last Updated on March 12, 2025 Established in 1889 by the French art collector Emile Guimet, this vast museum named after him is one of France’s most…
Guide to the Musée Maillol in Paris: A Tribute to the Franco-Catalan Sculptor
Last Updated on November 7, 2023 Inaugurated in 1995, the Musée Maillol is a private museum that highlights the work of Franco-Catalan sculptor and painter Aristide Maillol–…
The Musée Grévin (Paris Wax Museum): A Full Guide
Last Updated on February 12, 2025 It may not enjoy the global fame of Madame Tussaud’s in London, but the Paris-based wax museum known as Musée Grévin…
Best Things to Do For History Lovers
Medieval Paris: A Self-Guided Tour of Sites From Middle Ages
Last Updated on December 9, 2024 During the 19th century, the Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann gutted much of what had been medieval Paris– forging the iconic skyline and…
History of the Paris Catacombs (& How to Visit Them)
Last Updated on April 16, 2025 Few places in the French capital inspire the kind of morbid fascination than the Paris Catacombs do– and that’s little surprise…
These Places in Paris Aren’t Usually Associated With Black American History. They Should Be.
Last Updated on August 15, 2025 “It’s a great city, Paris, a beautiful city––and––it was very good for me.” — James Baldwin, Another Country (1962) One of…
Looking for Roman Paris: Ancient Ruins From Lutetia
Last Updated on August 10, 2023 Hoping to see significant Roman ruins in Paris on your next trip? Probably not. Unlike Pompeii, Lyon (the former capital of…
Inside the Musée Carnavalet, a Museum Dedicated to Paris History
Last Updated on May 12, 2025 Anyone aiming to better understand the long and complex history of the French capital would do well to pay a visit…
An Elegant Paris Building (With a Dark History of Nazi Collaboration)
Last Updated on July 1, 2024 On the Place des Petits Pères in central Paris, a sense of calm abounds these days. The Basilique Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church graces…
The Tour Saint-Jacques: An Enigmatic Treasure in Central Paris
Last Updated on August 24, 2023 During my early years living in Paris, I passed a nondescript construction site in the city center on a semi-daily basis…
Seeking Josephine Baker in Paris: A Bit of History & Places to Visit
Last Updated on June 5, 2026 When most people think of Josephine Baker, they imagine her dancing in some glamorous Paris venue at the height of the…
Inside the Paris Wine Museum (M. Musée du Vin)
Last Updated on November 13, 2023 Aside from the humble baguette, there is perhaps no other staple more common in French homes than the bottle of wine…
Looking for a Good Virtual Tour of Paris? Start With These.
Last Updated on January 19, 2023 When the world was turned upside-down by a minuscule, spike-covered virus, in 2020, many of us who take joy in travel…
Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris: Walking Paths & Famous Graves
Last Updated on June 24, 2025 Montparnasse Cemetery, opened in 1824, sits on a site that was once occupied by three farms– in what was then a…
The American Revolution in France: Key Sites to Visit in Paris
Last Updated on March 28, 2025 Especially since I became a dual Franco-American citizen, I’ve been fascinated by the “dialogic” nature of the American and French Revolutions…
“Alchemist” Nicolas Flamel Built the Oldest House in Paris
Last Updated on May 3, 2024 The modest medieval house located at 51, Rue de Montmorency in Paris is off-radar for most tourists. Yet for a niche…
Seeking Edith Piaf in Paris? Visit These Places
Last Updated on June 10, 2026 Affectionately dubbed “the little sparrow” and “la môme” (the kid) in France, Edith Piaf is a musical legend who has (rather surprisingly?)…
