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Nuit des Musées
Les Nuit des Musées, or The Museum Night in Paris, allows history fans to enjoy all museums and galleries in the City of Light for free each year for one night in mid-May. Approximately 200 venues throw their doors open to the public from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Enjoy viewing art collections, rare cultural exhibitions, and scientific inventions in the rare evening hours. A nocturnal visit to some of the most famous museums and galleries in the world may provide a new perspective as well, making this one of the most anticipated spring events in Paris.
History
Museum Night isn’t just limited to Paris – cities all over Europe participate in this event, allowing patrons to visit famous galleries and sites for free this one night since 2001.
In fact, the idea of an all-night cultural festival, comes from the longstanding tradition of European summer festivals, that typically last through the night. For example, as a prominent northern city, St. Petersburg enjoys many long twilight nights in the summer from mid-May to mid-June. Citizens celebrated these type of evenings with a White Night Festival, filled with musical performances, cultural events, street festivals, and more. And so, the concept of a “white night” festival spread to other parts of Europe.
The first ever Long Night of Museums, as it is known as in other parts of the world, was in 1997 in Berlin. In France the concept was adopted in 1999, when the French Ministry of Culture and Communication welcomed visitors to over 75 local museums for free, and other countries picked up the trend a few years later. The event welcomes visitors to discover more about their culture and community heritage, in hopes of reaching out to younger generations.
These days, many places worldwide celebrate the event. In Argentina, “La Noche de los Museos” has taken place every year since 2004. In 2003, “Noc Muzeów” took place in Poland at the Poznań National Museum. In 2005, Croatia joined in, calling the event “Noć muzeja.” Philippines was the first country in the Asia-Pacific to take up the event, starting in 2007, known as “Gabii sa Kabilin,” otherwise known as Night of Heritage.
Where to Go
Pretty much any gallery, monument, or museum in Paris is yours for the night. But if you really want to hit the highlights, some of the major venues that are open include the Musée du Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Musée Bourdelle, Victor Hugo’s house, Petit Palais, Carnavalet Museum, Rodin Museum, City of Science and Industry, National Archives, Museum of Modern Art, Archaeological Crypt, and the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Some places are obviously more popular than most, so beware a long line for latecomers!
In past years, the Louvre Museum allows free admission to permanent exhibits. In 2010, Musée de L’Orangerie des Tuileries showcased "Les Nymphéas," a music and video installation about Claude Monet, the famous impressionist painter. An accompanying workshop with mime and poetry performances about Monet was also held.
Other institutions have held musical concerts in addition to free admission, such as Musée Carnavalet. Storytelling sessions, guided tours, theater performances, and educational lectures are also options.
If museums are not your thing, there are still other activities you can enjoy. In past years, Paris has organized a foozball tournament, known as “babyfoot” in France, an all-night concert in the Musée Carnavalet garden, a ballet performance at the Musée de l’assistance publique, and reenactments of 16th century military marches at the Musée de l’Armée.
Getting There
Most of these places are parked conveniently next to a major metro stop, or easily accessible by bus. Due to the popularity of the event, expect all forms of transit to be crowded, particularly just before midnight.
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