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Paris Museums

Paris Museums

There are over 80 museums in the city of Paris, which makes choosing the best selection a daunting task when you’re on a tourist’s schedule. Thankfully, the selection is so varied and diverse that with a little bit of research, you’ll find yourself automatically drawn to what interests you the most once you arrive in the City of Light.

Conveniently, the majority of Paris’ most popular museums are located near the center of Paris, along the right or left banks of the River Seine. These museums are some of the most popular tourist sights in the city. Whether you’re on the lookout for famous French impressionists, the latest contemporary concept exhibition, military history, or the most famous face in city, Paris will offer you an unforgettable museum experience filled with culture and history.

The Louvre

Perhaps the most well known museum in Paris and the most visited art museum in the world, the Louvre is usually one of the first stops on any planned for independent sightseeing tour. The iconic glass Pyramid in the Louvre courtyard marks the location of the Tuilerie Palace, destroyed during the social uprisings of the Paris Commune in 1871. Inside, visitors are drawn to famous pieces like Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory of Samothrace, a Greek marble sculpture dating back to the 2^nd century BC.

Musee D’Orsay

Located next to the Louvre on the adjacent Left Bank of the Seine, the Musee D’Orsay is housed in the former Gare D’Orsay, an ornate railway station dating back to the turn of the 20^th century. The museum is best known for its extensive collection of the world’s most famous expressionist pieces from Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Degas, and Renoir. The energy in the Musee D’Orsay is notably less frantic than at the Louvre, but it is nonetheless busy every day of the week.

Musee du Vin

The Musee de Vin offers a glimpse into the rich and detailed history of French winemaking. Built over an old vineyard where monks used to produce some of France’s earliest wines, the museum is now home to winemaking tools from as early as the Middle Ages. The majority of the exhibitions are now housed in 15^th century stone quarries that formerly served as wine cellars.

City Museum of Modern Art

Located near the Musee de Vin in the 16^th Arrondissement is the City Museum of Modern Art, which is dedicated to the art of the 20^th century. Permanent collections include works by famed modern artists like Georges Braque, Henri Matisse, and Amadeo Modigliani. Temporary exhibitions are rotated every 6 weeks. The museum is also home to one of the most famous art heists in France’s history, which took place in 2010. Overnight, five modern masterpieces disappeared from the museum, including iconic pieces like The Pigeon with the Peas by Picasso and The Pastoral by Henri Matisse. The theft is still under investigation.

Hotel des Invalides

Also referred to as the Musee L’Armee (The Army Museum), Hotel des Invalides offers visitors a glimpse into the history of the glory and folly of the French army. It includes exhibitions of weapons and uniforms dating back to the 18^th century as well as ancient pieces like Viking swords and Burgundian battle axes. In the nearby Eglise du Dome, visitors can visit the actual Tomb of Napoleon.

Centre Pompidou

The building itself is considered a masterpiece of contemporary design, but the industrial façade of the Centre Pompidou also houses the most famous contemporary exhibitions in the city. The museum has seen temporary exhibitions from such high caliber artists as Kandinsky, Pollack, Dali, and Munch as well as pop-culture icon, Andy Warhol. Exhibitions rotate often, and there is always something new to absorb in this masterpiece on the contemporary Parisian art scene.

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Paris Museums