Paris, the capital of France, is home to a large number of museums that hold remarkable artistic and cultural treasures: exhibitions, conferences, street art, night visits, museum outings…
Several of these exceptional places open their doors for free all year long while others are accessible for free on the first Sunday of each month…
We propose you here the complete list of the museums of Paris open for free.
Free museums in Paris all year long
Brancusi’s studio
Place Georges Pompidou, Paris 4 – Metro Rambuteau / Étienne Marcel
Located on Place Georges-Pompidou across from the Centre Pompidou, the Atelier Brancusi is a is a faithful recreation of Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuși’s studio and today a French glyptotheque constituting an annex of the Centre Pompidou, in Paris.
Learn more about the Brancusi’s studio
The Paris Catacombs
1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, Paris 14 – Metro Denfert-Rochereau
The Paris Catacombs have been open to the public since 1809. These former underground quarries in the 14th arrondissement of Paris are now the largest municipal ossuary in the world, housing the remains of several million Parisians who were gradually evacuated for public health reasons when the Parisian cemeteries were closed.
Learn more about the Paris Catacombs
Archaeological crypt of the Ile de la Cité
7 Parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul II, Paris 4 – Metro Cité / Saint-Michel
Located just below the square in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral, in the 4th arrondissement, the archaeological crypt of the Ile de la Cité is a museum of the City of Paris.
Learn more about the Archaeological crypt of the Ile de la Cité
Frac Île-de-France, Le Plateau
22 Rue des Alouettes, Paris 19 – Metro Jourdain / Pyrénées / Buttes-Chaumont
The Fonds régional d’art contemporain Île-de-France is located in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, near the Buttes-Chaumont park and the Belleville district.
An essential supporter of contemporary artistic creation, the Frac Île-de-France’s collection represents more than 2,000 works covering all areas of creation, with a particular focus on the emergence of new generations of artists.
Four exhibitions a year are organized at Le Plateau, but other more experimental events (dances, performances, etc.) with artists in residence in Paris are also offered.
In the interest of accessibility, temporary exhibitions are open to the public and are accompanied by a complete mediation program.
Learn more about the Frac Île-de-France, Le Plateau
The Balzac’s House
47 Rue Raynouard, Paris 16 – Metro Passy / La Muette
In the heart of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, the Balzac’s House is a pavilion housing a museum dedicated to the French writer Honoré de Balzac.
The museum now extends over three levels, from rue Raynouard to rue Berton, and includes the garden apartment as well as various rooms and outbuildings originally occupied by other tenants.
The Balzac’s House is one of the fourteen museums of the city of Paris and is managed by Paris Musées since 2013.
Learn more about the Balzac’s House
Victor Hugo’s House
6 Place des Vosges, Paris 4 – Metro Bastille / Saint-Paul / Chemin Vert
Located on the Place des Vosges in the former Rohan-Guémené hotel, the Victor Hugo’s House is a monographic museum dedicated to the famous French writer and politician.
The apartment that Victor Hugo rented from 1832 to 1848 is now arranged in such a way as to allow you to discover his life through furniture, objects and works of art that belonged to him or evoke his writings.
Learn more about the Victor Hugo’s House
City of Paris Museum of Modern Art
11 Avenue du Président Wilson, Paris 16 – Metro Alma-Marceau / Iéna
Located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris and occupying the east wing of the Tokyo Palace, the City of Paris Museum of Modern Art is a French art museum.
With nearly 15,000 works, the collections of the City of Paris Museum of Modern Art represent the richness of artistic creation of the 20th and 21st centuries and testify to the dynamism of the contemporary art scene.
Learn more about the City of Paris Museum of Modern Art
Shoah Memorial
17 Rue Geoffroy l’Asnier, Paris 4 – Metro Saint-Paul / Hôtel-de-Ville / Pont-Marie
Located in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, the Shoah Memorial is both a place of remembrance of the genocide of the Jews and a museum dedicated to the history of the Jews during the World War II, with a particular focus on the lessons of the Shoah.
Learn more about the Shoah Memorial
Bourdelle Museum
18 Rue Antoine Bourdelle, Paris 15 – Metro Montparnasse – Bienvenüe / Falguière
The Bourdelle Museum is located near the Montparnasse district in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. Transformed into a museum in 1949, the apartment and former workshops of the famous French sculptor Antoine Bourdelle now offer the public a tour of singular exhibition spaces open to the gardens.
Learn more about the Bourdelle Museum
Carnavalet Museum
23 Rue de Sévigné, Paris 3 – Metro Saint-Paul / Bréguet Sabin / Pont-Marie / Chemin Vert
Located in the 3rd arrondissement, in the Marais district, the Carnavalet museum is the Parisian municipal museum dedicated to the history of Paris.
The museum is composed of two hotels connected by a gallery, the Hotel des Ligneris (Carnavalet) and the Hotel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau. With its more than 625,000 works of art, furniture, decorative art objects and archaeological collections, the Carnavalet Museum traces the history of Paris from its prehistoric origins to the present day.
Learn more about the Carnavalet Museum
Cernuschi Museum
7 Avenue Velasquez, Paris 8 – Metro Villiers / Monceau
Located near the Parc Monceau in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, the Cernuschi Museum, housed in the former mansion of financier, patron and donor Henri Cernuschi, is dedicated to Asian art, and more particularly to the Far East: China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam (collection bequeathed to the City of Paris by Henri Cernuschi).
Learn more about the Cernuschi Museum
Cognacq-Jay Museum
8 Rue Elzevir, Paris 3 – Metro Saint-Paul / Chemin-Vert / Rambuteau
The Cognacq-Jay Museum is a municipal museum of the City of Paris located in the Hôtel de Donon in the 3rd arrondissement.
The museum’s collection is open to the public free of charge and presents the works of art bequeathed by Ernest Cognacq and Marie-Louise Jaÿ, founders of the Samaritaine department stores.
Learn more about the Cognacq-Jay Museum
Curie Museum
1 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 5 – Metro Place Monge / Cardinal Lemoine
Located a stone’s throw from the Pantheon in the 5th arrondissement, where Pierre and Marie Curie have been buried since 1995, the Curie Museum is housed in the Curie Pavilion of the Paris Radium Institute, the third and last laboratory used by Marie Curie.
Today, the museum consists of a free permanent exhibition space and a historical resource center, offering the public the opportunity to learn about the history of the Curie family, radioactivity and its early applications.
The garden designed by Marie Curie during the initial construction of the Radium Institute buildings is also open to the public.
Learn more about the Curie Museum
Ennery Museum
59 avenue Foch, Paris 16 – Metro Porte Dauphine
Located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris and annex of Guimet, the Ennery Museum is a national museum dedicated to Asian arts.
The collection gathers more than 7000 objects of Chinese or Japanese origin gathered by Clémence and Adolphe d’Ennery, an exceptional testimony of the attraction of the oriental art of the Second Empire.
Learn more about the Ennery Museum
Museum of the Liberation of Paris – General Leclerc Museum – Jean Moulin Museum
4 avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, Paris 14 – Metro Denfert-Rochereau
Since 2019, the Museum of the Liberation of Paris – General Leclerc Museum – Jean Moulin Museum is located in Denfert-Rochereau in the 14th arrondissement of Paris.
This double museum is dedicated to the two personalities of the Free French during the World War II, Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque and Jean Moulin and presents personal and everyday life objects but also a photographic and archival collection on the Liberation of Paris.
Learn more about the Museum of the Liberation of Paris – General Leclerc Museum – Jean Moulin Museum
Museum-Library of the Companionship
10 rue Mabillon, Paris 6 – Metro Mabillon
Located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the Companionship Museum and Bookshop is a private museum managed by the Companionship Federation of Building Trades and dedicated to the history of companionship.
Learn more about the Museum-Library of the Companionship
National Museum of the Legion of Honor and Orders of Chivalry
2 rue de la Légion d’honneur, Paris 7 – Metro Solférino
Located in the Hôtel de Salm in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, the National Museum of the Legion of Honor and Orders of Chivalry is a French national museum of art and history devoted to French and foreign orders of chivalry and merit, decorations and medals.
Learn more about the National Museum of the Legion of Honor and Orders of Chivalry
Fragonard Perfume Museum
9 rue Scribe, Paris 9 – Metro Opéra / Madeleine / Havre-Caumartin / Saint-Lazare
Located in the Garnier Opera district, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, the Fragonard Perfume Museum is a private museum that offers perfume lovers and enthusiasts an unusual journey through all the stages of manufacture as well as a vast collection of historical bottles.
The visit of the Perfume Museum is free and open to all.
Learn more about the Fragonard Perfume Museum
Museum of the Prefecture of Police
4 Rue de la Montagne Ste Geneviève, Paris 5 – Metro Maubert – Mutualité
Located inside the Police Headquarters in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, the Museum of the Prefecture of Police offers a unique historical collection that traces the history of the police from the 17th century to the present day. The Parisian museum is open to all free of charge upon reservation.
Learn more about the Museum of the Prefecture of Police
Museum of the Romantics
16 Rue Chaptal, Paris 9 – Metro Saint-Georges / Pigalle / Blanche
The Museum of the Romantics is located in the Scheffer-Renan hotel, former home of the romantic painter Ary Scheffer, in the 9th district of Paris. Access to the permanent collections is free and open to all.
Learn more about the Museum of the Romantics
Zadkine Museum
100 bis rue d’Assas, Paris 6 – Metro Notre-Dame des Champs / Vavin
Located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the Zadkine Museum is a Parisian museum dedicated to Ossip Zadkine. Exhibited in the former house and workshops, the Zadkine Museum collection brings together the works of the Russian sculptor bequeathed by Valentine Prax.
Learn more about the Zadkine Museum
Palais Galliera
10 avenue Pierre Ier de Serbie, Paris 16 – Metro Iéna / Alma-Marceau
The Palais Galliera is a Parisian museum located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. This fashion museum of the city of Paris is dedicated to the art and history of clothing and haute couture.
The collections of the Palais Galliera represent today more than 200 000 works (clothes, accessories, photographs, drawings…) and reflect the French dress codes, from the 18th century to nowadays.
Learn more about the Palais Galliera
Petit Palais
Avenue Winston Churchill, Paris 8 – Metro Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau / Franklin D. Roosevelt
Located opposite the Grand Palais in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, the Petit Palais houses the City of Paris’ museum of Fine Arts. Access to the permanent collections is free.
Learn more about the Petit Palais
Free museums in Paris on the 1st Sunday of the month
Centre Pompidou
Place Georges-Pompidou, Paris 4 – Metro Rambuteau / Hôtel de Ville / Châtelet
Located in the center of Paris between the Halles district and the Marais, the Centre Pompidou is an emblematic site, its outdoor escalators and huge colored pipes designed by architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers are an architectural marvel.
The Centre Pompidou is home to the National Museum of Modern Art, which offers a collection of modern and contemporary art unique in Europe and is a world reference for its collections of 20th and 21st century art.
Finally, on the top floor of the museum, the breathtaking panoramic view of the rooftops of the Beaubourg and Marais districts is considered one of the most beautiful views in Paris.
Learn more about the Centre Pompidou
Architecture and Heritage City
1 place du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre, Paris 16 – Metro Iéna / Trocadéro
The Architecture and Heritage City, located on the Trocadero Place in the northeast wing of the Chaillot Palace, is the largest architecture center in the world.
Through its three galleries, it offers a panorama of French architectural heritage from the Middle Ages to the present day and presents emblematic works of international contemporary creation.
Learn more about the Architecture and Heritage City
European House of Photography
5/7 rue de Fourcy, Paris 4 – Metro Saint-Paul / Pont Marie / Hôtel de Ville
The European House of Photography is a photography exhibition center located in the Hôtel Hénault in the 4th arrondissement of Paris.
Consisting of photographic works, videos, films, documentaries and prints, the collections of the European House of Photography offer a representative vision of international photographic creation from the 1950s to today.
Learn more about the European House of Photography
Arts and Crafts Museum
60 Rue Réaumur, Paris 3 – Metro Arts-et-Métiers / Réaumur-Sébastopol
Located in the heart of Paris, in the 3rd arrondissement, the Arts and Crafts Museum is a science and technology museum with the oldest industrial and technological collection open to the public in the world.
Learn more about the Arts and Crafts Museum
Hunting and Nature Museum
62 rue des Archives, Paris 3 – Metro Hôtel de Ville / Rambuteau / Arts et Métiers / Etienne Marcel
In the heart of the Marais district, the Guénégaud and Mongelas mansions house the Hunting and Nature Museum.
Its original collections of the François-Sommer Foundation for Hunting and Nature question the relationship between man and animal through ancient and contemporary works.
Learn more about the Hunting and Nature Museum
Cluny Museum – National Museum of the Middle Ages
28 rue du Sommerard, Paris 5 – Metro Cluny-La Sorbonne / Saint-Michel / Odéon
Located in the Hôtel de Cluny, in the heart of the Latin Quarter in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, the Cluny Museum – National Museum of the Middle Ages is a key venue for scientific research on medieval civilization.
The museum has one of the world’s largest collections of objects and works of art from the Middle Ages and the Cluny baths are also open to the public.
Learn more about the Cluny Museum – National Museum of the Middle Ages
Eugene Delacroix Museum
6 rue de Furstemberg, Paris 6 – Metro Saint-Germain-des-Prés / Mabillon
Housed in the painter’s last apartment and studio, the Eugene Delacroix Museum is a unique place in the 6th arrondissement of Paris.
Founded in the late 1920s by the Society of Friends of Eugene Delacroix (Maurice Denis, Paul Signac, Édouard Vuillard, Ker-Xavier Roussel), the Eugene Delacroix Museum is a place of remembrance in homage to the French painter and today houses a collection of nearly 1200 works.
Learn more about the Eugene Delacroix Museum
Gustave Moreau Museum
14 rue Catherine de La Rochefoucauld, Paris 9 – Metro Trinité / Saint Georges / Pigalle
The Gustave Moreau Museum is a national museum located in the former studio of the symbolist painter Gustave Moreau, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris.
The museum’s collections now include nearly 14,000 works (paintings, watercolors, drawings and sculptures) and the painter’s apartment, restored in 2003, is open to the public.
Learn more about the Gustave Moreau Museum
Louvre Museum
Rue de Rivoli, Paris 1 – Metro Palais-Royal / Musée du Louvre / Pyramides
Located in the former royal residence in the center of Paris, in the 1st arrondissement, the Louvre Museum is one of the most emblematic places in the capital.
With more than 500,000 works of art preserved and nearly 36,000 on display, the Louvre is the largest museum of art and antiquities in the world.
The Louvre’s collections include the arts of ancient civilizations (Oriental, Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman), the arts of early Christianity and Islam, and Western art from the Middle Ages to 1848.
The museum, symbolized by its famous glass pyramid, is the most visited museum in the world where works such as the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, the Crouching Scribe, the Victory of Samothrace and the Code of Hammurabi are presented to the public.
Learn more about the Louvre Museum
Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts
6 place d’Iéna, Paris 16 – Metro Iéna / Boissière
The Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts is a center and museum of Asian arts located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris that offers the public one of the most complete collections of Asian arts in the world.
Learn more about the Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts
National Museum of Immigration History
293 avenue Daumesnil, Paris 12 – Metro Porte Dorée
The National Museum of Immigration History is a French museum located in the Palais de la Porte-Dorée in the 12th arrondissement of Paris.
Through its permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, the Museum of Immigration History is the only national museum dedicated to the history and cultures of immigration in France.
Learn more about the National Museum of Immigration History
Jean-Jacques Henner National Museum
43 avenue de Villiers, Paris 17 – Metro Malesherbes / Monceau / Wagram
The Jean-Jacques Henner National Museum is a museum dedicated to the work of the French painter Jean-Jacques Henner (1829-1905) located in a former 19th century mansion in the Plaine-de-Monceaux in the 17th district of Paris.
Learn more about the Jean-Jacques Henner National Museum
National Museum of the Orangery
Jardin Tuileries, Paris 1 – Metro Concorde
The National Museum of the Orangery is a French museum of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, located in the former orangery of the Tuileries Palace in Paris.
Famous for the exhibition of Claude Monet’s Water Lilies cycle that covers the walls of the two large oval rooms, the Musée National de l’Orangerie’s collections also feature the works of painters such as Renoir, Sisley, Monet, Cézanne, Matisse and Picasso.
Learn more about the National Museum of the Orangery
Orsay Museum
1 rue de la Légion d’Honneur, Paris 7 – Metro Solférino
Located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris and housed in the former Orsay train station, the Orsay Museum is a French national museum with the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings in the world. It includes famous masterpieces by Manet, Degas, Courbet, Cézanne, Monet and Renoir.
Learn more about the Orsay Museum
National Picasso Museum
5 rue de Thorigny, Paris 3 – Metro Saint-Paul / Saint-Sébastien Froissart / Chemin Vert
Located in the Hotel Salé, in the heart of the Marais district in the 3rd arrondissement, the National Picasso Museum is a French national museum dedicated to the works and life of the famous cubist painter Pablo Picasso.
Learn more about the National Picasso Museum
Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum
37 quai Branly, Paris 7 – Metro Alma-Marceau / Iéna / Ecole Militaire / Bir Hakeim
The Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum is an extraordinary project led by Jacques Chirac and designed by the architect Jean Nouvel. It is located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris and is dedicated to non-western civilizations.
The collections of the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum bring together the former ethnology collections of the Musée de l’Homme and those of the Musée National des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie, now divided into four major continental groups: Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.
Learn more about the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum
Rodin Museum
77 rue de Varenne, Paris 7 – Metro Varenne / Invalides
Dedicated to the conservation and dissemination of the work of Auguste Rodin, the Rodin Museum is composed of two sites: the first at the Hôtel de Biron in the 7th arrondissement of Paris and the second at the Villa des Brillants in Meudon.
Through its two sites, the museum preserves collections of great diversity representing nearly 6,800 sculptures, 8,000 drawings, 10,000 photographs and 8,000 art objects.
The Rodin Museum is now one of the most important French museums in terms of attendance.
Learn more about the Rodin Museum
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