Most of our clients ask for suggestions for the best museums to visit while in Paris. First time visitors usually ask for a guided tour of the Louvre or perhaps the Musée d’Orsay. Although these are two of our favorite museums, Paris has so many more museums to offer! Take a look at some of our other suggestions below.

Here is a list of SVP Tours’ 25 Best Paris Museums. They are not listed in any particular order in terms of our favorites. Instead, you can click on the links for more information. Please note that most museums now have rules and regulations regarding the size of the bags that you can carry when you visit. Please check their websites for details in this regard.

Our guides are available for private tours of any of these museums as well as many other museums in the city.  Of course, we can organize themed tours, visiting a few different museums focusing on a topic or period of time that is of interest to you. All tours are tailor-made to meet your unique interests!

25 Best Museums in Paris

• The Army Museum a/k/a Musée de l’Armée, 129 rue de Grenelle, 75007.This is the National Military Museum of France located at the Invalides in the 7^tharrondissement.  It is a museum of military history and art. Clearly, this is an excellent choice for history buffs. (Closed Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25) https://www.musee-armee.fr/en/english-version.html

• Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD), 107 rue de Rivoli, 75001.  Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, located in the Louvre’s western wing. It is one of the world’s best collections of design and decorative arts. The focus is French furniture, tableware, crystal and porcelain. It is in the same location as the Fashion Museum (Musée de la Mode et du Textile). Closed Mondays, Jan 1 & May 1) https://madparis.fr/en

• Arts & Crafts Museuma/k/a Musée des arts et Métiers, 60 rue Réaumur, 75003.  This arts and crafts museum is actually Europe’s oldest science museum.  It contains a collection of interesting and cool inventions, technology and machines. (Closed Mondays, May 1 & Dec 25) https://www.arts-et-metiers.net/musee/visitor-information

• Bourdelle Museum, 18 rue Antoine Bourdelle 75015.  This is one of the few remaining artists’ studios that was in Montparnasse during the turn of the century.  The studio, which is now a museum, holds the works of the sculptor, Antoine Bourdelle, who was a pupil of Auguste Rodin.  His studio has been left as it was during his lifetime and holds some amazing works of art.  (Closed Mondays and some holidays.)  http://www.bourdelle.paris.fr/en

• Carnavalet Museum, 23 rue de Sévigné 75003.This museum, located in the center of the Marais, has an eclectic collection of items that document the history of the city of Paris. It consists of two neighboring mansions and its collections include medieval offerings, mementos from the French revolution and much more. (Closed on Mondays and public holidays.) http://www.carnavalet.paris.fr/en/museum-carnavalet

• Centre Pompidou, Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004.  Houses the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe. (Closed Tuesdays and May 1)  https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en

• City of Science & Industry(Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie), 30 avenue Corentin Cariou, 75019.  This is the biggest science museum in Europe.  (Closed Mondays, Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25).  http://www.cite-sciences.fr/en/home/

• Cluny Museum a/k/a National Museum of the Middle Ages,28 rue du Sommerard, 75005.Tucked into the Latin Quarter, this museum is famous for its Lady and the Unicorntapestries.  It is set in ancient Roman baths and also a medieval abbey. Visit for the medieval art, jewelry, tapestry and sculptures.  (Closed Tuesdays and Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25)  https://www.musee-moyenage.fr/en/home.html

• Dali Paris, 11 rue Poulbot, 75018.  Permanent exhibition devoted to Salvador Dali. It houses approximately 300 original works of art.  (Closed on holidays) https://www.daliparis.com/en/

• Guimet Museum of Asian Arts, 6 place d’Iléna 75116. Houses one of the largest collections of Asian art outside of Asia.  Therefore, this is a must-see for Asian art buffs. (Closed Tuesdays, Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25) https://www.guimet.fr

• Jacquemart-André Museum, 158 boulevard Haussmann 75008. This gorgeous mansion is tucked into the Marais and is home of the private collection of Ernest Cognacq and his wife, Marie-Louise Jaÿ. Their collection includes their private apartments, the State apartments, Italian masterpieces including Rembrandts and Bellinis and much more.  (Open daily) https://www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com/en

• Museum of the Art & History of Judaism, Hotel de Saint-Aignan, 71 rue du Temple, 75003.  A museum of Jewish art and history located in the Marais. It specializes in the history and culture of the Jewish people in Europe and North Africa from the Middle Ages until today.  (Closed Mondays)

• Louis Vuitton Foundation, 8 avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, 75116. Housed in a building notably designed by Frank Gehry, the Fondation Louis Vuitton houses exceptional contemporary art collections, both permanent and temporary. (Closed Tuesdays, Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25.)  https://www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr/en.html

• Louvre Museum, rue de Rivoli75001. The most famous of the Paris museums with an extensive collection of art- some 35,000 works of art and artefacts.  You could spend days exploring.  Of course, the famous Mona Lisalives here.  (Closed on Tuesdays, Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25)  https://www.louvre.fr/en/homepage

• Musée Marmottan Monet, 2 rue Louis Boilly, 75016.Located in the 16^tharrondissement, the museum hosues over 300 Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings by Claude Monet.  This is the largest collection of his works.  (Closed Mondays, Jan 1 May 1 & Dec 25)  https://www.marmottan.fr/en/

• Museum of Music, 221 avenue Jean Jaurès, 75019. Located within the Philharmonie de Paris, the museum has a collection of over 7,000 instrumetns and art objects. These include a piano belonging to Chopin and a guitar belonging to Brassens.  It presents a history of Western music from the 17^thcentury until today. (Closed Mondays, Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25)  https://philharmoniedeparis.fr/en/musee-de-la-musique

• National Museum of Natural History, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005. Located on the Left Bank in the Jardin des Plantes, this is the French Natural History Museum. Includes a building of skeletons and fossils as well as geology and taxonomy. There is also a permanent room dedicated to virtual reality. (Closed Tuesdays, Jan 1, May 1 and Dec 25) https://www.mnhn.fr/en

• Musée Nissim de Camondo, 63 rue de Monceau, 75008.  This museum is located in an elegant mansion at the edge of the Parc Monceau. It houses French decorative arts. One of the best parts of this museum, in our opinion, is that the rooms have authentic furnishings. (Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, Jan 1 & May 1)  https://madparis.fr/francais/musees/musee-nissim-de-camondo/

• Orsay Museum, 1 rue de la Légion d’Honneur 75007.  The Orsay, locate don the Left Bank of the Seine, is located in a former train station.  It holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914.  They have an excellent collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. They also have a collection of decorative arts from the Art Nouveau era. (Closed on Mondays, May 1 & Dec 25) https://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/

• L’Orangerie,Jardin Tuileries, 75001.  This is an art gallery of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings located in the Tuileries Gardens near the Place de la Concorde. Monet’s Waterliliescan be found here.  (Closed on Tuesdays, May 1 & Dec 25)  https://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en

• Paris Museum of Modern Art, 11 Avenue du Président Wilson 75116.Museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art of the 20^thand 21^stcenturies.  (Closed on Mondays and public holidays) http://www.mam.paris.fr/en

• Petit Palais, avenue Winston Churchill, 75008.  Built in 1900 for the Universal Exhibition, the Petit Palais houses the Museum of Fine Arts for the City of Paris.  It represents the paintings and sculptures acquired by the City of Paris since 1870 either as commissions or bought directly from artists. There is also a collection of pre-modern art . Be sure to visit the Three Bathersby Cézanne and Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait.   (Closed Mondays and public holidays)  http://www.petitpalais.paris.fr/en

• Picasso Museum, 5 rue de Thorigny, 75003.  Museum and gallery dedicated to the work of Pablo Picasso located in the heart of the Marais. This museum should not be missed! (Closed on Mondays and national holidays.) http://www.museepicassoparis.fr/en/

• Rodin Museum, 77 rue de Varenne,, 75007.  The museum is dedicated to the works of French sculptor, Auguste Rodin.  (Closed Mondays, Jan 1, May 1 & Dec 25) http://www.musee-rodin.fr/en

• The Shoah Memorial, 17 rue Geoffroy l’Asnier, 75004.Located in the Marais District, this is the Holocaust museum of Paris.  (Closed Mondays & holidays)  http://www.memorialdelashoah.org

Plan your visit to one of these Paris Museums today!