5 Famous Art and Science Museums to Visit in Paris

No trip to Paris is complete without visiting some of the city’s world famous art museums. The museums in Paris are the ideal place for cultural enrichment. If you want to visit several museums at low cost, I recommend purchasing the Paris Museum Pass. Generally, I try to avoid purchasing city passes, because I never felt like I got my money’s worth. However, the Paris Museum Pass was well worth the price. With the pass, Eli and I spent three days visiting several museums in Paris. Whether you decide to purchase the pass or not, we highly recommend these five historic museums:

Musée Du Louvre (Louvre Museum)

First up, is the Louvre. The Louvre is the world’s largest art museum and a historic monument in Paris. It is home to hundreds of thousands of modern and classic masterpieces, including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

Unsurprisingly, the Louvre is also the most visited museum in Paris and one of the most visited museums in the world. Not only does it get busy, there is a ton to see. So you really have to plan your visit. With the exception of Tuesdays, January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th, the Louvre museum is open every day of the year from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are late night openings on Wednesdays and Fridays until 9:45 p.m. To beat the crowd, I recommend visiting on a week day during the early morning.

The admission fee is €15 for anyone over 18 years of age. Entrance is free for everyone under 18. Entrance is also free for those under age 26 on Fridays from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Admission is free for everyone else on the first Saturday of each month between 6 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., and all day on Bastille Day (14 July). Be warned that the Louvre is busier at these times.

To avoid the rush of people that visit the Louvre during free admission, it’s best to simply pay the entrance fee. The price is well worth it, as the Louvre houses approximately 380,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art in eight curatorial departments. That said, you’ll definitely want to visit the museum more than once if you wish to see all that museum offers.

Musée d’Orsay (Orsay Museum)

Musée d’Orsay was by far one of the highlights of our trip to Paris. A large part of what makes the Musée d’Orsay so magnificent is the fact that it is so masterfully curated. As a former railway station, it features large archways, high ceilings, and a huge clock as a centerpiece. The museum itself is a fascinating work of art.  Beyond that, the curated collection is astounding! The museum houses a collection of Impressionist artists including Monet, Degas, and Van Gogh—just to name a few. After spending hours marveling the museum’s remarkable collection I can definitely say that Musée d’Orsay is my favorite Parisian museum.

As with any popular museum, the Musée d’Orsay can be overwhelming to visit. So if you decide to visit Orsay—which I very highly recommend—don’t visit on the same day as any other large museums. Your day will become too hectic and exhausting. I suggest planning ahead, doing research, and getting a general idea of what you want to see while visiting the museum.

To enjoy the impressive collection at Musée d’Orsay, you’ll want to arrive early. Musée d’Orsay is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until 9:45 p.m. on Thursdays. The museum is closed on Mondays, May 1st, and December 25th. You can gain free admission to the museum on Sundays but, like the Louvre, it can become crowded fairly quickly, so I’d probably avoid it. Besides, so long as you arrive early, the entry fee is reasonable for the value that you get. Admission fee is €14 for those over 18 years of age and free for those 17 and under.

Musée Rodin (Rodin Museum)

Tucked away in the heart of the seventh arrondissement is Musée Rodin. This museum is primarily dedicated to the work of the renowned sculptor Auguste Rodin, and is housed at the 18th century mansion, Hotel Biron mansion, where he lived and worked.

Musée Rodin is small but perfect for the size of its impressive collection. Visiting the museum is a great way to escape the large crowds while still indulging in a cultural and artistic experience. Each piece has room to breath, and the building itself has tall ceilings and plenty of light. Even better, Musée Rodin offers visitors the chance to explore and view Rodin’s works in a well-manicured and colorful garden, which features a variety of flowers, fountains, and some of the most iconic Rodin statues, including The Thinker.

Musée Rodin is open from 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. The last tickets are sold at 5.30 p.m. Admission to the garden is always free. It cost €12 to access the museum, except on the first Sunday of the month, from October 1st to March 31st, when admission is free. The museum is closed on Mondays, January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th. 

The Centre Pompidou

The Centre Pompidou also known as Beaubourg, features some of the best contemporary and modern art collections in the world. The building itself is a modern architectural work itself with its famous array of escalators protruding from the side of the building encased in transparent tubing, allowing you to marvel at the City of Love as you scale from floor to floor

Due to its vast collection of contemporary and interactive artwork, the Centre Pompidou was definitely one of our favorite museums. If you’ve visited and enjoyed museums such as the MoMA in New York City, you’re likely to love this museum.

Centre Pompidou has six floors and houses over 100,000 pieces of art, including the Musée National d’Art Moderne. So make sure you arrive at a time that allows you to explore. The museum is open every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. except Tuesdays and May 1st. Regular admission is €14 , and free on first Sunday of every month.

Musée de Artes et Metiers (Metiers Art Museum)

Founded in 1794, the Musée de Artes et Metiers is Europe’s oldest science and technology museum. Housed in the 18th-century priory of St-Martin des Champs, the museum displays over 3,000 instruments, machines, and models.

Musée de Artes et Metiers is split into seven collections: Scientific instruments, Materials, Energy, Mechanics, Construction, Communication, and Transport. The museum also displays the original model of Foucault’s Pendulum. It is perfect for anyone with an interest in science, history, technology, and innovation.

Musée de Artes et Metiers is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (but until 9:30 p.m. on Fridays). The museum is closed on Mondays, January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th. Admission is €8.

These five museums only scratch the surface of the exciting things that await you in Paris. In fact, Eli and I visited many other sites and landmarks during our stay. If you’ve ever visited Paris, or plan to visit, we’d love to hear about the highlights from your trip.

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