List of museums in Paris explained

There are around 130 museums in Paris, France, within city limits. This list also includes suburban museums within the "Grand Paris" area, such as the Air and Space Museum.

The sixteen museums of the City of Paris are annotated with "VP", as well as six other ones also accommodated in municipal premises and the Musées de France (fr) listed by the ministry of culture are annotated with "MF".

List

Paris

NameImageArrondissementTypeSummary
5th Culture (MF) History, ancient and medieval archeology, arts and crafts, ethnographic and contemporary art of the countries of the Arab world
4th Archaeological (VP) Remains under Notre Dame de Paris of buildings dating back to the city's early days
13th Art Exhibitions of contemporary art in comic books, manga, cinema, live animation and videogames
9th Opera Library and museum about the Paris Opera, part of the Music Department of the National Library of France
4th Biographical Includes three small museums about Polish natives: Musée Adam Mickiewicz about the poet, Musée Boleslas Biegas with paintings and sculpture by the artist and other Polish artists, and Salon Frédéric Chopin about the composer
1st Numismatic Located in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, includes coins, medals, antiques from the ancient Near East, Greece, Rome, and national antiquities
14th History (VP) Underground ossuary with the remains of over six million people
16th Architecture Located in the Palais de Chaillot, includes Musée national des Monuments Français with plaster casts of French architecture, gallery of reproduced wall paintings and stained-glass windows from historic monuments, French and international architecture from 1850 to the present
19th Science Hands-on science exhibits, includes the French submarine Argonaute (S636)
12th Ethnic (MF) History and culture of immigration in France from the 19th century to the present, located in the Palais de la Porte Dorée
18th Art Life of and sculptures, engravings and paintings of Salvador Dalí
Espace Fondation EDF Art New media exhibitions and exhibitions about society and culture
14th ArtContemporary art
7th Art Frits Lugt collection of European drawings, prints, paintings, books and artists' letters from the 15th to 19th century, focusing on Dutch and Flemish Old Masters, Italian and French artists
N/A 6th Art Works by Jean Dubuffet, also main museum in Périgny, Val-de-Marne
16th Art Contemporary art
13th Decorative artsExhibitions of Gobelins tapestries
1st Photography (MF) Modern and postmodern photography and media
8th Art Art exhibits and cultural events programmed by the Réunion des musées nationaux et du Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées
Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation14th Photography Archives and work of photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson and Martine Franck, exhibitions of other photographers, painters, sculptors, and illustrators
3rd Art Swedish art and culture
6th Historic house Restored 19th-century period rooms of positivist philosopher Auguste Comte (1798–1857), one of the 32 Maisons des illustres (fr) in the region Île de France
16th Historic house
4th Photography(VP premises) Contemporary photography
4th Historic house (VP) Restored 19th-century house of author novelist Victor Hugo
16th Historic house Operated by Fondation Le Corbusier, 1920s house designed by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, exhibits art collection and archives of Le Corbusier
8th Decorative art Art Nouveau objects and decor, located above Maxim's restaurant
4th History History of the Holocaust and French Jews in World War II
N/A 5th Geology 1500 minerals on display in 24 display cases
6th Science Information, objects and documents relating to language, linguistic diversity and linguistics
6th History History of French trade guilds, skilled craftsmen in fields such as cooking, pastry, plumbing, ironworks, masonry, cabinetmaking, carpentry
14th Art Exhibits paintings, sculpture, and photography by a wide range of artists
N/A 6th Archaeology Archaeological artifacts arranged to show everyday life in Palestine from 5000 BCE to 600 CE
16th Decorative art Baccarat fine glass work, including vases, dishes and stemware, and limited-edition collections
15th Art (VP) Sculptures, art and studio of Antoine Bourdelle
3rd Multiple (VP) City of Paris' history, culture, art, archaeology, decorative arts
8th Art (VP) Asian art, specializing in works from China, Japan, and Korea
16th Historic houseApartment and garden of Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929), French statesman and writer
3rd Art (VP) 18th-century French fine and decorative art
5th ScienceHistory of radiology research and the work of Pierre and Marie Curie
N/A 16th Medical Dental history, tools and apparatus
3rd Jewish Jewish art and history, history of the Jews in France since the Middle Ages and in the communities of Europe and North Africa
Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris16th Art (VP) Modern and Contemporary art of the 20th and 21st centuries
Musée d'Art Naïf – Max Fourny18th Art (VP premises) Exhibitions of folk art, naive art, and outsider art
16th Art Asian art with a focus on China and Japan
7th HistoryLocated in the Hôtel national des Invalides, exhibits of French and international history through its collections of art, photographs, posters, political cartoons and objects
6th MedicalLocated at the second floor of the Paris Descartes University, features historic medical instruments and apparatus
7th Art Mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography; houses the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world
7th Military Located in the Hôtel national des Invalides, national military museum of France, includes Musée des Plans-Reliefs, weapons, uniforms, regalia, armor, artillery, Napoleon's Tomb
10th Fashion Hand fans and fan-making
3rd History
16th Anthropology Human evolution and the history of human sciences
1st Art Gallery of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings, features eight Water Lilies murals by Claude Monet
Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération7th Military Located in the Hôtel national des Invalides, history of the Free French Forces in World War II
Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature3rd Sports Sport of hunting, includes hunting weapons, accessories, trophies, art and decorative art, stuffed animal mounts
16th Law enforcementHistory of counterfeiting objects
N/A 9th MasonicHistory of Freemasonry in France, regalia, artifacts
Musée de la MagieN/A 4th MagicItems relating to magic shows, including optical illusions, secret boxes, wind-up toys, magic mirrors, see-through glasses, posters, holds magic shows
N/A 12th Film Part of the Cinémathèque Française, history of film and pre-cinema in France and around the world
6th Numismatic Part of the Monnaie de Paris. Heritage collections, workshops of excellence
Musée de la Musique19th Music Part of the Cité de la Musique, musical instruments, art
15th Philatelic Postage stamps and postal history of France, currently closed for renovation
5th Art (VP) Outdoor sculptures from the second half of the twentieth century on display along the banks of the Seine
9th Multiple (VP) 19th house with Romantic-period art and decorative art, mementos of author George Sand
6th Geology Minerals, rocks, ores, gems, artificial minerals
18th Local (VP premises) Local history through paintings, photographs, posters and manuscripts
1st Decorative artsIncludes decorative arts (furniture, glass, ceramics and more), interior design, fashion, textiles, advertising, graphic arts
3rd Technology History of technology and industry, including advances in scientific instruments, materials, energy, mechanics, construction, communication and transport
12th AmusementFunfair objects including amusement rides, fair stalls and restored attractions, merry-go-rounds and carousels, German swings
N/A 5th Law enforcement History of policing in France
7th History (VP) History of tours of the Paris sewer system, role of sewer workers and methods of water treatment
N/A 1st Medical History of eyewear, includes lorgnettes, glasses, telescopes, and binoculars
Musée des moulages dermatologiques de l'hôpital Saint-Louis N/A 10th MedicalPart of the historic building of the Hôpital Saint-Louis, features 19th-century wax casts of dermatological problems
7th Military Located in the Hôtel national des Invalides, military models of fortified cities created between 1668 and 1870
1st Law enforcement History of the Paris Bar and its lawyers
N/A11th Smoking Includes smoking pipes, Egyptian sheeshas, snuffboxes, cigars, tobacco samples, hemp-fiber clothing, etchings, portraits, photographs, videos, and scientific drawings of tobacco plants
1st Art world's largest museum, includes paintings, prints and drawings, sculpture, decorative arts, Egyptian antiquities, Near Eastern antiquities, Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities, Islamic art
15th History (VP) History of Maréchal Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, Jean Moulin, a major figure of the French Resistance, and the liberation of Paris in World War II
6th Art Changing exhibitions of art
9th Fashion History and process of perfume, antique perfume bottles, containers, toiletry sets, 19th-century period rooms
7th Art Indigenous art and cultures of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas
5th Medical History of medical care for armed services in France
15th Items that have ended up in the Lost and Found department of the Paris Police
16th Wine History of the French craft of winemaking, includes tools and objects used to work the grapevine and the wine, a wine cellar, cooperage
N/A 11th Biographical Life of singer Édith Piaf
6th Biographical Life of radio pioneer Édouard Branly, includes his research laboratory and equipment, open by appointment
16th Children's Art museum for children
9th Wax Scenes from the history of France and modern life
8th Historic house 19th-century period house with major art collection
7th Art Works by Aristide Maillol and art exhibitions
Musée Marmottan Monet16th Art Features over three hundred Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works by Claude Monet, other Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, illuminated manuscripts, Napoleonic era art and furniture, Italian and Flemish primitive paintings
N/A 6th Biographical Open by appointment, life of Henri Moissan (1852–1907), winner of the 1906 Nobel Prize in chemistry
4th ArtLocated at the Centre Georges-Pompidou, modern and contemporary art
7th Military History of France's honors, medals, decorations, and knightly orders from Louis XI to the present, including Napoleonic souvenirs and more than 300 portraits
16th Maritime Includes ship model, maritime art, artifacts, photos
16th Art Asian art, also known as Musée Guimet
5th Decorative arts Formerly Musée de Cluny, Medieval art, houses six The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, remnants of the third century Gallo-Roman baths
Musée national Eugène Delacroix6th Art Life and works of Eugène Delacroix
9th Art Home and studio of Symbolist painter Gustave Moreau (1826-1898)
17th ArtHouse and works of painter Jean-Jacques Henner (1829–1905)
8th Historic house Museum of French decorative arts displayed as in a wealthy private home
15th Biographical Life of scientist Louis Pasteur
3rd ArtLife and work of artist Pablo Picasso, also works by Cézanne, Degas, Rousseau, Seurat, de Chirico and Matisse, Iberian bronzes, African art
N/A 4th Fashion Over 250 Haute Couture designs from 1950 to 2000 designed by Pierre Cardin
7th Art Works of the French sculptors Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel, located in the Hôtel Biron
N/A 7th MedicalHistory of the blind and of the methods that gave them access to culture
16th Fashion Opening in 2017, operated by the Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent, works by fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent
6th Art(VP) House and work of sculptor Ossip Zadkine (1890–1967)
Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle5th Natural history Includes galleries for minerals and gems, fossils and dinosaurs and comparative anatomy, and the Grand Gallery of Evolution
8th Science Includes interactive exhibits for mathematics, physics, astronomy, chemistry, geology and biology
Palais de Tokyo16th Art Modern and contemporary art
Palais Galliera16th Fashion (VP) Also known as Musée de la Mode et du Costume de la Ville de Paris, fashion and fashion history, includes exhibits of French fashion design and costume from the eighteenth century to the present; closed between exhibitions
4th Architecture (VP premises) Architecture and urban planning
16th Technology (VP premises) History of the city's water supply
N/A 12th Decorative arts Decorative arts made of silver
8th Art (VP) Paintings, sculpture, Ancient Greek and Roman art, Renaissance art and artifacts, 17th, 18th and 19th century art and artifacts, art from the Western and Eastern Christian worlds, engravings and drawings, photography
4th Military History of the Garde Républicaine
TenniseumN/A 16th Sports Part of Roland Garros Stadium
N/A 2nd FashionPerfume
2nd History History of the medieval tower and medieval Paris
7th Historic site Tours of the UNESCO headquarters
NameLocationDepartmentTypeSummary
Atelier Grognard Art Changing exhibitions of art
Musée Adrien Mentienne Local Local history, house of Louis Daguerre
Val-de-Marne Historic house 17th century castle
Val-de-Marne Historic house Massive 14th and 17th century French royal fortress
Écomusée du Val de Bièvres Val-de-Marne Local Local history and ethnology in a medieval farm
Val-de-Marne Science Interactive exhibits about science including optical illusions, turbulent motion, structures and forms, and movement
Expo-Musée Renault Boulogne-Billancourt Hauts-de-Seine Automotive History of Renault automobiles
Hauts-de-Seine Art Studio of Jean Arp and Sophie Taeuber
Val-de-Marne Art Works of Jean Dubuffet
Val-de-Marne Photography Humanist photography and works of Parisian photographer Robert Doisneau
Hauts-de-Seine Military Place of execution of resistants and hostages during WWII
Hauts-de-Seine Photography Historic photographs and film collected by the banker and philanthropist Albert Kahn
Vitry-sur-Seine Val-de-MarneArt Contemporary art
Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Colombes Hauts-de-Seine Local Art and local history
Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Meudon Hauts-de-Seine Local Landscape painting, contemporary art and postwar history of Meudon
LocalLocal art and history, in the former Carmel of Saint-Denis
Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Saint-Ouen Seine-Saint-Denis Local Art and history, in the castle of Saint-Ouen
Musée d'Histoire Locale de Rueil-Malmaison - Mémoire de la ville Hauts-de-Seine Local Local history, features a collection of toy soldiers, located in the former town hall
Musee d'Histoire Urbaine et Sociale de Suresnes (MUS)Suresnes Hauts-de-Seine Local Local history, area urban planning
Musée de la Colombophilie Suresnes Hauts-de-Seine Military Military dovecote, in the Fort du Mont-Valérien
Val-de-Marne History History of the French Resistance from its inception up to the Liberation in World War II
Seine-Saint-Denis AerospaceFeatures 400 aircraft, 150 of which are on display, history of aviation, ballooning and space exploration
Musée de l'histoire vivante Seine-Saint-Denis Local history Local history of the working class
Musée de Livry-Gargan - Château de la Forêt Seine-Saint-Denis Local Temporary exhibitions of art, etc.
Musée de Nogent-sur-Marne Val-de-Marne Local Influence of the River Marne on art, bridges, architecture, boating, sports
Musée de Saint-Maur-des-Fossés - Villa Médicis Val-de-Marne Local Local history
Boulogne-Billancourt Hauts-de-Seine Art Fine art, decorative art, and industrial arts of the 1930s
Musée des Automates Hauts-de-Seine Automates Automates
Hauts-de-Seine Local and art Art and local history, includes the former Château de Saint-Cloud, Saint-Cloud porcelain, artist Eugène Carrière
Musée des Gardes SuissesRueil-Malmaison Hauts-de-Seine Military History of the Swiss Guard, located in the former 18th-century barracks
Musée des Transmissions Suresnes Hauts-de-Seine Military Military transmissions equipments, in the Fort du Mont-Valérien, visit on demand
Musée des transports urbains, interurbains et ruraux Hauts-de-Seine Transport Metro, tramways, bus, etc., visit on demand
Musée des travaux publics Hauts-de-Seine Technology and industry Scale models of road, rail, harbour, etc. infrastructures, visit on demand
Hauts-de-Seine Historic house Tours of the 19th-century Château de Sceaux, includes fine art, furniture, and decorative art from former royal residences, park designed by Le Nôtre
Musée Émile Jean Val-de-Marne Local Local history
Val-de-Marne Medical Anatomical oddities, mostly of animals, located within the École Nationale Vétérinaire de Maisons-Alfort
Hauts-de-Seine Decorative arts Historic playing cards and art and objects related to card games
Hauts-de-Seine Historic house Castle of Empress Joséphine
Boulogne-Billancourt Hauts-de-Seine Art Works of sculptures Paul Belmondo
Hauts-de-SeineArt Villa and studio of sculptor Auguste Rodin, also known as La Villa des Brillants
Hauts-de-Seine Art Collection of 19th works including Consuelo Fould, exhibitions of historic and contemporary art and photography
Musée-jardin Paul Landowski Boulogne-Billancourt Hauts-de-Seine Art Works by sculptor Paul Landowski
Hauts-de-Seine Decorative arts Ceramics by the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres and contemporary ceramics by other artists
Hauts-de-Seine Historic house Country house of Chateaubriand
NameLocationDepartmentTypeSummary
Centre Photographique d'Île-de-France Seine-et-MarnePhotography
Seine-et-Marne Historic house Restored remains of the 13th-century feudal fortress manor castle
Historic house 17th-century chateau with rare portraits of Kings, 18th-century furniture, rooms with wax figures of kings and important figures created by the Musée Grévin
Seine-et-Marne Historic house Remains of the medieval fortress castle
Seine-et-Marne Historic house 18th-century rococo house and gardens with links to many important figures
Historic house Louis XIII style chateau and gardens
Essonne Historic house Chateau and park with gardens
Yvelines Historic house Renaissance castle, gardens and park
Essonne Historic house Fortress castle, includes museum of local history
Seine-et-Marne Historic house One of the largest French royal châteaux, residence of French monarchs from Louis VII through Napoleon III
Yvelines Historic house Remains of a medieval fortress castle
Val-d'Oise Historic house Medieval manor house and fortress
Yvelines Historic house 17th-century French baroque chateau
Seine-et-Marne Art Medieval castle that houses exhibitions from its art collection
Yvelines Historic house Former Royal, Imperial and Presidential residence with large 50,000 acres of woods
Château de Rentilly Seine et Marne Contemporary art
Yvelines Historic house 150-hectare (370-acre) castle, wildlife park and zoo, and botanical garden
Seine-et-Marne Historic house 17th-century grand château and gardens
Domaine de Madame Élisabeth Yvelines Historic house House of Mme Elisabeth sister of king Louis XVI
Essonne Contemporary art Contemporary art exhibited in the 17th-18th c. castle and park
Essonne Historic house 16th-18th castle and park (in renovation)
Maison-atelier Foujita Essonne Historic house House of the painter Leonard Foujita
Maison Jean-Cocteau Essonne Historic house House of the writer and artist Jean Cocteau
Musée Aeronautique et Spatial SAFRAN Seine-et-Marne Aerospace History of aviation and aerospace in France, includes historic airplanes, space engines, rockets, motorcycles
Musée archéologique départemental du Val-d'Oise Val d'Oise Archeology Archeology of the département, Gallo-Roman sculpture
Musée d'Argenteuil Val d'Oise Local Archeology, local history
Seine-et-Marne Art Art and local history and art, located in a former episcopal palace
Yvelines Archaeology Located in Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, include finds from Paleolithic to Merovingian times
Musée d'art et d'histoire de Melun Seine-et-Marne Local Art, local history, archaeological pieces, lapidary, works by sculptor Henri Chapu
Musée de la Faïence Seine-et-Marne Local Features a collection of local ceramics, exhibits of local history
Seine-et-Marne Military History of the National Gendarmerie
Seine-et-Marne Military History of World War I
Musée de la Seine et Marne Seine-et-Marne Local History of the département and writer Pierre Mac Orlan
Yvelines Textile Located in the Chateau de l'Églantine, Toile de Jouy fabric collection, printing equipment and old drawings, period display of Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf furniture
Seine-et-Marne Archaeology Archaeological artifacts showing the prehistory of the area
Musée des Peintres de Barbizon Seine-et-Marne Art Works by the Barbizon school of painters
Railway Historic railway vehicles
Val-d'Oise Decorative arts Located in the 16th-century Château d'Écouen, houses Renaissance decorative art from the Musée national du Moyen Âge
Yvelines Art Focus is Nabi art
Musée Espace Gaïa Seine-et-Marne Natural history Area geology and paleontology, located in the Medieval Priory St. Martin
Yvelines Art Restaurant location on the Seine that inspired many Impressionist painters, includes art and writings inspired by the river
Essonne Photography Photography
Musée Gatien-Bonnet Seine-et-Marne Local History of the town, archeology, neo-impressionnist paintings
Musée Henri Chapu Seine-et-Marne Art Works by sculptor Henri Chapu
Seine-et-Marne Art Features over 50 outdoor bronze sculptures by Antoine Bourdelle in a garden setting
Musée Jean-Jacques Rousseau Val d'Oise Historic house House of the philosopher from 1757 to 1762, manuscripts and memorabilia
Yvelines Local History of the town, includes some rooms with period decor and the town's collection of decorative arts from the 15th to 20th centuries, and paintings, sculptures and other works of art by artists from the town
Musée Louis Braille Seine-et-Marne Historic house Birthplace home depicting life of Louis Braille, educator and inventor of a system of reading and writing for use by the blind or visually impaired
Musée Louis Senlecq Seine et Marne Art and history Paintings, sculptures, décorative arts, local history
Yvelines Art 17th and 18th-century art and engravings, remains of the medieval abbey of Cistercian nuns
Museum of Provins Seine-et-Marne Local Local history, located in a 13th-century house
Musée Robert-Dubois-Corneau Essonne Local History of the town, art of thé 18th c., actor Talma
Musée Stéphane MallarméSeine-et-Marne Historic house House of poet Stéphane Mallarmé, his works and those of his artist friends
Val d'Oise Art Paintings, sculptures, drawings, works by Otto Freundlich and other modern abstract artists, local history
Musée Utrillo-Valadon Val-d'Oise Art Art exhibitions, features works by Maurice Utrillo, Suzanne Valadon (his mother) and André Utter (his stepfather)
Yvelines Historic house Royal palace of Louis XIV with many buildings, gardens, Museum of the History of France
Tour César (fr) Seine-et-Marne Historic site Medieval fortress tower
Union Nationale des collectionneurs de Véhicules Militaires Yvelines Military Collection of historic military vehicles, some of which were involved in the Liberation of Paris. Also includes prototype vehicles for the Aérotrain.
Yvelines Historic house 1930s modernist villa designed by Le Corbusier and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret

Defunct museums

Paris

NameClosureSummary
2010
1995 Closed until compliance to security norms
2008
2007 Collections moved to the Musée de La Piscine in Roubaix
2017
2005 Collections moved to the University of Montpellier
1998 Collections moved to the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme
1935 Collections moved to the Musée de l'Homme and the Musée national des Arts et Traditions Populaires
2012 (VP premises), evaluating reopening at the Hôtel Dieu
1996
1997 Now a department of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs
2017
1999 Now a department of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs
2003
2008
2007 Collections stored
2014
2007 ? Now a department of the Centre de recherches sur les Monuments historiques reserved to the students of the School of Chaillot (fr) at the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine
2015 (VP premises), replaced by the Villa Vassilieff art center
2016
1996 Collections moved back to the Musée Grévin
2007
2004 Closed for renovation operated by the Musée d'Orsay
2013 Collections moved to Nice
2003 Collections moved to the Musée du quai Branly
2005 Collections moved to the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations in Marseilles
2000 Half of the collection given to the Musée du Tabac in Bergerac
2008
La Maison Rouge2018
2006 (VP premises)
2016
1996

Paris région

See also