My Favorite Museums in Paris: A Parisian’s Guide Beyond the Louvre
By Blaise Jaeger · Updated October 29, 2026
I grew up in Paris among artists and museums. My great-great-aunt, Jeanne Bucher, opened an art gallery in 1925, and my family still runs it. My father, a doctor, counted many artists among his friends: on Sundays I went with him to see the painters Vieira da Silva and Arpad Szenes, and I often met Zao Wou-Ki as a child. My mother took me to a modern art exhibition every Sunday, and I still remember a Jean Tinguely show and his strange moving machines. As a teenager, I went to the Louvre on my own every Sunday.
Today I split my time between Bali and Paris, and when I am in Paris I still spend a lot of time in museums, galleries and art fairs. This is not a list of the 20 “best museums in Paris.” It is my own selection: the great collections you should not miss, the places where I go for temporary exhibitions, the private foundations, the small museums I love, and the galleries and fairs where Parisians actually discover contemporary art.
My Favorite Museums in Paris at a Glance
- The great permanent collections: the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Musée Picasso, and the Centre Pompidou when it reopens in 2030.
- For temporary exhibitions: the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais, the Palais de Tokyo and the Musée d’Art Moderne, and the Maison Européenne de la Photographie.
- The private foundations: Fondation Cartier, Fondation Louis Vuitton, the Bourse de Commerce, and Large, the new art center on Île Seguin.
- Smaller museums: Carnavalet, Jacquemart-André and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
- Contemporary art: my favorite galleries, Perrotin, Polka, Jeanne Bucher Jaeger and Templon, and three fairs: Art Basel Paris, Paris Photo and Art Paris.
- My best tip: book several days ahead and avoid the early afternoon, when the crowds are at their peak.
The Must-See Collections
These are the museums I take friends to on their first trip. If you only have a few days, choose two of them and take your time.
The Louvre
As a teenager, I went to the Louvre alone every Sunday, mostly for the Greek, Egyptian and Near Eastern antiquities. For me, they are still the best part of the museum, and the ones I show first when I take visitors there. You will want to see the Mona Lisa too, of course, but be ready for the crowd in front of her.
Even if you do not go inside, walk around the pyramid. When I was a child, the Cour Napoléon was an open-air parking lot; the pyramid opened in 1989 and it is still one of the most beautiful sights in Paris.
Good to know: since January 2026, the ticket costs €22 for visitors from the European Economic Area and €32 for everyone else. Booking a time slot online is strongly recommended, and sometimes mandatory. The museum is closed on Tuesdays and stays open until 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, the best moments to visit.
The Musée d’Orsay
The Impressionists and Van Gogh make the permanent collection of the Musée d’Orsay a must, and its themed exhibitions are often excellent. The building itself is beautiful: a former railway station built for the 1900 World’s Fair, with its great nave and its giant clocks.
Musée d’Orsay or Orangerie? The Orangerie is worth a visit for Monet’s Water Lilies and for its exhibitions, but it is much smaller. If you have to choose, choose Orsay, without a second’s hesitation. Orsay is closed on Mondays and stays open late on Thursdays.
The Musée Picasso
The Musée Picasso, in the Hôtel Salé in the Marais, holds a superb Picasso collection, the largest in the world. I particularly love his Blue Period. The 17th-century mansion is a pleasure in itself, with its grand staircase and the galleries under the roof beams. It is closed on Mondays.
The Centre Pompidou, When It Reopens
I watched the Centre Pompidou being built, and at its opening I was fascinated by its huge public library. Its modern art collection is one of the finest in the world. The building has been closed for renovation since September 2025 and should reopen in 2030. Until then, the collection travels: look for the Pompidou exhibitions held in other venues, such as “Cézanne et nous” at the Grand Palais until January 17, 2027.
What are the three great museums of Paris? People usually mean the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and the Centre Pompidou: ancient art, the 19th century and modern art. While the Pompidou is closed, I would replace it with the Musée Picasso.
Where I Go for Temporary Exhibitions
Parisians go to museums for the exhibitions as much as for the collections. These are the places I watch most closely.
The Grand Palais
The glass roof of the Grand Palais is magical, and it is an exceptional setting for all the art fairs. The exhibitions are of high quality too. The building fully reopened in June 2025 after a long renovation. I have the Pass GrandPalais+ Solo (€75 for a year): I go several times a year, and even if I do not quite recover its cost, skipping the line is very welcome.
The Petit Palais
The Petit Palais stands just opposite the Grand Palais. If you have time, go in: its permanent collection is free, and its garden courtyard is one of the most peaceful spots in this part of Paris.
The Palais de Tokyo and the Musée d’Art Moderne
The Palais de Tokyo and, right next to it, the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris are very cutting-edge. Go there for the major retrospectives, like the Zao Wou-Ki exhibition at the Musée d’Art Moderne in 2018. Otherwise, they are for informed lovers of contemporary art, and I do not like everything I see there. The Palais de Tokyo has no permanent collection and stays open until midnight on Thursdays.
The Maison Européenne de la Photographie
The Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP), in the Marais, is a must for photography lovers. Its exhibitions are usually very well organized. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The Private Foundations
In the last 15 years, private foundations have changed the art scene in Paris. They often host the most spectacular exhibitions in the city.
Fondation Cartier
I liked the Fondation Cartier in its glass building on boulevard Raspail; it is even better now. Since October 2025, it has been at 2 place du Palais-Royal, facing the Louvre, in a 19th-century building redesigned by Jean Nouvel with movable platforms. It is closed on Mondays.
Fondation Louis Vuitton
The Fondation Louis Vuitton is in a beautiful setting, next to the Jardin d’Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne. I find Frank Gehry’s architecture a little cold, but the exhibitions are breathtaking, with great names like Basquiat, Warhol and Matisse. Do not miss them. It is closed on Tuesdays and stays open late on Fridays.
The Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection
The renovation of the Bourse de Commerce is a great success, with Tadao Ando’s concrete walls under the great painted dome. Visit it for the building itself, because the exhibitions are often rather cutting-edge. It is a five-minute walk from my neighborhood, Montorgueil, and entry is free on the first Saturday evening of every month.
Large, the New Art Center on Île Seguin
Large opened on October 17, 2026 on Île Seguin, in Boulogne-Billancourt, where the Renault factories used to stand. Designed by the Catalan architects RCR Arquitectes, it has about 5,000 m², half of them for exhibitions. The atrium and the terraces are free; the opening exhibition, “Moteur imaginaire,” runs until March 7, 2027 and costs €15 (free for under-26s). Take tram T2 to Brimborion or metro line 9 to Pont de Sèvres.
The Smaller Museums I Love
Musée Carnavalet
The Musée Carnavalet tells the history of Paris, from prehistory to today, in two mansions of the Marais. It is fascinating, and its permanent collection is free. It is closed on Mondays.
Musée Jacquemart-André
The Musée Jacquemart-André, a 19th-century mansion on boulevard Haussmann, often holds very interesting exhibitions. It reopened in September 2024 after a renovation and stays open late on Fridays during exhibitions.
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
I go to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, in a wing of the Louvre, less often. But some of its shows are unforgettable: Jean Dubuffet’s “Coucou Bazar” in 2013 was a must.
Contemporary Art in Paris: My Favorite Galleries
Galleries are free, and you do not have to buy anything. They are the best way to see what artists are doing now. Most are open Tuesday to Saturday, and many of the best are in the Marais.
Perrotin
I met Emmanuel Perrotin in 1997, when his gallery was still on rue Beaubourg. I bought a work from him by one of the rare artists he represented who never really broke through. Since then, Perrotin has opened galleries all over the world. In Paris, the main space is in an 18th-century mansion on rue de Turenne.
Polka
Polka Galerie, in a courtyard of rue Saint-Gilles in the Marais, represents many photographers I admire. It is the gallery I recommend to photography lovers, together with the MEP.
Jeanne Bucher Jaeger, My Family’s Gallery
This one is personal. The Galerie Jeanne Bucher Jaeger was founded in 1925 by my great-great-aunt, Jeanne Bucher, on the Left Bank, where she showed Vieira da Silva and many great modern artists. My uncle, Jean-François Jaeger, ran it from 1947 and moved it to rue de Seine; my cousin Véronique Jaeger runs it today. The gallery is now on the Right Bank, at 5 rue de Saintonge in the Marais, and also in Lisbon. It celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2025. Its openings are a chance to meet a knowledgeable crowd.
Templon
For a long time I lived on rue Beaubourg, right above the Templon gallery, and of course I went there very often. I go less now that I split my time between Bali and Paris. Templon shows great artists such as Pierre et Gilles.
The Paris Art Fairs
The three big fairs all take place under the glass roof of the Grand Palais. You can go to discover new artists and stay in touch with the galleries without buying anything, but there are also works at affordable prices. For years I rarely left a fair without buying something; now I have run out of walls, so I limit myself.
- Art Basel Paris, in October: the biggest, with the major international galleries. It replaced the FIAC, which I visited for years.
- Paris Photo, in November: the world’s leading photography fair. The 2026 edition runs from November 12 to 15.
- Art Paris, in spring: more accessible, with many French and European galleries. The next edition runs from April 1 to 4, 2027.
Practical Tips for Visiting Museums in Paris
- Book ahead. Without a pass, book your time slot several days in advance, especially for the Louvre, Orsay and the big exhibitions.
- Avoid the early afternoon. It is the busiest time, with tour groups and retirees. Go at opening time or during the late openings.
- Late openings: the Louvre on Wednesdays and Fridays, Orsay on Thursdays, the Fondation Louis Vuitton and the Grand Palais on Fridays, the Palais de Tokyo on Thursdays until midnight.
- Free museums: the permanent collections of the City of Paris museums are free, including Carnavalet, the Petit Palais, the Musée d’Art Moderne and the Maison de Victor Hugo. The Louvre is free for everyone on the first Friday evening of the month (except in July and August), and Orsay and the Orangerie on the first Sunday, with booking.
- Under 26: European residents under 26 get in free to most national museums, and under-18s of all nationalities.
- Paris Museum Pass: €85 for 2 days, €105 for 4 days, €125 for 6 days. It covers the permanent collections of more than 50 museums and monuments, but not temporary exhibitions, and you still have to book a slot at the Louvre. It pays off only if you visit several big museums in a row.
- Pass GrandPalais+: worth it if you go to several Grand Palais exhibitions a year, if only to skip the line.
- Where to stay: most of the museums in this guide are within walking distance of the center. See where to stay in Paris.
Read More
Where to Stay in Paris
The best areas by a Parisian, those to avoid at night and the two hotels I know.
Montorgueil Guide
My own neighborhood, five minutes from the Bourse de Commerce and the Louvre.
Paris Travel Guide
The must-see places, the best neighborhoods and my tips as a born-and-raised Parisian.
Frequently Asked Questions About Museums in Paris
What is the best museum in Paris?
For ancient art, the Louvre; for the Impressionists and Van Gogh, the Musée d’Orsay. If you only have time for one, I would choose the Louvre for its antiquities, and Orsay for a shorter, easier visit.
Which is better, the Musée d’Orsay or the Orangerie?
The Musée d’Orsay, without hesitation. The Orangerie is worth a visit for Monet’s Water Lilies, but it is much smaller.
Is the Centre Pompidou open?
No. It closed for renovation in September 2025 and should reopen in 2030. Part of its collection is shown in other venues in the meantime, such as the Grand Palais.
Which museums in Paris are free?
The permanent collections of the City of Paris museums are free, including Carnavalet, the Petit Palais and the Musée d’Art Moderne. Galleries are free too.
Is the Paris Museum Pass worth it?
Only if you visit several big museums in a few days. It does not include temporary exhibitions, and you still need to book a time slot at the Louvre.
What are the best lesser-known museums in Paris?
Carnavalet for the history of Paris, Jacquemart-André for its mansion and exhibitions, and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. For contemporary art, the galleries of the Marais are free.