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Comments (11)
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Save/ShareParis museums house some of the best collections in the world, but they aren't cheap dates. Entry to the Musée d'Orsay costs 8€ ($11.50), the great Louvre is 9€ ($12), and the Centre Pompidou is 12€ ($16). These admission fees can add up if you're planning to visit more than one museum, and especially if you're paying for a whole family.
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Free Every Day: Entry to see the permanent collection of these museums is always free. There may be a small charge for temporary exhibitions.
• Musée Carnavalet - Histoire de Paris (history of Paris) 23 rue de Sévigné, 3rd arrondissement.
• Musée de la Vie Romantique (the Romantic movement, that is) 16 rue Chaptal, 9th arrondissement.
• Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (modern art) 11 avenue du Président Wilson, 16th arrondissement.
Free Every Wednesday Evening: One of my favorite places, Maison Européenne de la Photographie (better known as MEP), opens its doors every Wednesday night for free. Set in the Marais, the MEP is steps away from some great eating and drinking. 5-7 rue de Fourcy, 4th arrondissement.
Free on the First Sunday of Every Month: Major tourist draws like the Louvre, the Centre Pompidou, the Musée d'Orsay, the Quai Branly and the Picasso museum are free on the first Sunday of every month. However, the crowds are so overwhelming that I avoid them on this day. Instead, I like take the first Sunday to explore some of these less-mobbed museum treasures:
• Musée national de l'Orangerie (home to the massive Monet water lilies) Jardin des Tuileries, 1st arrondissement.
• Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (hunting and nature) 62 rue des Archives, 3rd arrondissement.
• Musée national du Moyen Âge (Middle Ages) 6 place Paul Painlevé, 5th arrondissement.
• Musée Rodin (The Kiss, the Thinker, and other great sculptures) 79 rue de Varenne, 7th arrondissement
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Affordable Paris
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While not free, the (Paris Museum Pass ) is a great way to cut the cost of museum visits, as well as cut the line.
Posted By Zach on April 10, 2009, 12:55 PM
The Musee Rodin is great. But (we found in October 2007) it's very crowded on the free Sunday. The good news is that his larger works are in the gardens outside where there's plenty of room to roam and admire the sculpture. We can't complain - we didn't even know it was free until we got there after a long hike from St. Sulpice.
Posted By Alan Jones on April 13, 2009, 2:20 PM
You might consider purchasing a two day PARIS Museum pass to 60 museums for 32 euros. Here's their website: http://www.parismuseumpass.com/en/musees_liste_nom.php
Posted By elizabeth a. on April 14, 2009, 12:05 AM
Hi Meg - Love your blog... How about a few tips about the famous Parisian marche aux puces?? Thanks!
Posted By Tracy on April 15, 2009, 8:00 PM
My husband and I are traveling to Paris on May 2, 2009. I understand May 1 is a National Holiday (Labour Day). What closings, parades, labor rallies, etc. should we expect during this weekend?
Posted By Sherri on April 16, 2009, 5:08 PM
Children get into Paris museums free. The French want to encourage their young people to go to museums.
Posted By Stephanie on April 17, 2009, 5:18 PM
For those who are students, several of Paris' museums are free if you show your ID, the Rodin museum is one. When I lived in Paris, I used to love visiting the Louvre on Friday nights when it was open late. The sculpture gardens below the glass pyramids are beautiful under the city lights. The entire museum is especially peaceful. Enter from the food court/mall entrance and you can avoid long lines.
Posted By Ashley on April 17, 2009, 5:24 PM
I agree with the comments recommending the Paris Museum Pass - at first I didn't think we'd get our money's worth, but when you see how close the museums are to each other, you can easily visit most of them. And the Louvre is simply too big for one visit - we went a total of 3 times!
When we were there in October 2008 the Louvre was also doing a free late night on Wednesdays, check that out too. The tourist office right near the entrance has all the info you need.
Posted By JMG on April 23, 2009, 1:34 PM
compare the prices for the Louvre at $12 with the National Aquarium of Baltimore at $30, and tell which one is the expensive!!!!!!!!
Posted By fernando on April 23, 2009, 8:13 PM
Hi Meg enjoy reading your blog. My wife & I will be in Paris in May for the 2nd time. We'd like to bring a tripod but it's kind of bulky. Are there any camera shops that would rent one out to us? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks..
Posted By George Alcoser on April 26, 2009, 9:56 AM
We also recommend the Museum Pass; we were in Paris a total of 10 days and purchased the 6-day Museum pass, as well as bus/metro tickets for unlimited travel in zones 1-3.
The Picasso Museum is closed for renovation until 2012. We were disappointed that we did not get an opportunity to visit it, however we found many great art galleries in the adjacent streets in the Marais area.
Posted By Laura Leick on November 11, 2009, 8:38 PM