Museuming in Paris, Part II: A La Carte

This is the second article in a series on Museuming in Paris. For Part I, click here.

When I spent two days with my daughter in Paris during her 2012 semester at the Université Paul Valéry in Montpellier, she drew up the itinerary using “apps” on her phone, a completely new idea for me at the time. Our first destination was the Musée du Parfum Fragonard (free admission) at 9, rue Scribe and rue Auber, on the Right Bank, in the 9th arrondissement, not far from the Garnier Opéra.  Our next destination was supposed to be the Musée Rodin on the rue Varenne, way over on the Left Bank, in the 7th arrondissement.   

However, as we reached the sidewalk outside the Musée du Parfum Fragonard, she spotted an advertisement on the side of a bus driving along the street right in front of our eyes. It announced the Artemesia Gentileschi exhibition at the Musée Maillol. We looked at each other with a knowing glance: Artemisia! It wasn’t on the list, but who cares – we love Artemisia Gentileschi. Without one second’s hesitation, we consulted our map (me) and a GPS app (my daughter) to figure out the quickest way to the Musée Maillol, also located in the 7th arrondissement, at 59-61 rue de Grenelle. The whole experience felt magical and extremely comforting on this miserable, rainy day.  The exhibition was exceptional, better than we anticipated, and we discovered a museum we had not visited during our previous trip to Paris.

This summer, the Musée Jacquemart-André hosted an Artemisia Gentileschi exhibition in this glorious mansion (March 19  – August 3, 2025). Here is a sample of this extraordinary curatorial endeavor. Both the Musée Maillol and the Musée Jacquemart-André are not included in the Paris Museum Pass, which brings me to the joys of museuming “à la carte,” a pay-as-you-go model that encourages a laissez-faire, free-wheeling approach rather than signing up for a restrictive Paris Museum Pass, Paris Pass, or similar pre-packed touristic deal. 

Museuming à la carte works best for those who cherish total freedom. For example, the PMP does not include several excellent museums, such as the Musée du Luxembourg (15.50 euros for adults, 11.50 euros for young adults 16-26 years old), Musée Zadkine (free most of the time, about 10 euros during temporary exhibitions),  Musée Bourdelle (free general admission, 10 euros for temporary exhibitions),  Musée Marmottan Monet  (14 euros for adults; discounts/free for those eligible – the list is on the website) and Musée de Montmartre (15 euros for adults; discounts/free for those eligible – the list is on the website), Musée Vivant du Fromage, (16 euros for adults, 13 euros for teens 17-19, 9 euros for children 6-11 years old, free for children under 5 years old). Each of these museums deserves your attention. Each offers a permanent collection and a temporary exhibition, so there is always something new to see every few months. 

Also, going à la carte may inspire you to budget your museum expenses. You may choose to pay for one museum on one day and take in a free museum the following day. According to Wikipedia, there are 136 museums in Paris. Here is the list of museums on the Paris Tourism website. Here is the list of free museums and monuments in Paris. You may discover that scheduling visits to a few admission-charging museums and several free museums will satisfy your museum appetite and save money, too. 

Option 3: Free Museums (Gratuit) 

If you are so inclined, you can spend your entire vacation in Paris museuming only in free exhibition museums, galleries, and historic homes.  

Here is a short list of museums that do not charge admission: 

The Petit Palais 

Musée Carnavalet 

Musée Cognacq-Jay 

Musée de la Libération de Paris 

Maison de Balzac 

 Maison de Victor Hugo 

 Musée du Parfum Fragonard 

Once again, here is the full list of free museums located on the Paris Tourism website. For example, there’s the enormous historical Musée Carnavalet, that tells the story of Paris from prehistoric times through the 21st century. Needless to say, this collection of 580,000 objects, including drawings, prints, posters, photographs, historical artifacts, coins, archives, three-dimensional maps, etc., can easily fill an entire day for the astute student of French culture. Please read Marian Jones’ brilliant essay for a preview or a refresher. The Musée Carnavelet was recently renovated, and it looks magnificent! 

I am a great fan of the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, which features the courageous avant-garde artists of the 20th century: Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, Marie Laurencin, Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Georges Braques, Jean Metzinger, among many, many others. It’s also huge and exhausting.  Its permanent collection is free; temporary exhibitions cost a bit, but not as much as most museums in Paris. 

Many museums are free on the first Sunday of the month, such as the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée Picasso. If your visit to Paris falls on the first Sunday of the month and you plan to visit museums that are free on that day, please check the website well in advance of your visit. Reservations may be required. 

If you would like to recommend your favorite museums, especially relatively unknown gems, please post them in the “Comments” at the bottom of this article. We greatly appreciate your contributions.