Paris Musées: Explore 14 Exceptional Museums

Art and history museums, writers’ houses, artists’ studios… The Paris Musées network brings together 14 museums and heritage sites with exceptional collections right in the heart of the French capital.

1. ARCHAEOLOGICAL CRYPT OF THE ÎLE DE LA CITÉ

Located under the forecourt of Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, the Archaeological Crypt of the Île de la Cité presents a unique panorama of the evolution of the island. Digital devices bring to life the ancient, medieval and classical past. Learn more in the BP article here.

2. THE CATACOMBS OF PARIS

A veritable labyrinth in the heart of underground Paris, the Catacombs have been set up in the galleries of former quarries 20m underground and contain the remains of several million Parisians, transferred between the end of the 18th and the middle of the 19th century, as the capital’s cemeteries were closed. Undergoing an important restoration starting in November 2025

3. MUSÉE CARNAVALET

Housed in two private mansions in the heart of the Marais, the Musée’s collections include nearly 625,000 works. Paintings, sculptures, decorative art and historical objects, photographs, drawings, and posters, allowing visitors to travel from prehistory to the present day. Learn more in the BP article here.

4. MUSEUM OF THE LIBERATION OF PARIS

The museum takes visitors in the footsteps of Jean Moulin (1899-1943) and General Leclerc (1902-1947) through a journey of 300 original objects and documents, photographs, archive videos and testimonies. It allows us to discover their commitment, but also the voices and stories of those who resisted, in the heart of a world at war.

5. PETIT PALAIS

Built for the 1900 World’s Fair, the Petit Palais is Paris’s Musée des Beaux- Arts. Featuring sumptuous décor, its collections of paintings, sculptures, furniture and objets d’art span from Antiquity to the beginning of the 20th century and include masterpieces by the likes of Rembrandt, Cézanne and Rodin. Read about the incredible street-art exhibition here. 

6. MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

In its emblematic Art Deco building, the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris holds 15,000 works covering a period that extends from 1900 to the present day, including masterpieces by the likes of Matisse and Modigliani. Learn more about the recent exhibits in this BP article.

7. PALAIS GALLIERA

The Renaissance-inspired Palais Galliera is home to the Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris. Its collection is made up of nearly 200,000 works and tells the history of fashion from the 18th century to the present day.

8. MUSÉE CERNUSCHI

On the edge of Parc Monceau, the Cernuschi Museum presents 5,000 years of Asian art, including nearly 15,000 Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese treasures from bronzes to ceramics to lacquerware.

9. COGNACQ-JAY MUSEUM

Inaugurated in 1929, the Cognacq-Jay Museum houses the collection bequeathed to the City of Paris by Ernest Cognacq (1839-1928). Founder Cognacq had a great admiration for 18th-century decorative art, furniture, sculptures, paintings and miniatures and the collection includes pieces by Boucher, Fragonard, Tiepolo and Canaletto.

10. BOURDELLE MUSEUM

A stone’s throw from Montparnasse, the museum combines the charm of the workshops with the poetry of the gardens populated by sculptures. Discover Antoine Bourdelle’s sculptural work, from the naturalistic beginnings to the monumental works of his later years.

11. MUSÉE ZADKINE

Dedicated to the work of the Russian-born sculptor Ossip Zadkine, a master of direct carving, the museum, nestled in the greenery of its garden populated by sculptures, was the artist’s living space and studio.

12. MUSEUM OF ROMANTIC LIFE

Located in New Athens, this residence, with its courtyard, garden and two artists’ studios, has retained all its charm. The painter Ary Scheffer received the Tout-Paris of the July Monarchy here: Delacroix, Rossini, Sand, Chopin and Dickens. Admire paintings by Scheffer and his contemporaries, as well as memorabilia belonging to writer George Sand, including furniture, objects, paintings and jewelry. Currently closed for restoration work until February 2026.

13. BALZAC’S HOUSE

Balzac’s house in Passy invites visitors to discover and reread La Comédie humaine. Its unspoiled garden and its view of the Eiffel Tower add to the attraction of this inspiring place. Learn more in this BP article.

14. VICTOR HUGO’S HOUSE

This apartment, occupied by Victor Hugo from 1832 to 1848, retraces the writer’s life and has an exceptional collection of drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures.

For more information about the museums in the Paris Musées network, visit www.parismusees.paris.fr