Top Ten Museums in Paris
French Art and Culture at the Louvre, the Museée d’Orsay and More
The Louvre is one of the most popular museums in the world and houses over 350,000 art objects. The collections range from Mesopotamian sculpture to paintings from the 19th century. The Greek sculptures of Winged Victory and Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci are among the most popular exhibits. Right behind the museum is the Jardin des Tuileries which has several theme gardens, sculptures and a pool. The museum gets over 200 million visitors a year so it is advisable to arrive early to avoid long lines.
The National Museum of Modern Art and Pompidou Center
The Pompidou Center is a modern art museum that lives up to its name. The building was designed so it almost looks like it has been turned inside out. There is a huge collection of art from the 20th century which is divided on two levels. A visit to the museum is highly recommended for art as well as people-watching. There are mimes, fire-eaters and other performers that frequent the square outside the museum.
The Musée d’Orsay
The Musée d’Orsay has many works from the Impressionists, and is housed in a spectacular iron train station from the early 20th century. Dancers by Degas, gardens by Monet, outdoor scenes by Renoir and self portraits by Van Gogh are some of the highlights. There is also a great restaurant at the museum that has turn-of-the-century decorations and sparkling chandeliers. Don’t forget to visit the museum shop for some Impressionist postcards to send home.
The Musée Carnavalet
This museum hosts collections devoted to the history of Paris. The museum building was built in 1548 and has gorgeous relief sculpture on its façade. The highlights of the collections are the re-creations of period style rooms which house furniture and decorative objects from various time periods. There are also collections of stamps, drawings and photography of Paris as it used to be. Outside of the mansion there is a quaint Renaissance garden with sculptured hedges.
The Musée de l’Armee
Connected to the Hôtel des Invalides, this museum displays objects which bear witness to the military history of France. The golden dome on top of the building is stunning in the sun. While this museum is a must-see for military enthusiasts, the elaborate decorated suits of armor from medieval times are fascinating for everyone. Don’t forget to go next door to see Napoleon’s tomb, where his body is encased inside of six coffins.
The Musée National du Moyen Age
This museum is devoted to art from the Middle Ages and is housed in the beautiful Cluny Abbey that was built in the fifteenth century and the Roman Baths that were built in the 3rd century AD. The highlights of the collections include the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries and the frescos, including one named “Love Riding a Dolphin” in the Roman Baths. Don’t miss a walk in the museum gardens. There is a Unicorn Forest, a re-creation of a typical garden from the Middle Ages and a “Mille Fleurs” or Thousand Flowers garden that uses the tapestry backgrounds as inspiration.
The Musée de l’Eroticisme
The Museum of Eroticism is a collection of erotic art from around the world including sculpture, painting and photography. There are five floors that host a permanent collection of erotic art that is divided into the areas of sacred, brothels, contemporary and popular. Temporary exhibits are offered throughout the year. The artworks are interesting, amusing and can be titillating. For further visits in the Montmartre area, try the Moulin Rouge to see the dancing girls.
The Musée de la Mode et du Textile
The Museum of Fashion and Textiles showcases fashions and textiles from the 17th century to the present day and is located in the same building as the Museum of Decorative Arts. There are yearly exhibits which feature the legendary haute couture designers of Paris like Yves Saint Laurent and Coco Chanel as well as items from contemporary designers. The displays showing the fabrication of textiles are very interesting, and the museum shop has amazing finds.
The Musée du quai Branly
This new museum housed in a brand new modern building design by the architect Jean Nouvel opened its doors to the public in July 2006. The collections at the Museum quai Branly are based on non-Western art and include artworks, costumes and artifacts from Africa, Asia and the Americas. Don’t miss the extraordinary collection of musical instruments which are displayed in a long glass tube that runs throughout the museum and have listening stations so you can hear what they sound like.
The Musée de l’Homme
This museum houses collections related to ethnology and the cultural history of humankind. Here you can compare the skulls of human beings from 100,000 years ago to those of the modern age and see the skeletal remains of Lucy, who lived 3 million years ago. There is also an Incan mummy which has been cited as the inspiration for the painting The Scream by Edvard Munch. For lunch, the restaurant has a great view with the Eiffel tower in the background.
Paris Tourism Office
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