My Bucket List of Museums to Visit in Paris, France

The shortlist of museums in Paris, France that I’m hoping to check out this year

I love visiting museums.

When I was living in Paris, I had the luxury of planning out what exhibits I wanted to visit whenever I wanted. If I see an exhibit in New York City, I’ll put it on my calendar to check out on my day off from work. I’ll research potential exhibits to check out before I go on a trip somewhere new…

One of the many things I miss about living in Paris is the access to world-class museums at an affordable rate. I love the museums in New York City, but the full-rate admission tickets are a bit steep. For example, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) costs $25, while the Louvre costs €15 (approximately $17 at time of writing).

If you’re under 26 years old in France or anywhere in the E.U., a number of museums are free or have a reduced admissions fee. College students in the United States benefit from museum discounts but after graduation, the perks end *sigh*.

I’ve visited a decent number of museums in Paris between studying abroad for a January term as a student and living there on-and-off for two years. The Louvre. Musée d’Orsay. Musée Rodin. Grand Palais. Petit Palais. Palais Galliera. Musée des arts décoratifs. Musée Yves Saint Laurent. Musée national de l’Orangerie. Musée des arts et métiers. Musée national de Moyen Âge… You get it. I’ve also visited these museums more than a few times for major exhibits or to show around friends visiting the city.

There are a few museums that I haven’t been to yet and want to visit this year. My time in Paris is more limited than I would like—the small amount of American vacation time doesn’t accommodate those in international, long-distance relationships with Europeans.

Here are my quick picks for Paris museums to check off my bucket list:

Musée Nissim de Camondo

There’s absolutely no reason why I haven’t visited this museum yet. When you purchase a ticket to the Musée des arts décoratifs, you can also purchase a ticket to Musée Nissim de Camondo for only €2 extra. The well-preserved interiors of this former private home in the 8th/8ème arrondissement are an interior designer’s dream.

 

Maison de Balzac

I know of Honoré de Balzac because I read Père Goriot during my undergraduate studies. This is another museum that I don’t understand why I haven’t visited yet—maybe it’s because it’s on Line 2…? If the pictures on the Paris tourism website are accurate, the author’s house offers incredible views of Paris. The museum is currently closed for renovations through Summer 2019. 

Musée de Quai Branly Jacques Chirac

If you’re looking to learn about a wide diversity of art and culture from Oceania, Africa, the Americas, and Asia, this is the museum for you. I have walked by it so many times during my Parisian adventures. You can’t miss the exterior—the green wall of vegetation facing the Seine is hard to ignore.

Do you like visiting museums while traveling? If you’ve been to Paris, what were your favorite museums that you visited?