11 Free Museums In Paris That You Must Visit

Are you looking for the best free museums in Paris?

Museum hopping is easily one of the best things to do in Paris if you enjoy arts and culture or simply want to learn more about the city’s history.

Museum visits can be costly, but you can always go to the free ones in the city of lights to see the permanent collections.

You can visit interesting museums in Paris, ranging from the arts to history and science, without breaking the bank.

Some of these museums are well-known to the general public, while others are hidden gems. We compiled a list of the best free museums in Paris. These are free all year and provide access to permanent collections and, in some cases, the entire museum.

If you’re planning a trip to Paris soon, include a few of these free attractions on your itinerary so you can see that there’s much more to see than just the Louvre and the Orsay.

11 Free Museums In Paris That You Must Visit

1. Nouveau musée du parfum Fragonard

The Fragonard Musée du Parfum has located half a block from the Opéra Garnier in the heart of Paris. Eugène Fuchsin founded Fragonard, a French perfume house, in 1926, which manufactures and sells only in France. The perfume house is named after Rococo painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard.

The museum takes you on a magical journey through the perfume trade’s secrets and history. It is home to a magnificent collection of priceless artefacts tracing the history of perfume from antiquity to the present.

A free small group English guided tour is available at the museum.

Opening Hours: Open Mon to Sat from 9 am to 6 am, Sun & holidays, 9 am to 5 pm

Address: 3-5 square de l’Opéra Louis-Jouvet, Paris 9th – Metro Opéra

2. Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris

Located in the adjacent Palais de Tokyo’s eastern wing, is the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, nicknamed MAM by locals.  It first opened to the public in 1961, underwent a major makeover in 2019.

The museum’s permanent collection includes about 15,000 pieces that span major art movements from the 20th and 21st centuries.

This free museum houses the works of great painters like Henri Matisse, Maurice Vlaminck, Andre Derain, and Raul Dufy, as well as photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and contemporary global artists working in a variety of media.

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., closed on public holidays.

Address: 11 avenue du Président Wilson, Paris 16th – Metro Iéna

3. Maison de Balzac

Regardless of whether or not you’ve read anything by Honoré de Balzac before, this collection has the potential to persuade you to do so.

Located in the lush Passy Heights, a western district near the Eiffel Tower, this small collection is a joy to browse through. Among the items on display are Balzac’s office and writing desk, as well as letters, manuscripts, journals, and portraits of the artist.

Opening Hours: From Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Closed on Monday. Free admissions to the collections, except durinf temporary exhibition periods

Address: 47 rue Raynouard, Paris 16th – Metro Passy

4. Musée Bourdelle

Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929), who was a student of Rodin, created numerous monumental works.  One of his most notable pieces was the modernist relief friezes at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées inspired by Isadora Duncan and Vaslav Nijinsky.

The artist’s apartment and studio, as well as those of Eugène Carrière, Louis Dalou, and Marc Chagall, are on display in this museum. His bronze pieces, which include various studies of Beethoven, are housed in a new wing designed by Christian de Portzamparc.

Opening Hours: From Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Closed on Monday. Free admission to only a part of the collections during exhibitions)

Address: 16 rue Antoine Bourdelle, Paris 15th – Metro Montparnasse – Bienvenüe

5. Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris

Thousands of years of Parisian history are told in a chaotic but delightful way at the Musée Carnavalet. There are approximately 615,000 artefacts in the permanent collections, which span periods from the Paleolithic to the Modern.

The collections cover 100 rooms in two adjoining 16th and 17th-century mansions. These include paintings, sculptures, photographs, manuscripts, maps, letters, advertisements and commercial artwork, coins, furniture, military files, costumes and clothing, and elaborate models.

Opening Hours: TBD. Currently closed for renovation works.

Address: 23 rue de Sévigné, Paris 3rd – Metro Saint-Paul Chemin Vert

6. Musée Cernuschi

With its stunning building and the quality of the collection, Musée Cernuschi stands out among the free museums in Paris.

The museum houses Henri Cernushi’s (1821-1896) personal Asian art collections. The rooms dedicated to ancient Chinese art are particularly impressive.

If you enjoy Asian art, this is a must-visit. This free museum in Paris also serves as an excellent pretext for a subsequent visit to the nearby and equally beautiful Parc de Monceau.

Opening Hours: From Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Closed on Monday.

Address: 7 avenue Velasquez, Paris 8 – Metro Station Villiers Lines 2, 3; Vélib Station #8.037Cernuschi Museum – Paris

7. Musée Cognacq-Jay

The Musée Cognac-Jay houses the Cognac-Jay couple’s private collection. This includes items and works of art from the 18th century, all housed in a private mansion.

It was founded by a couple of entrepreneurs and art collectors who left behind 1200 objects from the twentieth century that had captivated them.

This unexpectedly small museum contains works by Fragonard and Watteau, as well as items from the couple’s everyday life.

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed on public holidays. Free admission to only a part of the collections during exhibitions

Address: Hôtel Donon – 8 rue Elzévir, Paris 3th – Metro Saint-Paul

8. Musée Curie (Institut du radium)

The Marie Curie Museum is located in the house where she once lived and studied and taught radioactivity more than a century ago. Apart from the items on display,  there’s also a wide range of educational tours and activities for visitors to take part in.

Take a look around the scientist’s office, the well-preserved chemistry lab, and the room where she taught classes. Whether you’re into the sciences or not, the museum offers a fascinating look into the life of the great Marie Curie.

Opening Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Address: 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 5th – Metro Cardinal Lemoine / Place Monge

9. Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris

The permanent exhibition at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris ( Museum of Fine Arts of the City of Paris) is understated but noteworthy.

It provides an enthralling and comprehensive overview of European art movements and trends from the Middle Ages to the Nineteenth Century.

Despite its “small” size, the Petit Palais houses masterpieces from some of the best French artists which includes Fragonard, Delacroix, Rembrandt, Cézanne, Corot, Sisley, Monet, Pissarro, Toulouse-Lautrec, and countless others.

Opening Hours: Open Tues to Sun, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Closed on Mondays and bank holidays.

Address: Avenue Winston Churchill, Paris 8th – Metro Champs-Elysées – Clemenceau

10. Maison de Victor Hugo

Situated in the elegant Place des Vosges in the Marais, the museum is housed on the second floor of the Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée.

The celebrated Romantic novelist Victor Hugo lived there from 1832 to 1848. The house is a recreation of several of the novelist’s homes, as well as that of Juliette Drouet, his mistress.

Hugo’s turbulent life before, during, and after his political exile to the Channel Islands following Napoleon III’s rise was envisioned by the curators in a chronological journey through the museum. In the small writing room, Auguste Rodin’s famous bust of Hugo can be found.

Surprisingly, the house reveals that Hugo had a speciality in interior design in addition to being a prolific writer. Furniture and works of art by Hugo or from his collection are used to create themed rooms.

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Address: Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée – 6 place des Vosges, Paris 4th – Metro Bastille

11. Musée de la Vie Romantique

This is, hands down, Paris’ most romantic free museum. It is housed in the former home of Dutch-born painter Ary Scheffer, who was a source of romantic inspiration in the first half of the nineteenth century.

The memories of Scheffer’s neighbour, novelist George Sand, are on display in the pavilion’s museum on the ground floor. The rooms on the second floor evoke memories of Ary Scheffer’s time as well as those of his contemporaries.

A coffee break (and some cakes) in the museum’s lovely garden are a must-do while visiting.

Opening Hours: From Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Closed on Monday.

Address: 16 rue Chaptal, Paris 9; Metro Station Pigalle Lines 2, 12; Vélib Stations # 9.028 and 9.026 Musée Vie Romantique – Paris