6 of the Best Museums to Visit in Paris

Putting together a list of the best museums/galleries to visit in Paris is very difficult. Like all things, art is very subjective, and what one person loves another might hate. There are so many museums in Paris that it is impossible to see them all, even in a month, so I studied and chose carefully those that I would give my time to. I was not disappointed.

Musee D’Orsay
If I had to pick a favourite museum in Paris, this would be it. Housed in a former train station that was built in 1900, it houses the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artworks in the world. The building itself is an artwork, and I absolutely loved the giant clock windows looking out over Paris. I spent a long time here trying to get just the right photo, without a bunch of other people in it!

View of Sacre Coeur from Musee d'Orsay 5th floor clock — View of Sacre Coeur from Musee d’Orsay 5th floor clock

On the fifth floor you’ll find the Impressionist exhibition, featuring work by Monet, Manet, Degas, Renior, Cezanne, Sisley, Morisot and Gauguin. Toulouse-Lautrec’s paintings and etchings of the dancers of the Moulin Rouge also feature, with a room of his work on the ground floor. These were where I spent most of my time.

Monet's Water Lilies — Monet’s Water Lilies

Manet's Picnic on the Grass — Manet’s controversial Picnic on the Grass

Degas 'The Little Dancer' — Degas ‘The Little Dancer’

The fifth floor also offers a respite on the balcony, where there are great views over Paris.

Musee Picasso
The Picasso museum is located in the Marais area, and is a great place to begin a Sunday afternoon before browsing the shops afterwards. I attended the Museum with my friend Lara, and neither of us realised that as the first Sunday of the month all Paris museums are free. There was a line out front, but given no-one had to buy tickets it was quick moving and we were in within 25 minutes.

Following a chronological sequence of Picasso’s life, it is interesting to see the change is his work over time, including the start of the cubist movement with his friend Georges Braque.

Picasso's 'The Kiss' — Picasso’s ‘The Kiss’

Picasso's 'The woman with an orange' — Wall-E, or Picasso’s ‘The woman with an orange’?

Picasso's 'Massacre in Korea' — Picasso’s ‘Massacre in Korea’

Espace Dali
Located in Montmartre, a stone’s throw from where I was staying, this was another favourite. Small enough to be able to view everything in under two hours, large enough to house a wide collection of his work, it’s also off the beaten track, with no queue and no crowds inside, making it one of the more pleasant museum experiences.

Dali's 'Persistence of Memory' — Dali’s ‘Persistence of Memory’

Dali's 'Space Venus' — Dali’s ‘Space Venus’

Dali's 'Vision of the Angel' — Dali’s ‘Vision of the Angel’

Most people will recognise Dali’s Persistence of Memory painting of the melting clock, which is held in New York’s MOMA. There were several of these in sculpture within the museum which were wonderful. My favourite series of paintings though were of scenes from Alice in Wonderland. In 1969 Random House partnered with Dali for a unique re-release of the book, and he created 12 stunning etchings that were used for each chapter. Oh to get my hands on a copy of this book!

Dali's Alice in Wonderland series — Dali’s Alice in Wonderland series

Centre Pompidou
The Centre Pompidou is probably more famous for its bizarre inside out building as it is for the artworks inside. With the escalators and piping systems shown on the outside, it is a fascinating building to look at. Inside you will find the Musee National d’Art Moderne, housing art from 1905 to 1960 and including artwork in the Expressionism, Cubism, Surrealism styles, featuring Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Modigliani, Derain and many, many more.

Man Ray's 'Marcel Duchamp, Obligation pour la Roulette de Monte-Carlo' — Man Ray’s ‘Marcel Duchamp, Obligation pour la Roulette de Monte-Carlo’

Cy Twombly's 'Achilles Mourning the Death of Patroclus' — Is this art? Cy Twombly’s ‘Achilles Mourning the Death of Patroclus’

Musee de l’Orangerie
If Impressionism is your thing, and you need more after the Musee d’Orsay, then look no further than the Musee de l’Orangerie. Eight of Monet’s stunning Water Lilies works, which he painted at his home in Giverny, are the highlight of this museum, and hours could be spent admiring these huge masterpieces.

There are also galleries of art by other Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists including Cezanne, Matisse, Renior, Picasso, Modigliani and Sisley. The Musee de l’Orangerie is a great place to visit on a Monday, when most other museums in Paris are closed.

Renior's 'Jeunes filles au piano' — Renior’s ‘Jeunes filles au piano’

Picasso's 'Grand nude in draperie' — Picasso’s ‘Grand nude in draperie’

Modigliani's 'Femme au ruban de velours' — Modigliani’s ‘Femme au ruban de velours’

Louvre
No visit to Paris is complete without a visit to the Louvre. Although not my favourite Paris museum, it is a must see for the sheer size of the collection and for the building itself which used to be a palace (you can visit some of the apartments inside where Napoleon III and his family lived).

Of course everyone makes a beeline for the Mona Lisa, for me an underwhelming artwork, if only because there is no time or space to appreciate it, with the throngs jostling for a space to take the best selfie. The same goes for the Venus de Milo, surrounded by selfie stick wielding tourists who probably know nothing about the 2,000 plus year history of the statue. A must see nonetheless.

Winged Victory of Samothrace, a statue of the Greek Goddess Nike, created around 200B.C

The Louvre is open late on a Wednesday night, and the lines were quite short when we arrived about 5pm. Of course being there at night means you can hand around outside afterwards to view the building and the pyramid all lit up, when they look the best in my opinion.

Journey With Jas

6 of the best Museums to visit in Paris

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