Beyond the Louvre: 15 Hidden Museums and Art Spaces in Paris

By HiP Paris, with contributions from Jaimie Evoy, Marisa Morrison, and Nicole Gustin

The Louvre’s endless corridors no doubt remain a must see for visitors to Paris. But lately, the city’s most iconic museum has faced its share of trials and tribulations. Between the endless queue and massive crowds, sporadic strikes that left visitors disappointed and the recent, breathtaking jewelry heist that saw the museum’s doors shut, it’s worth considering some of the city’s lesser known gems on your next cultural day out. Whether you’re seeking medieval mysticism, fashion history, or whimsical surrealism, these lesser-known museums are a side of Paris that most visitors never see.

1. Musée de Cluny – Musée National du Moyen Âge

Located in the heart of the Latin Quarter, the Musée de Cluny evokes medieval France. From the Roman baths to 15th-century tapestries (including the famous Lady and the Unicorn), history comes to life in the most evocative fashion here.
Hours: Tue–Sun 9:30 am – 6:15 pm (closed Mondays). Last entry 5:30 pm. Open evenings until 9 pm on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month.
Address: 6 Place Paul Painlevé, 75005 Paris  Tel: +33 1 53 73 78 00

2. Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac

A lush, living wall hugs Jean Nouvel’s modern building located near the Seine. Inside the Musée du Quai Branly you’ll find thousands of artifacts celebrating the artistic life of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas—a wonderful counterpoint to Europe’s classical canon.
Hours: Open Tuesdays–Wednesdays & Fridays–Sundays 10:30 am–7 pm; Thursdays until 10 pm; closed Mondays.
Address: 37 Quai Branly, 75007 Paris  Tel: +33 1 56 61 70 00

3. Musée Zadkine

The former home and studio of Russian sculptor Ossip Zadkine is a secret garden in Paris’s 6ᵗʰ arrondissement. Bronze and stone sculptures are nestled amongst the trees at the Musée Zadkine, whispering a more intimate version of modernism.
Hours: Tuesdays–Sundays 10 am–6 pm; closed Mondays and some holidays.
Address: 100 bis Rue d’Assas, 75006 Paris  Tel: +33 1 55 42 77 20

4. Musée Rodin

Few museums marry art and atmosphere like the Musée Rodin. Explore the Hôtel Biron’s salons, then wander into a sculpture garden where The Thinker and The Kiss bask in natural light.
Hours: Tuesdays–Sundays 10 am–6:30 pm (last entry 5:45 pm); closed Mondays
Address: 79 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris  Tel: +33 1 44 18 61 10

5. Musée de l’Orangerie

Home to Monet’s monumental Water Lilies, the Musée de L’Orangerie displays the iconic work in two oval rooms built to the artist’s specifications. Downstairs you’ll find works by Cézanne, Renoir, Modigliani and Matisse.
Hours: Wednesdays–Mondays 9 am–6 pm (last entry 5:15 pm); closed Tuesdays.
Address: Jardin des Tuileries, Place de la Concorde, 75001 Paris  Tel: +33 1 44 77 80 07

6. Musée Marmottan Monet

In a quiet residential corner of the 16ᵗʰ arrondissement, the Musée Marmottan Monet houses the world’s largest collection of works by Monet—including Impression, Sunrise. This museum is intimate, luminous, and wonderfully crowd-free.
Hours: Tuesdays–Sundays 10 am–6 pm; Thursdays late until 9 pm; closed Mondays.
Address: 2 Rue Louis-Boilly, 75016 Paris  Tel: +33 1 44 96 50 33

8. Palais Galliera – Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris

Paris’s fashion museum, the Palais Galliera displays exquisite exhibitions on fashion and design in a stunning Beaux-Arts setting.
Hours: Tuesdays–Sundays 10 am–6 pm; closed Mondays & holidays.
Address: 10 Avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie, 75016 Paris  Tel: +33 1 56 52 86 00

9. Musée Jacquemart-André

Once the private home of Édouard André and Nélie Jacquemart, the Musée Jacquemart- André houses Italian Renaissance art and Belle Époque splendor. You won’t want to miss tea and pastries in the gilded salon.
Hours: Open 10 am–6 pm; Fridays until 8:30 pm.
Address: 158 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris  Tel: +33 1 45 62 11 59

12. Cimetière du Père-Lachaise & Cimetière du Montparnasse

Both of these landmarks are open-air museums of sculpture and memory. They honor the likes of Man Ray, Pissarro, Seurat and many more.
Hours: Open 8 am–6 pm (summer) / 8 am–5:30 pm (winter). Free.

13. The Streets as Museums

Follow the likes of Renoir at Moulin de la Galette, Manet in Batignolles, and Picasso in Montmartre. There is art hiding in Paris at every turn—walk enough and you’ll stumble upon masterpieces between cafés.