City of Paris Fine Arts Museum
(Petit Palais and the Musée des Beaux-Arts)
The permanent collection at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in the beautiful Petit Palais is free to see
Musee des Beaux-Arts or City of Paris Fine Arts Museum is a spectacular museum situated on the north bank of the river Seine in Paris. The museum first opened in 1900 and it has continued at the current location for more than a century. This superb museum should definitely be included in your itinerary when visiting Paris.
Visitors to the Petit Palais can enjoy viewing the works of many famous artists found in their permanent collection for free. There are also a variety of temporary exhibits rotating throughout the year that can be seen for a nominal charge.
The collection of artwork on display at the Musee des Beaux-Arts is both fine and full. They range in time from Ancient Greece all the way up to the First World War. .The collection includes works by many notable artists such as Rembrandt, Monet, Delacroix, Courbet, Rodin and many more. The permanent collection is divided into sections for easy viewing.
Nearby attractions: Science Museum and Grand Palace National Gallery
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: No, except to see temporary exhibits and programsPetit Palais Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Thursday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Friday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Address: Av. Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris, France
Phone: 01 53 43 40 00
Official Website: Petit Palais
Petit Palais Reviews
Rated out of 5
Cool little museum. Not on the scale or grandeur of the larger art museums, but definitely has its charm. As we were in Paris for a few days we visited when we were walking around the city.
Admission is free, and the museum was not very crowded. We did see lines forming to get in as we were leaving closer to mid-day.
There is a nice courtyard in the middle of the museum that is perfect for a little break and a snack.
Zinger Learns - in the last week
Very beautiful place. Especially interesting because it has been built for the world exhibition and is not originally from the time it represents. The texts about the artwork is very interesting, but you should speak French. But the most important thing is that you should look up, because the ceiling contains lots of beautiful drawings. Also the toilet was clean and we took a relaxing break in the garden.
Severin Kämpfer - in the last week
One of my favourite places in Paris if not Earth. Such a beautiful building with so many interesting pieces of art, comes together to make a great place to visit. Easy access from metro and little to no queue to enter. Love it highly recommend. OH AND ITS FREE!
Alex William - 2 weeks ago
One of my favourite stops on our Paris trip- was such a beautiful place, the architecture is breathtaking and it has such a wide collection of artwork in various styles. The best was a beautiful garden to sit and soak in the sun and enjoy the view, with seating. It was so nice and quiet when we went, making it more relaxing to enjoy the artwork and take your time getting round everything. Very well laid out, organised and an amazing place- it is free entry also which is amazing, hopefully it stays this way as not commonly found. Thank you!
Lily Wheatley - a month ago
This museum is an amazing site that is must see. Entry is free, which is surprising to me. The quality of art and the size of this museum is worth paying for. There are several floors with arts spanning different decades and time periods. It was great to walk through the museum and greatly appreciate all the art that's inside. This is a highly recommended location and one that should not be missed.
Will B - 4 months ago
Directions
| Metro / RER Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| M1 or M13 | Champs-Élysées - Clemenceau | 3 minutes |
| M9 | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | 7 minutes |
| M8 or RER-C | Invalides | 5 minutes |
How to get to Petit Palais by Metro / RER
By Metro or RER-C: From Metro Line 1 or 13 exit at Champs-Élysées - Clemenceau Station. The Petit Palais is straight south on the left side of Avenue Winston Churchill. Follow Avenue du General Eisenhower beside the Grand Palais to the gallery entrance.
From Metro Line 1 or 9 exit at Franklin Delano Roosevelt Station and follow Avenue des Champs Elysees southeast from the traffic circle to Avenue Winston Churchill and go right. Continue to the main entrance on your left.
From Metro Line 8 or RER-C exit at Invalides and head north over the Alexandre III bridge. Continue north on Avenue Winston Churchill to the entrance on your right.
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Accommodations near Petit Palais:
Photo Gallery
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Incredibly beautiful interior of the Petit Palais competes with the many works in the Musée des Beaux-Arts cc 3.0 licensed photo by Edal via Wikimedia -
Exploring the many exhibits in the well lit interior of the Musée des Beaux-Arts in the Petit Palais cc licensed photo by jean-louis zimmermann -
Photo Credit: dalbera - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dalbera - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dalbera - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dalbera - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dalbera - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dalbera - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: dalbera - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: RenéCD - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: HarshLight - cc license via Flickr
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