We arrived at Musée d'Orsay without a pre bought ticket…read more The line wasn't that long so we decided to stay. We were inching along, and then suddenly the line moved really fast, they were letting people enter faster. We spent over 10 minutes and we were in. This museum is smaller than the Louvre, and has many floors and seems harder to navigate, so I just let my son take the lead and I followed. We took our time admiring the paintings: Monet, Lautrec, Van Gogh, Degas....some people are going with the flow, but some took too much time posing with the paintings, maybe thinking it's their personal studio .... We really like this museum. The time we went, there is a special exhibit dedicated to Renoir.

Stunning. One of the most beautiful museums I've been to in the world. It is an absolutely must see…read moreif you're in Paris. The space itself pulls you in, and it's easy to spend hours here without realizing it. I got lost in the beauty of the paintings here many times. Although the Louvre Museum is #1 and the most iconic, Musée d'Orsay is absolutely worth seeing and holds its own. It's in my opinion the #2 must see museum in Paris. Le Restaurant du Musée d'Orsay inside is also worth a stop on it's own, beautiful setting with high quality desserts and coffee.

Wow, what a museum. There's is so much to see. I would love to return one day because I didn't have…read moreall the time to take everything in. I was there for a good 3+hours. There are sections where the painting takes up the entire wall. Not a mural, but a full painting with an entire scene and details for days. Look up, and you'll see more art. Some art pieces are so large, you can only properly view it from afar. The ceilings are also beautiful. It's all so impressive. I opted for a timed ticket entry booking for 9am and didn't wait in line for very long. I'd say about 30minutes before it got moving. I was in the earlier crowd, close to the pyramid and can see the security area. Security was swift, but I packed lightly. Of course after using the bathroom and grabbing my audio guide I bee-lined right for the Mona Lisa, knowing it was the most popular painting there. I was able to get right up to the barrier pretty peacefully within 5 minutes of waiting. I heard someone say "well this is quite pleasant" lol. I was surprised too! So definitely get there early because when I returned to this spot later, closer to noon, boy was it packed with tourists groups and people rushing in to try for a good view. I definitely noticed that keeping calm also keeps everyone else around you calm, so don't go running because that might trigger everyone else to run and that's how chaos ensues. Don't push. You've got time, just wait your turn. My friends opted to go on a third party tour and I don't think they were able to get up to the barrier, but they prioritized the in-person guided experience more than anything, so just keep this in mind if you're deciding whether to opt to go on your own or with a group. Everything had English captions which was helpful. Underground, where the exit is, there are tons of shops. The museum's souvenir shop is quite nice, with cute collaborations. We passed by tons of other cute shops like Pop Mart and Le Petit Souk where I grabbed some cute postcards, and my friend grabbed some flats from VIVAIA. It's a whole mall down there called Carrousel du Louvre. Keep this in mind if you somehow still have energy for it after walking a million steps at the museum lol.

Ok. I am going to be a little negative here. I know The Louvre is the most popular museum in the…read moreworld. So why am I giving a 3? I visited it last week and purchased my advance reservation ticket weeks before for last Thursday at 9 am. Taking the Metro there was easy and I arrived in the center by the glass pyramid at about 8:40 am. By then there were several hundred people already standing in the 9 am line. By 9 am there were several hundred more people behind me. I estimated about 1500 people were in my 9 am line. As we started to move towards security there were people already in the 9:30 am line and even some in the 10 am line. The crowds here are for real. It was almost 9:30 am by the time I got past security and inside ready to start, First problem. There are just too many people admitted every day. I found it distracting to look and admire all of the works of art in there. It's like going to a college football game. The Louvre reminded me of the second most popular museum which is The Vatican Museums in Rome. I've been there too. Second problem. Even some if the docents agreed with me that their map is confusing, I know that because I got lost a few times and asked them for directions, One of them told me that it's better to ask a docent for directions than try to figure where you are using the map! By the way you get your map in your language right after you pass security. This place is big. It's very easy to miss things you might want to see if you aren't careful. Now, I have a tip for improvement. When I visited The Vatican Museums a couple of years ago, I took a guided tour which made the visit pleasurable and less stressful, I failed to do that here. My mistake. If I had I might have a better perspective of this place. The guides don't get lost and also point out things that I might have missed. This is a great museum with high quality art and history inside. It's silly that hundreds of people will jostle to get Mona Lisa's picture but you will too like I did. Ditto on the Venus de Milo and Winged Victory. Don't forget afterward to visit the exterior of the Louvre including the nearby Gardens.

Orangerie Museum, Paris, France -- April 12…read more Our family of four with kids ages 9 and 10 visited after a morning at the Louvre, looking for a more relaxed museum experience. It ended up being one of the most enjoyable stops of the trip. Arrival and First Impressions The museum is smaller and much calmer than the Louvre, which made it an easy transition after a busy morning. The space is bright with beautiful natural light and a peaceful atmosphere. We arrived without reservations, and it took about 45 minutes to enter the museum. The Highlights Monet's water lilies are the centerpiece and absolutely worth the visit. The scale, color, and immersive layout of the rooms make it a unique experience. We also enjoyed seeing works by artists like Matisse and Renoir. The park outside was a great bonus and gave the kids space to run around afterward. The Challenges We waited about 45 minutes to get in without reservations, which could have been avoided with advance tickets. Final Thoughts This museum was my personal favorite and a place we would absolutely visit again. It is a great option for families or anyone looking for a more manageable and peaceful museum experience. It is definitely worth it, especially if you plan ahead

I'm honestly surprised I did not go to this museum when visiting Paris in the past, as it has a…read morebeautiful installation of Claude Monet's Water Lillies. Book tickets directly from the museum website, otherwise you may pay more. Times entries are available. Get there early to avoid the crowds as the galleries are small. The two oval rooms of Monet paintings are the highlight here. Designed by the painter himself, they are meant to be observed in silence, but that is not what we experienced while there. Eat before you visit. The cafe food and drink was unfortunately some of the worst I've experienced in a museum.This museum is in the Tuileries Garden with a large wall around the area. Nice views of the Eiffel Tour and seating overlooking the river is available nearby.

This museum has all of the modern mischief makers and envelope pushers that you learn about in art…read morehistory classes--Miro, Duchamp, Kadinsky, Klein, Klee, etc--plus their lesser known peers and contemporary artists. It's exciting to be around so much creativity and spark. The building itself is a draw, and you can enjoy the nearby fountain filled with moving statues and take the famous elevator all the way to the top for free--the view is the best, and I prefer it more than the view from the Eiffel Tower! There is also a notable bookstore filled with art folios and a wall of postcards, accessible without tickets. If you enter the paid floors, expect to be wowed for at least 2-3 hours.

Centre Pompidou was due to close its doors for a years-long renovation when I went. Thought not…read morecompletely shut down (Wolfgang Tillmans was showing his photographs), the lack of exhibits make this arts center a shell of its former self; even the long escalator, a prominent feature, wasn't in operation. Also, there was no access to the rooftop viewing platform. The building is very cool with its "inside out" design as giant pipes decorate the exterior. I remember Centre Pompidou as full of life, I hope when it returns to be able to experience its full art programming once again. Two stars because it's depressing to see the building half done & half alive.

Being here makes me feel so happy. I love everything about this experience... The Château, the…read moregardens, the sculptures... and people watching, of course. While here, I'm hearing multiple languages and seeing people from around the world loving all of it too. Art is a universal language. Feeling inspired to be present in the moment and to enjoy the garden and the glorious views. We gave ourselves four hours to linger and to take in all of it. Never be rushed when you come here... It's worth spending extra time taking it all in. So beautiful! And having champagne and treats in the café is a bonus!

This is a fantastic museum in the heart of Paris. Huge collection…read more Unfortunately they let people take photos for weddings and influencers. They are during prime tourist time. They should consider having a separate time for the influencers and the wedding people, charging more for them, but also not impacting all of the other paying visitors. Losing stars because of the negative impact of all the wedding and influencers types that made the visit disappointing.

This is place is a must see. It was not busy and had a much more personal feeling while visiting…read more Stopped many times and just took in the art. Come and enjoy the art. We had a Paris Museum Pass and this Museum was included.

Ok place to kill a little time between cafes and shipping in Les Marais…read more Some nice pieces were on exhibit. The building itself is nice to look at, though only the grand staircase remains unchanged.

MAD Art Deco exhibition ends April 26. I'm glad I got to see this wonderful well-thought-out…read moreinstallation. The temporary exhibits at MAD last about 6 months. Their curator and their team do an excellent job changing out their collections.

My friends and I went to the Iris van Herpen exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and were…read moreterribly jealous and annoyed by the idea of a retrospective for a designer born in 1984. Aside from this, though, the experience was quite wonderful. We got timed entry tickets for 4:00 on a Friday. There was no wait to enter, but it was quite busy inside, with a line to check coats and a large crowd in each room of the main exhibition. It was a pretty diverse group, in age, race, and nationality, and I was surprised by the number of men in attendance. I can't imagine American men lining up for a fashion exhibition at home. The security guard who admitted us into the show blatantly hit on one of my friends. That was kind of weird (though I'm guessing more acceptable in France, home of a particularly strong strain of #metoo backlash), but the experience was otherwise smooth and pleasant. The crowd was organized, and we flowed easily from room to room. The exhibition was fantastic, beautiful and inspiring and well put together. Iris van Herpen makes exceptionally cool, sculptural clothes using a combination of innovative techniques and painstaking labor. The show highlighted some of the themes in her designs, bringing in relevant items from nature and complementary work by other artists. There were hundreds of garments on display, as well as accessories and sketchbooks and a whole room made up like an Iris van Herpen workshop, with fabrics and 3D-printed designs pinned to the walls in a giant mood board. I watched part of the looping video showing preparations for a fashion week, and wow, did that look intense. So much thought and time put into each piece. After the Iris van Herpen show, we did a quick walk-through of the permanent jewelry collection and the Fashion and Sports exhibition (we also treated ourselves to an old lady interlude, sitting on a quiet bench on the highest floor--a very nice spot if you need a break). The jewelry was impressive, and I really enjoyed the quick education in athletic wear over the decades. We stopped by the gift shop on our way out and ended up spending a good amount of time there, just browsing all of the eye-catching merchandise. (I guess it's no surprise that this museum has a worthwhile store.) There were tons of accessories and home goods and decorative items, as well as a huge selection of art books. If you have any interest in the decorative arts, check out MAD while you're in Paris. It's a stellar museum right by the Louvre, and if you go in the next few months, you'll catch a spectacular show.

The Petit Palais is a beautiful old building which houses a free art museum. The special exhibits…read morehave a fee (around $14-$20 Euros), but the permanent collection is free and does not requite a reservation. They have a pretty garden view from the cafe as well, which is a nice place to stop for a coffee or tea while admiring the outdoors. Not far from the Musee d'Orsay and l'Orangerie if you would like to visit both on the same day.

Loved our visit to the Petit Palais. Free entry, gorgeous architecture, and two full floors of…read moresculptures, paintings, and artifacts that are beautifully displayed. The building--designed by Charles Girault for the 1900 Universal Exhibition--is a masterpiece in itself. The collection spans from antiquity to the early 20th century and is surprisingly extensive. If you're nearby, don't miss it.

The Musée de Cluny is not swarmed by tourists liveblogging their visits on TikTok or snapping…read moreInstagram selfies in front of its works like at the Louvre or the Musée d'Orsay. Its building incorporates the Hôtel de Cluny -- the Parisian pied-à-terre of the Cluniac abbots -- and the ancient Roman baths of the Thermes de Cluny and houses one of the world's largest collections of medieval art, with its most famous holding being the series of "The Lady and the Unicorn" tapestries. Its focus on one time period, its manageable size, and its sensible layout -- with discrete, well-organized rooms rather than endless long galleries -- combine to create a much more satisfying experience at the Musée de Cluny than at the more celebrated (and overcrowded) supermuseums.

I really was looking forward to this museum in The Latin…read more Quarter. The Roman Bath and Unicorn Tapestries were on my plan. Lots and lots of religious articles and clothing. The bath area is just a peek below and the Tapestries room was filled today with a class of college age standing students and 15-20 grade school age that swarmed around us and just sat on the floor and she started her talk. The six seats in the middle were taken and this was going to be a couple classes Let's go.... We passed. Too much work. i did mention it on exit and just got a shrug. This ignores the two different women with a covid sharp coughs that were easy to avoid they but should have stayed home.

This is a beautiful museum located in a prime location. They have a fantastic view of the canal and…read moreEiffel Tower from their courtyard that they also share with Palais de Tokyo. I do wish I could have visited when they had different exhibits. Looking over the images from the past exhibits, they seem to have some amazing features. Unfortunately, during the time I visited, the featured exhibit didn't appeal to us. So we decided to just visit the permanent exhibits that didn't require admission fee. The café is lovely and carries some really great food and dessert options. We decided to just grab some water and cappuccinos during our visit. The cappuccinos were so good. A little on the pricier side, but standard to museum pricing. The book shop is great and has a lot of nice items. Found some gorgeous art prints, postcards and gift items. All the employees were very friendly, accommodating and helpful. I didn't know the coat check was free. Definitely a plus and must next time I'm there. I'd definitely like to come back next time I am in Paris!

Features contemporary art and permanent collection is free to the public. There are also paid…read moreexhibits but you'll just appreciate what they have downstairs. Their outside space has skateboarders and overlooks the Seine. Nice bookstore too.