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Recommended Reviews - Centre Pompidou
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We decided to come here because we heard that they are scheduled to be closed for a multi-year renovation. I'm not really a modern art guy. I think most of it to be a fraud propped up by hype and snooty arrogance. This visit didn't change my mind. The center is quite large but the exhibitions were not as large as I would have thought. We were able to walk all of them in under 3 hours. The location is cool. It feels like it is a central square and is surrounded by many tourist oriented restaurants and cafes. The view from the top floor observation deck was my favorite thing about the place.
Review is based on museum visit. Centre Pompidou was huge. I wanted to visit because I thought the red tubes escalate was interesting. It's in a great location near many food restaurants, bakeries and cafes. There was a line to enter where they check your bag and belonging, while you go through a security scan. There was a lot of people, even on a rainy night. You can spend a whole day here. It's a library with restaurants, food, and a 2 floor museum. 6 levels in total. I didn't see the entire museum as I had planned our my trip and didn't expect the museum to be as big as it was. But if you took a quick glance at everything, you'd probably be able to finish in about 2-3. They also have cute videos playing as part of their videography/media exhibit, that you might not be able to complete. Tl;dr - beautiful museum/restaurant/library, outside is beautiful at night. Museum is just okay, more of an extra time visit than a must visit.
What a fantastic venue! There is something for every age. The industrial architecture is futuristic. Don't miss the exterior escalators and the incredible views of Paris. Go to the top floor for the best views. We enjoyed several art exhibits during our visit. Centre Pompidou is included in the museum pass, which I highly recommend.
Wow, this was one of the, if not the, coolest art museum I've ever been to! The building itself is marvelous, and I loved all the exhibits they had featured when I went. I loved that it wasn't too packed, and that they stay open super late. The layout is somewhat confusing, but easy enough after walking around a bit. I will definitely come back here each and every time I come to Paris!
Pompidou is a building design as inside out. They building structure frame, plumbing, air and heating duct are all located at outside of building. Normally is enclosed in the building. This building name is after a France President. It is a multi use building. The building has art museum, public library, government sector and more. The roof top have cafe and view. The escalator was set outside of the building make it fun to visit. We have visit the modern art museum. It is interesting two floors. This museum may be one of the largest in Europe. It has some Picasso collection, sculpture, interesting art. The visit may need 2.5 hour. You can go to top sculpture garden. Overlooking the the city.
Of course, this art museum is five stars. In fact, of all the art museums in Paris, Centre Pompidou has always been my favorite. What you will find here, in the museum galleries, is a vast collection of modern art. They also feature a rotating collection of the art of specific artists. What this gives the viewer is a non-stop immersion of the visual senses and the ability to view some of the greatest art, by the best modern art creators. Centre Pompidou is also a visually stunning architectural superstructure. It is really a sight to see. Once inside, you travel upwards to the various galleries via these great, very visual, escalators. As you move upwards, you are provided with an exceptional view of Paris. One of the nice things about Centre Pompidou is that they have a free coat-check room, on the ground floor, where you can place your jackets or bags in lockers. With this, it frees you up to enjoy the art without the burden of holding or wearing your coat. Keep in mind, Centre Pompidou is a very popular museum. The lines to get in here can get very long. It's a good idea to buy your tickets in advance if you can. If you can't, the best idea is to get here early, when they first open, as then you have the potential to beat a lot of the crowds. If you like modern art, this is one of the best museums in the world!
This is a modern art museum with modern being defined as any art since the early 1900s. I tend to like this kind of art if it is the modern art from the early 1900s. Some of the early modern artists that I liked were Rouault, Delaunay, and Rupka with Rouault as my favorite. He used heavy brush strokes to give emotion to his characters. Instead of creating smooth, realistic facial features, he would have different colored brush strokes right next to each other, adding emotion, and in a sense, disfigurement to his characters. It was as if he was painting in a way to accentuate the characters flaws rather than clean them up. The more recent art is less interesting to me but that is mainly because I don't understand it, similar to what most people would say. Aren't there recent artists that paint real things? They should show some of those in the modern museum. The top floor has the most recent art. We quickly glossed over it before moving on to the next thing. Even if we were not interested in modern art, the Pompidou Museum was a great place to view Paris from above the rooftops. The Eiffel Tower is the more well know method of seeing Paris from above, but you would need to invest an entire day of waiting in line to go up the Tower.
Came to Paris this last visit specifically to see the homage to YSL. The fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent was celebrating the 60th anniversary of its first show by commandeering six of Paris's mightiest institutions with exhibits at the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Pompidou Centre, Museum of Modern Art, Picasso Museum and Yves Saint Laurent Museum - all to celebrate YSL's life and works. Each museum had a different focus and theme. The Pompidou focused on his modernity. It was super cool to see drawings from YSL and the actual, finished garment.......or the specific work of art that inspired YSL to create a specific garment His artistry knew no bounds and the pieces were jaw-droppingly amazing The Pompidou had a fantastic layout to get to the exhibit and a guide to tell exactly which rooms helps pieces. I loved how they interspersed YSL among other pieces of art so that the theme carried over to other artists and it seemed like the larger exhibition was all part of the plan Bravo for magnificent curation! Bravo for YSL! Bravo for Centre Pompidou!
A must if you like modern art of the recent (Space Invaders tiles) or classical (Frida Khalo, Yves Klein) variety. Keep in mind that the Serge Gainsbourg exhibit is located inside the 2nd floor library which opens 1 hour after the rest of the enter. The guards insisted that they control the time the exhibit opens, not the guests.
The Centre Pompidou is a unique experience in Paris. The exterior of the building definitely stands out from the surrounding buildings and you can see it clearly from many of the monuments in Paris. A very contemporary building housing contemporary art...perfect. My son's french teacher highly recommended the museum and so glad we worked this into our schedule. We enjoyed the exhibits we saw on the two floors...think it was five and four...really opens one's mind to possibilities and interpretation. The only issue (and it was a minor issue) was that it was confusing in locating where to start and to move around the exhibits...we sorted it out. It was a very positive museum experience and happy to recommend Centre Pompidou when in Paris.
There is a special architecture exhibit on the top floor (June 2023) pay more to see the special exhibit, it is worth it. As with other museums of modern and contemporary art there are a lot of nice chairs/areas to sit and relax. To beat the lines are with any popular museum get your time stamped ticket for the first time of the day and arrive about 20-33 minutes early.
So many artists here on 3 floors. I loved the Picasso pairings the best. You can spend hours here admiring all of the artwork, exhibits, and sculptures. The smashed up cars, the French colourful house, the Andy Warhol, the huge composition book, the Cezanne, all should not be missed. At the end of all of your walking, relax on the outside terrace, Georges.
Interesting and unique museum in Paris. B bought up a question about where they determined to put the artwork. It is a contemporary museum. You can find lots of modern artwork ranging from couple decades till now. It is a two floors museum. To enter the museum was awkward. Entrance was on the third floor. There are two checks to get into the museum. The entrance requires a lot of walking to get to. You would have to take 2 super long escalators before arriving to the entrance. Overall a good museum and highly recommend coming here for a visit. Note you need about 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours here to spare depending on how interested you are into the galleries here.
8 years ago
So much wonderful art. Went for the Chagall exhibit and saw more of his work than ever before. Get ready to spend the day here, then be properly museumed-out. The gift shop is a mod tchotchke mecca, while the bookstore has all the art prints and funny postcards you could possibly want. Get the 3D art viewers! Ps The escalators are confusing. Some levels are neither labeled nor blocked-off and don't lead you anywhere. Pps Keep your ticket handy, as they scan at most exhibits read more
7 years ago
7 years ago
Interesting rotation of galleries and relatively modern building to house the collections. A lot of open space read more
I would not consider myself a modern art fanatic. MoMA in New York doesn't excite me...even the modern wing at the Louvre doesn't do anything for me. But there is something spectacular about the Centre Pompidou that I absolutely love. Maybe it's the controversial (but fascinating) construction of the building itself. The aesthetic of climbing to the top of the outside of the structure on escalators and working your way down is one of the best views of Paris (aside from Montmartre). The collection is absolutely one of my favorites in any museum...modern or classical. It's also one of the few times I have ever felt that the museum admission was worth the full price. Things to not miss: 1. The escalators outside (hard to miss, if you are viewing the collection) 2. The open air cafe at the very top of the museum...pricey but certainly worth a soda, coffee or glass of wine to relax and enjoy the spectacular view 3. The sound-proofed room with a piano (NOT to be missed) 4. Jean Dubuffet's "Cave" When I was here most recently, the special exhibit was the Matisse Pairs and Sets...which was absolutely fascinating. They put together many of his variations on a theme so that you could have an immersive view of the artist's work. Excellent. I love this place...you really can't miss it if you are in Paris. read more
3 years ago
8 years ago
5 years ago
One of my favorite places in Paris, this museum is really cool. The lines are sooooo long going into the library. It's unbelievable, seeing people wait 3 hours to get into a library. I went for the museum and my friends and I waited over an hour before we got in. The architecture is really cool, super colorful and really interesting. I'd recommend checking this place out if you're in Paris. read more
8 years ago
9 years ago
A nice art center displaying works of modern and historic, renowned, artists. It's also located in great neighborhood with a local theater and a lot of restaurants and cafes. The building has multiple levels and the art galleries are on the upper levels. There are retail and what I thought to be a library study space on the 3rd floor. I enjoyed my visit here and was able to catch some great Cubism pieces!!!! read more
7 years ago
10 years ago
Where do I begin...with the museum pass you can get in the front of the line for the security check. You have to go through security before you actually enter into the museum. Museum is very industrial looking. Which is very interesting to see amidst the beautiful historical architecture around! Separated into floors you have to use the escalator to see the exhibitions. Note: there is a coat check on the bottom floor and I checked in my backpack and coat which I wish I didn't because the museum was super cold. I really enjoyed the modern art to contemporary art section where you get to see the Yves Klein, Picasso, Chagall, Giacometti sculptures, Twombly's and Dada art. A great collection of Dalis and surrealist work. The top floor was showing Anselm Kiefer and Paul Klee which were an awesome treat. For those special exhibitions you need to buy a ticket. You can buy tickets waiting in line or you can buy them at an electronic kiosk which beats the time in line. We also saw the current contemporary art (2000s- present) and I thought they were less interesting. There were a select few that I thought were interesting but if you are pressed for time do not see the work in the contemporary art section. I felt like they lacked the level of sophistication in installation and presence. But it was an awesome visit and must see for visitors who have an interest in modern art . read more
Tactile, incomprehensible, possibly 'high art' on the fourth floor. Fifth floor is tremendous however. And the sixth floor panoramic views are to live for. Time your visit so you come into sunset with tea or libations at the very pricey restaurant on the uppermost floor and sip on magnificent Par-ee. read more
7 years ago
11 years ago
The centre George Pompidou, is the place dedicated to Modern and contemporary art, welcoming annually several must to see exhibitions. There are several cinemas, shops, restaurant, café George with an awesome terrace view, and a huge public library. Expect to queue a long long long time to access to this library which schedules area quite flexible, so perfect for study. I almost studied there over my universities years for my exams. read more
8 years ago
Let Centre Pompidou is the place to go in Paris to see a vast collection of contemporary works. The building itself is modern architectural work itself with it's famous array of escalators protruding from the side of the building encased in transparent tubing, allowing you to marvel at the scenery as you scale from floor to floor. The Pompidou also hosts a national public library, but unless you can read in French; it would probably be of little use to you. But check out that floor for a snack at one of the library's nifty vending machines and enjoy some people watching in between taking in some art at the Musée National d'Art Moderne. read more
8 years ago
This building is very architecturally interesting. They have an escalator system that is mounted outside the museum that allows for great views of the city and the streets below. When I went they had a Roy Lichtenstein exhibit with both museum pieces and private collects to view. A mere few weeks before they had a Keith Haring exhibit which would have been amazing to see. Rotating exhibits are seen on the 6th floor, contemporary art up to the 1960's is housed on the 5th floor. Unfortunately 5th floor is only accessible if you have a special pass, so I was unable to see works from Matisse and the like. It's a shame. The 4th floor had pieces from Warhol, Rothko, and installations galore from 1960's to the present. I kinda hate to say that it wasn't worth it, but with only 2 floors worth of viewing it was a little bit of a bummer. read more
I'm more fascinated by the architecture of the building itself, than the modern/contemporary art inside. Not a bad place to kill time or just enjoy pieces. The outdoor escalator has beautiful views of the city. Tons of street performers during summer, huge courtyard, and large cafe. Lines can be long but they move quickly. If you have the museum pass, you skip the line and go straight to security. read more
The Georges Pompadou Centre (minus the Georges for the locals), is named after the president who commissioned it - and is the French National Contemporary Art Centre. I love and hate modern art in equal measure. I either find it pretentious and self indulgent, or I love it with a kind of unconscious, and visceral reaction. And I'm happy to say, the Pompadou Centre certainly had more yay than nay for me. The building itself, I initially hated. It was designed to more or less have its insides on the outside to free up space for actual exhibits. My first thought was that's a stupid idea, and looks horrible, and it's really wanky to then try and pass it off as art. But the more I was around it, I actually kinda liked it. Having the lifts and pipes on the outside do nothing (just in my opinion) to enhance inside - but give you some great views over Paris. However I ended up liking looking at all the pipes - they're like a maze, and sitting out front on the courtyard for a while, following their routes, was really relaxing. There's all sorts of exhibits: photography; sculptures; paintings etc. My favourite was called 'we live in a world of half life '. This was initially thought up by a survivor of a nuclear explosion, and is interactive. The walls of the room are covered in chalk, and you are invited to add your own message. The blurring together of people's thoughts made this quite an emotional one for me. If you like modern art, go and enjoy! read more
13 years ago
Loved this place during our visit in November 2012. It was included in the Paris Museum pass, which we used (without it, price is 13 euros per their website). Modern art museums, for me, can be a real hit or miss, but this was an absolute hit! They had some really cool exhibitions and works of art here. They even had a piece by Marc Chagall - Bride and Groom of the Eiffel Tower that was great to see for any Chagall fans. Furthermore, they had a neat little gift shop to buy all sorts of interesting gifts. We enjoyed browsing here and bought a couple of souvenirs and gifts for family. As a note though, I was probably more of a fan of this museum than my then fiance, now husband, as we did this museum at the end of our day and he was thoroughly exhausted by this point. He felt like this museum was a bit too big and felt a little like a warehouse. I didn't share this point of view and felt like the museum had a very cool and different vibe to it, but I'm sure everyone will have their own opinions when it comes down to it. He would give it 4 stars. As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed this museum and would give it 5 stars! Either way, we both recommend coming here. The Centre Pompidou was my third favorite museum in Paris, with my favorite being the Musee de l'Orangerie, and my second favorite being the Musee d'Orsay. read more
18 years ago
16 years ago
Yes, the Louvre, D'Orsay - great museums. But this is definitely my favorite art museum in Paris. Touted as the largest or at least the most comprehensive modern art museum in Europe, it really does not disappoint. Even for an amateur art admirer, who is not well versed in art at all (or much of anything), I was blown away by some of the fantastic pieces that this museum houses. There is a healthy dose of cubists, surrealists, dadaists and modern stuff circa today. Some of my highlights: Picasso's provocative 'Woman Pissing' - his interpretation of a classic Rembrandt Balthus' equally provocative 'Alice (in the mirror)' Otto Dix's ruthless portrait 'Sylvia Von Harden' Marcel Duchamp's famous, satirical 'Fountain', a signed urinal Andre Breton's recreated apartment room - eclectic, exotic items mish mashed for inspiration Marina Abramovic's 'timeless' pieces which you can actually sit on and lay on As others have noted, there is also an 'outdoor patio' exhibit open only on certain days that offer some amazing views of the Paris skyline. read more
18 years ago
I get so used to modern art museum where the collection focus on early 20th C -- yet we are already well into the 21st C.! Well here is a museum that is about modern art that is really modern. Bravo! Awesome museum! Also and amazing place to view art films. read more
7 years ago
18 years ago
Spend a few hours of your travel plan to explore the exhibitions. One of my favourite Gallery. The Restaurant at Level 6 worth trying. We had cod fish & beef. Both are satisfactory. read more
More info about Centre Pompidou
Place Georges Pompidou
75004 Paris
France
Beaubourg, 4ème
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01 44 78 12 33
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http://www.centrepompidou.fr
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Centre Pompidou - museums - Updated May 2026
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