A Guide to Paris Museums

I’ve visited more museums than I can count during my time in Paris, some for class visits and some just for pleasure. I’m by no means an expert on art or history but visiting museums is something I really enjoy doing when visiting a new city. It can be a great activity while solo traveling too, I find I almost enjoy museums more by myself than I do when I’m with other people. It can be so therapeutic to walk around while listening to music, people watching, and stopping every so often to sketch or read. 

So my first museum tip is to bring a sketchbook, even if you’re not an artist one of the best ways to familiarize yourself with a work of art is to draw it yourself. This can also be a really cool memento for the places you’ve visited and it’s a great way to take a break from walking. 

I have free entry to most museums in the city with my student ID so I wanted to take advantage of that. Paris has so much rich history with art and is home to an overwhelming number of great museums. Before I got here I imagined myself going to the Louvre on the weekends, maybe just to sit and read in what I was sure would be a calm and relaxed atmosphere… this was not the case. 

While the Louvre is definitely worth a visit, it was more something that I needed to check off my Paris bucket list than something I would want to visit regularly. However there are lots of museums in Paris that are more casual, one of my favorites was the Musee d’Orsay which I’ve visited many times while in Paris. The building used to be a train station so it has really great natural light and a less overwhelming collection compared to the Louvre. Some other lesser known favorites for me were the Musee Cernuschi, an Asian Art museum only a fifteen minute walk from my homestay, and the Musee Marmottan, which has great views of the city from the top of the hill in Montmartre. 

It can be easy to get overwhelmed or exhausted by museums and if they aren’t your thing that’s totally okay. I’ve seen more art in the last few months than I would have in a year at home and there were days when I thought if I saw another Matise I would scream (I am not a modern art fan, I’m working on finding a way to appreciate it more). But I haven’t only experienced it through museums; graffiti, advertisements, and architecture are also great ways to appreciate art and learn about the city you’re in. So my best advice would be to go slowly, wherever you’re traveling or thinking of studying abroad art will be all around you and it will take all kinds of forms that you might not expect. There is no “correct” way to appreciate art and you will find what works best for you.