France is the fashion capital of the world, but it also has a world-renowned center of creativity. The city currently has 130 museums, that represent stunning architecture and exhibitions. Some Parisian museums have garnered more attention than others, but we’ve gathered all of our favorite ones. If you’re an art lover, take a look at this list of the Best Museums in Paris.

Best Museums in Paris

The Musée du Louvre

Musée du Louvre (Photo by Alexander Kagan on Unsplash)

King Philipe II of France ordered the construction of the Louvre with the goal to protect Paris from outside soldiers during the 12th century. After the French Revolution, it opened as a museum with a collection of 537 paintings. Today, it’s the most-visited art museum in the world.

Grand Palais

Tribute to Karl Lagerfeld at Grand Palais on June 20, 2019 in Paris, France. (Photo by Anthony Ghnassia/Getty Images

The Grande Palais is a large historic site, exhibition hall, and museum located on the Champs-Élysées. It’s also known for the place to be for Chanel’s runway shows in Paris.

Musée des Arts Décoratifs

70 Years of Christian Dior at Musée des Arts Decoratifs

As the name suggests, it’s a museum of decorative arts and design located in the Palais du Louvré. The museum also hosts exhibitions on fashion, advertising, furniture, tableware, and graphic arts.

Foundation Louis Vuitton

Foundation Louis Vuitton (Photo by Ninara on Flickr)

Founded by the LVMH Group, the foundation is committed to making art and culture accessible to all. It hosts temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art and events (concerts, performances, projections, dance). The building was designed by the renowned architect Frank Gehry.

Musée d’ Orsay

Musee D’Orsay (Photo by Armand Khoury on Unsplash)

Located on the Left Bank of the Seine, the Musee D’Orsay holds mainly French Art. It’s a former railway station, with incredible paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. It also houses the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world.

Muséum National D’Histoire Naturelle

Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Photo by Anthony Delanoix on Unsplash)

Established by King Louis XIII first as the royal garden of medicinal plants, it’s now the natural history museum of France. In 1973 it was also reestablished as a place for research and education of natural history with 12 different venues.

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Palais de Tokyo

Palais de Tokyo (Photo by Guilhem Vellut on Flickr)

The Palais de Tokyo is dedicated to modern and contemporary art. The building is separated from the River Seine by the Avenue de Tokio and the name derives from the name of this street.

Musée Rodin

Musée Rodin (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)

As its name suggests, Musée Rodin opened in dedication to the works of the famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The museum collection includes 6600 sculptures, 8000 drawings, 8000 old photographs and 7000 objects of arts. The gardens around the museum are the perfect escape from the confusion of the center of Paris.

The Centre Pompidou

The Centre Pompidou (Photo by Oh Paris on Flickr)

Centre Pompidou boasts a high-tech architectural style. It includes the largest museum for art in Europe, a public library, and music and acoustic research center. In 1969, President Georges Pompidou commissioned this Centre as the contemporary art capital of Paris!

I hope you enjoyed the list of the Best Museums in Paris! Comment below if you think we missed something.

Words by Rita Archer