What is your favorite museum in Paris? 

My husband and I just had this discussion last week.  While he’s an exec in the auto industry during the day he moonlights as an artist after hours.

For him it was a no-brainer- Musée d’Orsay (known as the impressionist museum).  How could there be any other?  

My choice may be somewhat unorthodox but I love the Petit Palais and when I tell you why I’m sure you will too. 

The Petit Palais has one of the most beautiful staircases around.

 I first have to say that the Louvre for me is in a class of its own.  It’s not only the world’s largest art museum but also a castle. King Philippe Auguste had it built in the 12th century, François I turned it into a Renaissance palace, Henry IV and Catherine de Médicis had the Grand Gallery built and even Louis XIV spent his childhood there before moving to Versailles.  From Egyptian antiquities, to the Mona Lisa, to the apartments of Napoleon III, the Louvre has something for everyone but boy is it big and overwhelming.  

The Petit Palais is centrally located between the Champs-Elysées and the river Seine.  To the left (directly facing the Petit Palais) is the Grand Palais and to the right is the Place de la Concorde with its 75ft obelisk that was part of a set at the Luxor Temple for Ramesses II.  

The museum was commissioned for the 1900 World’s Fair.  It was to replace the Palace of Industry that was built for the 1855 World’s Fair.  (FYI the Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World’s Fair)  Charles Girault was the architect and he built the building in the Beaux-Arts style.  It was well received by the public (not an easy feat in France whose national pastime is “la critique”) and King Leopold II of Belgium liked it so much that he had Girault built several structures in Belgium for him.

The building is beautiful.  The front façade with it’s huge doors and tympanum (the semi-circle wall above the doors) are striking.  

Inside the from the floors to the ceiling you’ll always find something pleasing to the eye.  

And then there is the gorgeous courtyard where you can sit outside and have a coffee surrounded by loveliness.  There is also a restaurant inside where you can have lunch.  It’s become a favorite place for me to meet friends to catch lunch and catch up on life while strolling around the museum.

This is the lobby. Billetterie means tickets. You won’t need any unless you want to see a special expo. You’ll just go through the metal detectors and you’ll be on your way.

Here is why I love this museum:

1) It’s free

Yes, really there is no charge!

I’m very happy to pay to go to a museum but as a mom of twins when my boys were younger it was great to be able to go there without a large commitment. We could take small bites of the museum and not feel bad if we left after 45 minutes because someone was cranky. You can’t go to the Louvre for just 45 minutes…

2) The courtyard

It’s a peaceful little oasis in the middle of Parisian intensity.

They have a restaurant where you can have a full lunch or you can just grab a coffee and a plate of macarons and sit at a table outside. You’d be better off to sit here among the palm trees and vases in a little haven of tranquility drinking a coffee than sitting at an overpriced café on the Champs Elysées. Trust me.

Each fall since 2013 the Petit Palais showcases contemporary art. In 2021 French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel’s exhibit The Narcissus Theorem was featured. There were over 70 sculptures in mirrored beads and glass bricks throughout the museum and its garden. It took these pictures at the end of September 2021.

You have probably seen Othoniel’s work in the gardens of the Chateau of Versailles. In May of 2015, he reinvented the grove of the Water Theatre originally created by Le Nôtre and destroyed in 1775. It was a wonderful surprise to see his works in the courtyard of the Petit Palais and totally by chance I happened to be wearing an outfit that matched one of the works, the Gold Lotus. Seriously, what are the odds?!

The stairs leading up to the Petit Palais were turned into a “Blue River” by Othoniel. This was created in situ with bricks of Indian glass. This sculpture-architecture evokes the idea of passing from one world to another and entering a playful/magical universe.

3) It’s surprising

I get so much from this museum. The beautiful floors and ceilings. The staircase that just longs for you to pose on it.

And all the works of art- you’ll find Monet, Cézanne, Gauguin, Greek ceramics that date back to 525 B.C., and art from the 1900s like this statue named Lady with a Monkey from Camille Alaphilippe. There is so much to see and such a complete range.

The last time I was there I saw (and heard) classical musicians warming up for a concert being held there in the evening. What a treat that was.

Have you ever visited this museum? What is your favorite museum? Please leave a comment and let me know!

OPENING HOURS

Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (last admission at 4:45 p.m., galleries close at 5:45 p.m.).

Closed on 1 January, 1 May, 14 July, 11 November, and 25 December.

PRICES

Free access to the permanent collection.


ACCESS

Metro Lines 1 and 13: Champs-Élysées - Clemenceau / Line 9: Franklin D. Roosevelt
RER Line C: Invalides
Bus Lines 28, 42, 72, 73, 80, 83, 93

Entrance for individuals: main entrance
Entrance for groups and visitors with reduced mobility: ground floor, to the right of the main staircase