France boasts an impressive number of free museums and galleries for locals and tourists to enjoy. Here are seven standouts to tour and visit with out spending a cent!
Best Free Museums in France
1. City of Paris’ Museum of Modern Art - Paris
Located in the East Wing of the Palais de Tokyo, the Museum of Modern Art was inaugurated in 1961. The museum houses more than 10,000 collections of 20th century art. Some notable artists that have been featured in the museum include Gregor Schneider, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Hannah Hoch, and Andy Warhol. The museum’s permanent collections includes work by Pablo Picasso, Othon Friesz, Albert Gleizes, Bernard Frize, Victor Vasarely, and Martial Raysee.
Palais de Tokyo, 11 avenue du President Wilson, 75016, France, Open from 10AM-6PM
2. Carnavalet Museum - Paris
The Carnavalet Museum is dedicated to the history of Paris. This museum houses approximately 2,600 paintings, 20,000 drawings, 300,000 engravings, 150,000 photographs, 2,000 modern sculptures, and close to 1,000 pieces of furniture. There are countless views of the streets and monuments of Paris from the 16th to the 20th century.
16 Rue des Francs Bourgeois, France, Open from 10AM-6PM
3. Petit Palais - Paris
The Petit Palais is a small art museum in the 8th arrondissement of the city. It was built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition and now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts. The Beaux-Arts style museum was designed by the famous Charles Girault and is around an octi-circular courtyard and garden similar to the Gran Palais. The museum displays famous paintings from artist like Rembrandt, Poussin, Fragonard, and Greuze.
Avenue Winston Churchill, 75008, France, Open from 10AM-6PM
4. French Air and Space Museum - Le Bourget
This is a French museum dedicated to aerospace located at the south-eastern edge of Le Bourget Airport (north of Paris). It was inaugurated in 1919 after a proposal by aeronautics engineer, Albert Caquot. This museum is one of the oldest aviation museums in the world and the museum’s collection contains more than 20,000 items, including aircraft and material dating back to the 16th century.
Aeroport de Paris-Le Bourget, 93350, France, Open from 10AM-5Pm
5. The Museum of Aquitane - Bordeaux
Located in Bordeaux, France The Museum of Aquitane houses a collection of objects and documents from the history of Bordeaux and Aquitane. One of the largest French museums outside of Paris, The Museum of Aquitane houses various sculptures of the most famous people born in Bordeaux.
20 Cours Pasteur, 33000, France, Open from 11AM-6PM, Free entrance on the weekends
6. The Louvre - Paris
Free only to those under 26 years of age, The Louvre is one of Paris’ iconic landmarks. The museum and art gallery is a former royal palace located on the Right Bank of the Seine. World famous sights in the Louvre Palace include the Mona Lisa painting, The Louvre Pyramid, Cour Marly sculpture, and the Cour Carree (Central Courtyard fountain).
75001 Paris, France, Open from 9AM-6PM, Only free for those under 26
7. Eiffel Tower - Paris
Named after the engineer, Gustave Eifeel, the Eifeel Tower was constructed in 1889 as the entrance to the 1889 World Fair. The tower is the tallest structure in Paris and the most visited paid monument in the world but technically you can take see it for free. The tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second.
Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole, 75007, France
This article was written by Walter Godinez.