Discover the TOP 10 free museums on the 1st Sunday of the month in Paris. Visiting a free museum on the first Sunday of the month in Paris can be an excellent idea, especially if you choose a relatively early morning schedule to avoid crowds. In general, only permanent collections are accessible free of charge.
1. Orsay Museum
Inaugurated in 1986 and located along the quays on the left bank of the Seine, the Musée d’Orsay is one of the best museums to discover in Paris. It is also one of the most pleasant Parisian museums to visit. The Musée d’Orsay is known for its rich collection of impressionist paintings. Moreover, it is the most extensive collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings worldwide.
- Official website of the MusĂ©e d’Orsay
- Nearest metro station: Solférino (line 12)
- Open on Google Maps: 1 Rue de la Legion d’Honneur, 75007 Paris
- Find out more in this blog post: How to visit MusĂ©e d’Orsay.
2. Quai Branly Museum – Jacques Chirac
Before 2016, the Musée du Quai Branly bore the name of the Museum of Arts and Civilizations of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. A very nice museum to discover in Paris, close to the Eiffel Tower.
- Official museum website
- Nearest metro station: Pont de l’Alma (RER C)
- On Google Maps: 37 Quai Branly, 75007 Paris
3. Orangery Museum
The Musée de l’Orangerie is a lovely little museum in the Tuileries Garden in Paris. Visiting the permanent collections is free on the first Sunday of the month. Here you will find collections of European art from the 20th century. If you visit this museum, don’t miss Monet’s Water Lilies room.
- Official museum website
- Nearest metro station: Concorde (lines 1, 8, and 12)
- On Google Maps: Jardin des Tuileries, 75001 Paris
4. National Museum of Modern Art – Center Pompidou
The Center Pompidou is one of the most visited Parisian museums and free museums on the 1st Sunday of the month in Paris. Hence it is an excellent opportunity to discover the permanent collections dedicated to contemporary art of this famous museum in Paris. In addition, the Center Pompidou is also known for its incredible architecture, but also the views it offers over Paris. So enjoy it!
- Official museum website
- Nearest metro station: Rambuteau (line 11)
- Place on Google Maps: Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004 Paris
5. Museum of Arts and Crafts
The Musée des Arts et Métiers is also one of the best free museums in Paris on the 1st Sunday of the month. The collections of this museum are inside an old church. The museum is mainly about science, with a working Foucault’s pendulum experiment highlighting the earth’s rotation, as Foucault did for the first time in 1851.
- Official museum website
- Nearest metro: Arts et MĂ©tiers (lines 3 and 11)
- On Google Maps: 60 Rue RĂ©aumur, 75003 Paris
6. National Picasso Museum-Paris
Located in a magnificent building dating from the 17th century, this museum offers a collection of 5000 works by Picasso and objects and archives belonging to the painter. If you appreciate this famous 20th-century painter, this museum is a place to visit, especially since it is free on the first Sunday of the month.
- Official museum website
- Nearest metro: Saint-Sébastien – Froissart (line 8)
- On Google Maps: 5 Rue de Thorigny, 75003 Paris
7. Guimet Museum – National Museum of Asian Arts
The Guimet Museum is one of the most beautiful free museums on the 1st Sunday of the month to visit in Paris. Here you will find an extensive collection of Asian art. If you want to learn more about Asian cultures or if you already appreciate these cultures, the Guimet Museum is a must.
- Official museum website
- Nearest metro: Jena (line 9)
- Place on Google Maps: 6 Pl. d’IĂ©na, 75116 Paris
8. Cluny Museum – Museum of the Middle Ages
This museum is not one of the most famous museums in the capital. However, it is worth the detour. Here you will learn about French architecture and the most famous national monuments.
- Official museum website
- Nearest metro: Saint-Michel Notre-Dame (line 4, RER B and C)
- On Google Maps: 28 Rue du Sommerard, 75005 Paris
9. City of Architecture and Heritage
This museum is not one of the most famous museums in the capital. However, it is worth the detour. Here you will learn about French architecture and the most famous national monuments.
- Official museum website
- Nearest metro: Trocadéro (lines 6 and 9)
- Open on Google Maps: 1 Pl. du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre, 75116 Paris
10. National Museum of Immigration History
The National Museum of the History of Immigration teaches us more about the different migratory flows to France. The museum is inside the Palais de la Porte Dorée, a beautiful building of Art Deco architecture. It is also recognized as a historical monument.
- Official museum website
- Nearest metro: Porte Dorée (line 8)
- Place on Google Maps: 293 Av. Daumesnil, 75012 Paris
BONUS: Petit Palais, Museum of Fine Arts of the City of Paris (free all the time)
The Petit Palais, also known as the Museum of Fine Arts of the City of Paris, is a must-see place in Paris, especially since admission is always free all year round. A real architectural gem to visit without hesitation!
- Official museum website
- Nearest metro: Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau (lines 1 and 13)
- On Google Maps: Av. Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris
Other free museums on the 1st Sunday of the month in Paris whose free entry has been suspended
Here is the list of museums in Paris that were free on the 1st Sunday and whose free admission has unfortunately been suspended since:
- Pantheon (free from the 1st Sunday of the month suspended)
- Arc de Triomphe (free from the 1st Sunday of the month suspended)
- Concierge service (free from the 1st Sunday of the month suspended)
- Sainte-Chapelle (free from the 1st Sunday of the month suspended)
Visiting the free museums on the first Sunday of the month in Paris is an excellent idea for the wallet. On the other hand, expect a longer wait than usual for visits to the premises.