A visit to Musée Carnavalet is a must for anyone interested in the history of Paris. This excellent museum traces the cultural traditions of the city, taking you through dozens of furnished rooms filled with art and artefacts, furniture, costumes and decorative items from ancient times to the present. Because the exhibits are arranged roughly in chronological order and have good signage, it is a relatively effortless and very pleasant way to learn.

Musée Carnavalet: the buildings

The museum’s collections are held in two large adjoining buildings in the Marais. The houses are worth visiting just for their own sake. The gardens and buildings are incredibly beautiful.

The first building, the 16th century Hôtel Carnavalet, is one of the oldest in the area. Its halls, courtyard, gardens and stables were opened in 1880 to display the historical collection. The museum was further extended in the early 1900s.

In 1989, the second building, the adjoining Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau, which dates from the late 17th century, was added to the complex.

The Orangery was developed in the late 1990s, to complete the unique presentation site, which now documents every period – from prehistory to the present day.

You can spend hours there and, almost unbelievably, although there is a small fee for temporary exhibitions, the permanent collections can be enjoyed free of charge.

The French Revolution

There are many highlights, but one is the display related to the French Revolution.

Look out for the models of the Bastille. Hundreds of these were carved from the original stones of the Bastille prison, when it was demolished, almost immediately after the fall of the Bastille in 1789. They were sold in the streets as souvenirs. The Musée Carnavalet has some of the few that still remain.

You’ll also see many personal items that once belonged to Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and their children.

Find out more about this in Bastille Day? The French National Day.

See more recommendations for Things To Do in Paris from Francy That!

Information

Website

The museum’s website is excellent and will give you plenty of information to add to your experience – particularly if your French is not great.

Getting there

Address: 16, rue des Francs-Bourgeois (3rd Arr.)
Metro: Chemin Vert – Line 8