Paris, the city of art and culture, offers a wide range of options to enjoy its iconic museums at no cost. Free museums in Paris are an excellent opportunity for history lovers. Additionally, if you’re passing through and need to explore the city without the burden of luggage, LOCK & enjoy! provides the perfect solution with convenient lockers in Paris, allowing you to explore every cultural corner with complete ease.
Discover the best free museums in Paris
We’ve curated a list of the best free museums in Paris for you to choose from. Each one offers an enriching cultural experience, and all without spending a penny.
Musée des Beaux-Arts
This museum is housed in the Petit Palais, one of Paris’s most iconic buildings. It’s a fantastic opportunity to visit both places.
The museum has two floors: the first is dedicated to sculptures, while the second features a romantic 19th-century palace, showcasing paintings from the same era.
After your visit, we recommend strolling through the Petit Palais garden and enjoying a coffee or lunch. This garden is a peaceful oasis, free from crowds.
The museum is located near the Champs-Élysées and is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Musée Carnavalet
This museum focuses on the history of Paris, from its origins to the present day. It’s also one of the oldest, inaugurated in 1880. It occupies two former hôtel particuliers, connected by a gallery.
Here, you’ll find Gallic-Roman and medieval archaeological remains, relics of the French Revolution, sculptures, furniture, and artworks. These collections are displayed in rooms recreating Parisian private residences from the 16th to 19th centuries. At LOCK & enjoy! we also recommend visiting the greenhouse, though temporary exhibitions may have an entrance fee.
To explore this free museum, head to the Marais, one of Paris’s most picturesque and captivating neighbourhoods. It’s open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Mémorial de la Shoah
Near the Seine River is the Holocaust Museum or Mémorial de la Shoah. History enthusiasts will find it highly recommended, although its theme is deeply moving.
This museum provides a historical account of the Jewish people’s ordeal during the persecutions of the late 19th and 20th centuries. It includes firsthand testimonies from French Jews sent to various concentration camps across Europe, along with artefacts such as newspaper clippings, videos, and victims’ belongings.
It is open from Sunday to Friday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Maison de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac was one of the greatest French writers of the 19th century, renowned both in France and across Europe.
Just a 10-minute drive from the Eiffel Tower lies Balzac’s house, set on a slope with a small garden. This is where he wrote most of his works and edited parts of his most famous piece, The Human Comedy.
Notably, the writer’s study remains as it was, complete with its original furniture. The museum also showcases personal items, portraits, and printed pages from his famous work.
The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Les Archives Nationales
This museum preserves public records from the Middle Ages and the Ancien Régime, as well as countless notarial archives from the city.
Its 373 kilometres of archives document the history of France from the 7th century to the present day. For example, it houses the decree abolishing slavery, signed in 1848. Visitors can explore exhibition halls in interiors with stunning designs.
While these archives are spread across various Parisian buildings, those open to visitors are in the Marais, specifically at the Hôtel de Soubise and Hôtel de Rohan.
It is open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
Musée de l’Homme
If you’ve ever wondered who we are, where we come from, and where we’re going, this museum is a must-visit.
It houses an invaluable collection of items such as prehistoric human fossils, anatomical wax figures, and small Paleolithic statues. The displays are educationally structured into themes of languages, ethnicities, rituals, and beliefs.
The museum seeks to deepen understanding of humanity’s place in the living world and its origins. Its two large curved galleries and atrium make for an impressive setting.
The museum is located near our luggage lockers by the Eiffel Tower.
Musée Cernuschi
Dedicated to Asian arts, particularly from China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, this museum was established thanks to Henri Cernuschi’s legacy in 1896. It ranks as the sixth most-visited municipal museum in the city, attracting 60,000 visitors annually.
With more than 15,000 works of art, it is among Europe’s top five Asian art museums. Visitors are often captivated by the magnificent Meguro Buddha.
It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Discover free museums in Paris with LOCK & enjoy! Book one of our luggage lockers and enjoy all the activities Paris has to offer without worrying about your belongings.
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