Best Paris Art Museums For Kids

The Louvre is the largest and most visited art museum in the world. As the world’s premier art museum housed in the Louvre Palace that dates back to the 12th century, it and may not seem likely to be child-friendly, but it is actually one of the most stroller-friendly museums we have ever visited.  Families with strollers automatically skip the often long entry line and are ushered directly to an elevator and are permitted to use elevators throughout the Louvre that are reserved only for disabled visitors and their accompanying parties.

The building could be considered a work of art in its own right.  In addition to the Louvre Palace and all of its additions, Louvre Pyramid is an iconic glass and metal pyramid that was designed by the Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei and completed in 1989.  The Louvre collection includes over 400,000 works and could take months to closely examine even the works currently on display.  During our lovely visit with our three children last summer, we prioritized the most famous three works, Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace and spent about three hours meandering through the Louvre’s highlights.  Mona Lisa is much smaller than anyone expects (only about 21 inches by 30 inches!), and her paparazzi was overwhelming.  Nevertheless, we still all wanted to get as up close to her famous smile as we could.

I think it’s safe to say that no visit to Paris would be complete for me without a visit to the Louvre.  While I would aim to get in as soon as it opens next time and beeline for the Mona Lisa gallery first, I would never hesitate to bring kids.

• Louvre Hours: The Louvre is generally open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., except that it is open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays and closed on Mondays, May 1 and December 25.
• Louvre Admission:   Pre-booked time-entry tickets cost €17 or adults, and general adult admission costs €15 at the door.  Kids under 18 are free.
• Closest Metro Station: Palais-Royal Musée du Louvre and Pyramides

Recommended by Catherine D’Cruz from We Go With Kids.  Find out more from Catherine about visiting the Louvre with kids.

The Musée d’Orsay houses an impressive Impressionist collection of French art featuring Manet, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh Degas, Cezanne and many more.  Paris was the birthplace of impressionism, and impressionist artists regularly gathered in Montmartre during the late 19th century.  I sure would love to have been a fly on the wall of one of these meetings, and I felt privileged to grace the halls of these magnificent art works.

The Museum opened in 1986 in the former Gare d’Orsay, which was constructed for the 1900 World’s Fair, and the station’s three enormous clocks are spectacular works of art in their own right.  Our family really loves Impressionism, and my personal favorite painter is the brilliant but troubled Vincent van Gogh, and my kids share my appreciation of his paintings.  The d’Orsay was a particularly treat because it houses one of the largest collections of Van Gogh’s works outside of the Van Gogh Museum with 24 paintings.  Our favorite was Starry Night Over the Rhone.

Edouard Manet, who was one of the first to incorporate blurred backgrounds and contrasting colors into his painting, is often credited as the first Impressionist artist.  Several of his seminal paintings are exhibited at the d’Orsay, including Olympia and Luncheon on the Grass.  Other favorites impressionist artists include Edgar Degas, who known for his focus on dance and theater.  The Dance Class was a favorite of my budding ballerina.

The d’Orsay features more than 80 paintings by Claude Monet and Pierre-August Renoir each.  Many are recognizable, and I can’t pass one without smiling.  Both were very talented and prolific artists, so most major art museums around the world feature a handful of paintings by each, and including variations of similar paintings.  While we focused on the paintings, there is also quite a significant sculpture exhibition.  With such an extensive collection, it’s no surprise that the Musee d’Orsay is the 10th most visited art museum in the world with about 3.5 million visitors annually.

• Musee D’Orsay Hours: The d’Orsay is generally open from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., except that it is open from 9:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Thursdays and closed on Mondays, May 1 and December 25.
• Musee D’Orsay Admission:   General admission costs €14 for adults, €18 if purchasing a combined admission to Musée d’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie or €21 if purchasing a combined admission to Musée d’Orsay and Musée Rodin.  Kids under 18 are free, and the d’Orsay is free on the first Sunday of each month.
• Closest Metro Station:  Solferino

#5:  The Rodin Museum

Our first visit to Europe included a fantastic five days in Paris. Our three kids were young at the time, just 5, 7 and 10. We had no idea that those little ones would love the museums of Paris. Each day, we’d visit one, sometimes large, sometimes small, and each time, they found something special to enjoy. Their favorite was a museum that I hadn’t heard much about before researching our visit: The Rodin Museum. We only visited the Sculpture Garden, but it remains one of their favorite European museums. With incredible sculptures intermixed in beautiful rose gardens, this park-like setting turned into a mini photo shoot of our three little one’s trying to recreate Rodin’s creations with their little bodies.  It started on arrival as our three littles sat in front of The Thinker and recreated the famous pose. It continued as we wandered through the beautiful gardens with each and every life-size sculpture. Incredibly, many of Rodin’s pieces include three people, just like them! It was so much fun that we spent hours there, moving from one new piece of art to another, enjoying time on a bench or roaming the gardens along our way.   For families looking for a relaxing few hours where the kids, of any age, can learn to enjoy and interact with artistic works, this is an ideal place. Just don’t forget a camera!!

• Rodin Museum Hours: The Rodin Museum is generally open on daily from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. except that it is closed on Mondays, January 1, May 1 and December 25.
• Rodin Museum Admission: General admission costs €12 for adults.  A combined ticket with the Musee d’Orsay costs €21.  Kids under 18 are free, and the Center is free on the first Sunday of each month.
• Closest Metro Stops to the Rodin Museum:  Varenne or Invalides

Recommended by Joanne Norman from Sunsets and Roller Coasters.

#6:  Musée de Cluny – The National Museum of the Middle Ages

The Cluny Museum in Paris is one of the most underrated museums in the city. Also known as the Musée de Cluny – The National Museum of the Middle Ages, this museum has everything from Roman artifacts to Medieval tapestries. The collection is housed inside a 15th century mansion in the Latin Quarter and the building itself is as much of an attraction as the relic inside.

We visited with our three kids as part of a Context Travel Paris tour uncovering Roman history in Paris. Inside the Cluny Museum are the most magnificent Roman baths and frigidarium dating to the 2nd century. The collection also includes the famous tapestry “The Lady and the Unicorn”, Gothic Rooms, the Abbot’s Chapel, a treasury, and beautiful outdoor gardens to explore. I would highly recommend booking a family friendly tour at the Cluny as there is a ton to take in, but it is definitely worth a stop on a family visit to Paris.

• Cluny Museum Hours: The Cluny Museum is generally open from 9:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. daily, except that it is closed on Tuesdays, January 1, May 1 and December 25.
• Cluny Museum Admission: Admission costs €9 during temporary exhibitions €5 outside of temporary exhibitions.  Kids under 18 are free, and the Cluny Museum is also free on the first Sunday of each month.
• Closest Metros to the Cluny Museum:  Cluny-La Sorbonne, Saint-Michel or Odeon

Quai Branly Museum in Paris is a space dedicated to arts of non-Western civilizations. Designed by the famous French architect Jean Nouvel, it displays artifacts, costumes and precious handcraft objects of the main civilizations divided by continents. Quai Branly Museum also has a theater, a reading room, a cinema, two restaurants, and a bookstore. It also proposes interesting temporary exhibitions regularly. This museum is great for families because of the exciting design of the building and the surrounding spaces and also for its educational side. After crossing its famous vegetal wall facing the Seine River, the building is located in the heart of a wooded savanna. From there, visitors have a great perspective of Haussmannian apartments, and kids can explore the hidden treasures of the garden. The spaces inside are linked by a spectacular ramp, a kind of spine for the building,  which makes the arrival to the main exhibition space very exciting. The collections are very interactive and utilize different media, which is great for keeping the kids interested and entertained at the same time.

• Quai Branly Museum Hours: The Quai Branly Museum is generally open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m and generally closed on Mondays.
• Quai Branly Museum Admission: General admission costs €10 for adults.  Kids under 18 are free, and the Center is free on the first Sunday of each month.
• Closest Metro to the Quai Branly Museum:  Alma-Marceau

Recommended by Elisa from World in Paris.  Find out more from Elisa about hotels with a view of the Eiffel Tower.

Paris Atelier des Lumières is one of the most kid-friendly museums in Paris. It offers a very creative way to appreciate the art masterpieces from famous artists like Van Gogh, Monet and others.  The whole museum spreads over with over 30,000 square feet of gallery space equipped with modern multimedia tools to create the stunning effects on the way artworks appear to the stage. Once stepping into this museum, kids do not only feel movement of the painting but also indulge in the sounds of nature like they are witnessing the real landscape.

From one corner to another, all the changes are carefully designed to make sure even the less artistic-genre person still feel attracted. Atelier des Lumières is simply a perfect choice for an educational visit. Families will not feel regret with their dedicated exhibition!

I remember the huge impression that l’Espace Dalí made on me when I visited at the age of 15, but I was easy game.   I was already in love with Salvador Dalí’s quirky paintings and sculpture at that time. Some 25 years later, I brought my girls to the recently refurbished and renamed Dalí Paris, and sure enough, they loved it too, just as I had. The Dali Museum houses the biggest collection of his work in Paris, including some fabulous bronzes with my favorite Space Elephant and of course his melting clocks.

Dalí Paris is located on Montmartre, just a few steps from the main square with its open air displays of paintings.    We recommend visiting Sacré Coeur Basilica first, then wander the Montmartre streets and save Dalí for the climax.

Recommended by Ania from The Travelling Twins.

Paris is an art-lover’s dream with so many art museums.  These museums may not seem child-friendly, but kids are truly welcome and find delight in the beauty of some of the world’s most famous masterpieces that span from antiquities to impressionism to contemporary art.  As an added bonus, kids are free at almost all of these museums.  Find out more about visiting Paris with kids.