25 Top Attractions in Paris for Families

Our first family trip to Paris absolutely exceeded our expectations.  It had been 21 years since my last visit, and my husband, who had traveled there more recently for work, was not overly enthusiastic this stop on our family vacation.  But, we all loved the City of Lights.  In our combined five days and five nights spread over two weekends, we did a great deal of walking and saw a lot of amazing monuments, museums and churches.  But, we also had the chance to really explore a few neighborhoods, retrace our steps and enjoy meals at some of the many cafes in the city.   Here are 25 top attractions in Paris for families – make sure to note how many are free!

Champs-Élysées With Kids

#1:  Arc de Triomphe

Napoleon commissioned the iconic Arc de Triomphe after winning the 1805 battle of Austerlitz.  The 165 foot Arc was inspired by Rome’s Arch of Titus and completed in 1836, 15 years after Napoleon’s death.  It is the world’s largest triumphal arch.  The Arc de Triomphe is located on the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle, the junction of 12 streets.

• Arc de Triomphe Facts:  La Marseillaise, the relief on the right pillar depicts Lady Liberty rallying tired soldiers onward.
• Arc de Triomphe Cost:  Free to view.  Admission to climb 284 stairs to the rooftop is €12 for adults but is free for kids aged 0-17.
• Closest Metro Station to Arc de Triomphe:  Charles de Gaulle-Etoile

 

#2:  Champs-Élysées

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the world’s most famous boulevards.  This magnificent, tree-lined street runs the 1.2 miles between the Place Charles de Gaulle (the Arc de Triomphe’s location) and Place de la Concorde.   The portion close to the Arc de Triomphe is lined with cafes and high-end shops.  We strayed from the Champs-Élysées only to check out the Grand Palace and the Petit Palace.  The Champs-Élysées is the center of Bastille Day and World Cup celebrations (both of which occurred while we were in Italy) and the finale of the Tour de France, which took place one week after our return home.

• Champs-Élysées Facts:  The Champs-Élysées is the site of the world’s most profitable McDonald’s, which happened to be the only McDonald’s we visited during our European holiday.  Orders are placed on touch screens, and our ice cream was more expensive than any of our daily gelato stops.
• Champs-Élysées Cost:  Free
• Closest Metro Stations to Champs-Élysées:  Charles de Gaulle-Etoile (Arc de Triomphe), George V, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Concorde (Place de la Concorde)

 

#3:  Grand Palace

The Grand Palace is an exhibition hall that was constructed in the Beaux-Arts style for the 1900 World’s Fair and located just off the Champs-Élysées.

• Grand Palace Facts:  The Grand Palace will be used for the fencing and Taekwondo events in the 2024 Olympics.
• Grand PalaceCost: Admission prices vary with each exhibit
• Grand Palace Tip:  Closed on Tuesdays
• Closest Metro Stops to Grand Palace:  Champs-Élysées Clemenceau or Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

#4:  Petit Palace 

The Petit Palace was built for the 1900 World’s Fair and houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux-Arts), which features an extensive collection from Greek antiquities to Art Nouveau, including works of Rembrant, Courbet and Monet.  The featured Temporary Exhibit is currently Impressionists in London, which we would have loved to see, but were unfortunately visiting on a Monday when the Museum is closed.  Instead, the gorgeous entry way and stairs served as a perfect spot to rest before continuing up the Champs-Élysées.

• Petit Palace Facts:  Architect Charles Girault won a 1894 contest with a late 17th/early 18th century French architectural design.
• Petit Palace Cost:  Permanent collection is free, fees are charged for special exhibits.
• Petit Palace Tip:  The City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts is closed on Monday.
• Closest Metro Stops to Petit Palace:  Champs-Élysées Clemenceau and Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

#5:  Place de la Concorde

Place de la Concorde is Paris’ largest public square and is located at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.  The 75-foot Luxor Obelisk, which was once at the entrance of Luxor Temple, stands at the center of the square.  This 3,300 year old granite column is decorated with exquisite hieroglyphics.  It’s original gold cap was believed to have been stolen in the 6th century B.C., and the current gold-leafed pyramid cap was added in 1998.

• Place de la Concorde Facts: Place de la Concorde was the site of over 1,200 executions during the French Revolution, including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
• Place de la ConcordeCost:  Free
• Closest Metro Station to Place de la Concorde:  Concorde
• Time Spent at Place de la Concorde:  About 15-20 minutes

 

Left Bank With Kids

#6:  Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower (aka the Iron Lady) is the quintessential landmark.  It was #1 on my middle son’s bucket list eversince he saw the half scale model in Las Vegas at age four.  This wrought iron lattice tower was designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 World’s Fair to recognize the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.  When constructed, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to become the tallest structure in the world until the completion of the Chrysler Building in 1930.

The Eiffel Tower is the most visited monument (with an admission fee) in the world with almost 7.0 million visitors each year.  There are three observation decks.   Visitors who wish to visit the summit should book tickets immediately after flights or as soon as they are available online (about three months in advance).  We were only able to book tickets to the second floor in advance because the summit was fully booked each day we were in Paris.  We took the elevator to the second floor and chose to take the stairs from the second to first floor.  My husband and sons took the stairs from the first floor to ground floor and actually beat my daughter and I taking the elevator.  The light show, which begins after sunset, is a particular treat.  For more information, make sure to read our entire review of our visit to the Eiffel Tower with kids.

• Eiffel Tower Facts:  The Eiffel Tower was intended to be dismantled after 20 years but maintained after a wireless telegraph transmitter was installed
• Eiffel Tower Cost:  Elevator tickets to the second floor cost €16 for adults, €8 for youths aged 12-24, €4 for children aged 4-11 and free for kids under 4.  Elevator tickets to the summit cost €25 for adults, €12.5 for youths aged 12-24, €6.3 for children 4-11 and free for kids under 4.

#7:  Luxembourg Gardens

The Luxembourg Gardens are 60-acres of lush gardens, fountains and statues, ponds with toy sailboats for rent and the Luxembourg Palace.  This is a haven for children, who particularly enjoy pushing toy sailboats available to rent in 30 minute intervals around the Grand Bassin duck pond.

Photo credit: Marissa Mayer

• Luxembourg Gardens Facts:  Marie de Medici built Luxembourg Palace in the early 17th century after the death of her husband, Henry IV.  It was designed as a recreation of her childhood home, Pitti Palace in Florence.
• Luxembourg Gardens Cost:  Free to enter.

 

#8:  Musée d’Orsay

The Musée d’Orsay houses an impressive Impressionist collection of French art featuring Manet, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh Degas, Cezanne and many more. 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, particularly the works of Van Gogh and Monet.  So, the Musée d’Orsay, which includes 24 Van Gogh paintings, was a particular treat. Our favorite was Starry Night Over the Rhone.

• Musée d’Orsay Facts:  Because the platforms were too short for modern trains, Gare d’Orsay was closed in 1939.  It may not have been able to accommodate trains but now houses the largest collection of Impressionist paintings in the world.
• Musée d’Orsay Cost:  €12 for adults or €16 if purchasing a combined admission to Musée d’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie; kids 0-17 and EU citizens 0-26 are free.
• Closest Metro Station to Musée d’Orsay:  Solferino
• Musée d’Orsay Tip:  To avoid ticket lines, purchase tickets online for same day or advance tickets with €1.50 surcharge.  Visits to Musée d’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie do not have to occur on the same day.
• Time Spent at Musée d’Orsay:  About three hours

 

#9:  Place du Trocadéro

The Place du Trocadéro is located across the Seine River from the Eiffel Tower and offers a picturesque view of the iconic Tower, along with beautiful fountains.

• Place du Trocadéro Facts:  The Place du Trocadéro is named after the 1823 Battle of Trocadéro in which France defeated Spain.
• Closest Metro Station to Place du Trocadéro:  Trocadéro
• Place du Trocadéro Cost:  Free

 

Right Bank With Kids

#10:  Louvre Museum

The Louvre is the world’s largest and most visited art museum with 400,000 art works and a permanent collection of about 35,000 on display.  It is housed in the Louvre Palace, which was once the world’s largest palace, and includes DaVinci’s Mona Lisa, Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Venus de Milo and so many more of the world’s masterpieces.  This vast museum was not nearly as crowded as the Vatican, except for the room displaying the Mona Lisa, which is a nonstop paparazzi scene.  Read our entire review of visiting the Louvre with kids.

• Louvre Museum Facts:  The Louvre contains more than 380,000 objects.
• Louvre Museum Cost: €17 for adults, free for kids 0-17
• Louvre Museum Tips:  We purchased online tickets directly through the Louvre’s website for 9:30 am on our first full day in Paris.  There really weren’t significant lines for either people with reserved tickets or people purchasing tickets, but we were ushered to the front of both lines because we had a stroller.  There are a lot of stairs in the Louvre, but this museum goes above and beyond to accommodate strollers.  There is a special circular elevator in the pyramid so that strollers do no need to use the escalator, and stroller users have elevator access throughout the Louvre.
• Closest Metro Stations to Louvre Museum:  Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre and Louvre-Rivoli
• Time Spent at Louvre Museum:  About 3 hours

 

#11:  Louvre Palace and Pyramid

A visit to the Louvre Palace and Pyramid should be on every family’s Paris itinerary.  The Louvre Palace is a former royal palace that dates back to the 13th century but has been expanded and renovated over the past 800 years.  The iconic glass and metal pyramid that serves as the museum’s main entrance was designed by the Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei and completed in 1989.  There are platforms in the courtyard perfect for staging those forced perspective photos that kids particularly love.

• Louvre Palace and Pyramid Facts:  The pyramid and underground lobby were created so that the Louvre could better accommodate its daily visitors.  The pyramid was designed for 4.5 million annual visitors, and the underground lobby had to be redesigned between 2014 and 2017 when the number of annual visitors rose from 4.5 million to over 8 million.
• Closest Metro Stations to Louvre Palace and Pyramid:  Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre and Louvre-Rivoli
• Louvre Palace and Pyramid Cost:  Free

 

#12:  Montorgueil

Montorgueil is a quaint pedestrian only neighborhood lined with cafes along its cobblestone streets.  This is a great place to have an evening drink or watch a World Cup match (which we did!).

• Montorgueil Facts:  Montorgueil means “Mount Pride”.
• Closest Metro Stations to Montorgueil:  Les Halles, Centre Georges Pompidou, Hôtel de Ville
• Montorgueil Cost:  Free

 

#13:  Musée de l’Orangerie

The Musée de l’Orangerie features impressionist and post-impressionist paintings, including the Museum’s main attraction, two oval rooms custom designed to each display four massive  Nymphéas (Water Lilies) wall murals completed by Claude Monet in his final years.  My ten year old deemed these two rooms the “best rooms of art” he’s ever seen, and he’s visited many art museums.

• Musée de l’Orangerie Facts:  The Museum completed a six-year, $36 million renovation in 2006 to move the second floor collection underground so that a skylight could be added to the oval rooms featuring Monet’s Water Lilies.
• Musée de l’Orangerie Cost:  €12 for adults or €16 if purchasing a combined admission to Musée d’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie; kids 0-17 are free
• Musée de l’Orangerie Tip:  Closed on Tuesdays.
• Closest Metro Station to Musée de l’Orangerie: Concorde
• Time Spent at Musée de l’Orangerie :  About 1.5 hours

 

#14:  Opera Garnier

The Opera Garnier is Paris’ grand theater, which was completed in 1875.  It seats over 1,900 and boasts one of the world’s largest stages.  The Opera Garnier was completed in 1875 and is the home of the Paris Opera.

• Opera Garnier Facts:  Opera Garnier was the setting for The Phantom of the Opera.
• Opera Garnier Cost:  Admission for tours is €7-€12 for adults and free for kids 0-11.

 

#15:  Tuileries Garden

The Tuileries Garden is the royal garden of the Louvre Palace, which is located between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde.  The portion next to the Louvre includes a ferris wheel and green space, but much of the rest of the length has  more pebbles than grass.

• Tuileries Garden Facts:  The Tuileries Gardens were designed for Henry II’s wife, Catherine de Medici, in the 1500s as a replica of her family’s Boboli Gardens in Florence.
• Closest Metro Stations to Tuileries Garden:  Tuileries and Concorde
• Tuileries Garden Cost:  Free to enter.  Rides are available for a fee.

 

Montmartre With Kids

#16:  Montmartre

The Montmartre neighborhood is located on Paris’ highest hill and the former home of some of the world’s most famous artists.  This is still an artists’ haven with many galleries and working artists ready to paint portraits or caricatures.

• Montmartre Facts:  Famous Montmartre residents include Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Maurice Utrillo, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Salvador Dalí and Amedeo Modigliani.
• Closest Metro Stations to Montmartre:   Pigalle and Abbesses
• Montmartre Cost:  Free

 

#17:  Sacre-Coeur Basilica

Sacre-Coeur Basilica, a white Romano-Byzantine cathedral, is located at Paris’ highest point.  The Basilica was completed in 1914 . The mosaic above the altar depicts a 60-foot-tall Christ exposing his sacred heart.  The view from the Sacre-Couer steps is absolutely phenomenal both during the day and at night.  The central mosaic is one of the largest in the world.  It’s definitely worth the two long flights of stairs to reach.  We attended a memorable Sunday Mass here.

• Sacre-Coeur Basilica Facts:  Architect Paul Abadie was the winner of a design competition for the Basilica.
• Sacre-Coeur Basilica Cost:  Free
• Closest Metro Station to Sacre-Coeur Basilica:  Anvers
• Time Spent at Sacre-Coeur Basilica:  About 1.5 hours – We arrived 15 minutes before Mass, stayed for the duration of Mass and then about explored the Basilica and gift shop for about 15 minutes.

 

#18:  Wall of Love

The Wall of Love is a love-themed mural that includes the phrase, “I love you” featured 311 times in 250 languages.  The mural was created in 2000 by Fédéric Baron and Claire Kito.

• Wall of Love Facts:  While most walls divide people, the purpose of this wall is a place of reconciliation and support.
• Wall of Love Cost:  Free
• Wall of Love Closest Metro Station:  Abbesses
• Time Spent at Wall of Love:  Less than five minutes

 

Ile de la Cite With Kids

#19:  Notre-Dame Cathedral

The Notre-Dame Cathedral is medieval French Gothic cathedral that was one of the first to use flying buttress supports.  Notre-Dame was completed in 1345 and is known for its Rose Window with original medieval glass, gargoyles, two 226-foot towers and of course, the Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Our kids were particularly amused by the statue of St. Denis holding his own head near the left portal.  We attended Sunday evening Mass, and the archbishop presided.

• Notre-Dame Facts:  Point Zero Paris is a geographic marker located right outside of Notre Dame.  The distance from Paris to all other places is measured from this Point.
• Notre-Dame Cost:  Free
• Closest Metro Stations to Notre-Dame:  Cite, Hotel de Ville and St. Michel
• Time Spent at Notre-Dame:  About 1.5 hours – We arrived 15 minutes before Mass, attended Mass and then walked around the exterior exploring the carvings, gargoyles and flying buttresses.

 

#20:  Square du Vert-Galant

The Square du Vert-Galant is a triangular park at the tip of Il de la Cite.  The apex of the Square is shaded by an enormous weeping willow.  We spotted this tree during our Seine River cruise and visited it afterwards and met the picnickers who appeared in my husband’s cruise photos.  This is an amazing spot to watch the sunset.

• Square du Vert-Galant Facts:  This small public park was named to honor Henry IV, who had been nicknamed the “Green Gallant.”
• Square du Vert-Galant Cost:  Free (BYOB)
• Closest Metro Station to Square du Vert-Galant:  Pont Neuf
• Time Spent at Picnic at Square du Vert-Galant:  About 30 minutes

 

#21:  Sainte-Chapelle

Sainte-Chapelle, a 13th century Gothic chapel, is known for the stunning stained-glass windows in its sanctuary.  It is considered as the world’s largest expanse of stained glass.

• Sainte-Chapelle Facts:  Sainte-Chapelle was completed in just six years and means “Holy Chapel.”
• Sainte-Chapelle Cost:  €10 for adults, free for kids 0-17
• Closest Metro Station to Sainte-Chapelle:  Cite
• Time Spent at Sainte-Chapelle:  About an hour, including security, purchasing tickets and browsing at the gift shop

 

#22:  Soap Bubbles

After visiting Sainte-Chapelle, we had a little time before our 9 pm appointment tickets to the Eiffel Tower.  We walked through Place Louis-Lepine and found a street performer creating soap bubbles with accompanying music.  Our kids were absolutely enthralled with the enormous bubbles and joined the pack of kids chasing the bubbles around the square.   There were no long faces or tired faces in the group, and there was a constant clinking of change in the performer’s basket.

• Soap Bubbles Facts:  The changing colors that appear on the surface of soap bubbles appear because of the interference of light reflecting off the surfaces of the soap film.
• Soap Bubbles Cost:  Free, but tips appreciated

 

Family Trip to Paris – Generally

#23:  Cafes

Cafes are synonymous with Paris.  Chairs on the patio tables generally face outward so diners can take in the hustle and bustle around them.  Many offer fixed price, three course lunch meals, which we particularly enjoyed.

• Cafes Facts:  There are 37 bridges in the city of Paris.
• Cafes Cost:  Varies

 

#24:  Seine River Cruise

There are several options for families to take an iconic cruise along the Seine River.  Vedettes du Pont Neuf, Bateaux-Mouches and Bateaux Parisiens all offer similar one-hour boat cruises.  We chose a Vedettes du Pont Neuf cruise because the dock was within walking distance of our Airbnb and had a lovely time listening to the narration and checking out the view of Paris from the River.

• Seine River Cruise Facts:  There are 37 bridges in the city of Paris.
• Seine River Cruise Cost:  €10+ for adults, €5+ for kids aged 4-12, free for kids under 4
• Seine River Cruise Tip:  We purchased our tickets on Vedettes du Pont Neuf’s website for the 8:45 cruise as we were leaving our Airbnb and saved €12 over the ticket office price for our four tickets.  We made good time to the dock and ended up using our 8:45 for the 8:15 cruise with no issue.  Cruises leave promptly, so make sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before the departure.
• Time Spent at Seine River Cruise:  About 1.25 hours

 

#25:  Street Art

Paris is a major art capital, but art is not only displayed in its fine museums.  We found so many street art gems while wandering around the city.  This Guate Mao creation down the street from our VRBO in Montorgueil was definitely our favorite.

• Street Art Facts:  Parisian street artist Gaute Mao secretly paints portraits around Europe.
• Street Art Cost:  Free

Best Family Attractions in Paris

The Eiffel Tower may have been Paris’ biggest draw for my kids, but we were all wowed by its art, cathedrals and landmarks.  Planning a family trip to Paris?  Make sure to check out our Planning, Logistics and Itinerary blog post as well as our other blog posts about Paris!