THE 10 BEST Paris History Museums
History Museums in Paris
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Types of Attractions
Museums
Awards
Travellers' Choice Awards winners (including the "Best of the Best" title) are among the top 10% of listings on Tripadvisor, according to the reviews and opinions of travellers across the globe.
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Speciality Museums • History Museums
Montmartre
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Open now
Recommended Museum Tickets and Passes (94)
Revenue impacts these recommendations, learn more.
Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Ile de la Cité
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Historic Sites • History Museums
Le Marais
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Military Museums • History Museums
Montparnasse
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Art Museums • History Museums
Le Marais
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Speciality Museums • History Museums
Quartier Latin
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Military Museums • Speciality Museums
Tour Eiffel / Invalides
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Historic Sites • History Museums
Trocadero
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Military Museums • Speciality Museums
Tour Eiffel / Invalides
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Military Museums • Science Museums
Val-de-Grâce
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Military Museums • History Museums
Tour Eiffel / Invalides
History Museums
Open now
Points of Interest & Landmarks • History Museums
Odéon / Saint-Michel
History Museums
Open now
Art Museums • History Museums
Military Museums • Speciality Museums
Open now
History Museums
Opéra / Bourse
Libraries • History Museums
Speciality Museums • Natural History Museums
History Museums
Historic Sites • Historic Walking Areas
Le Marais
What travellers are saying
- reviewer 27Kent, UK96 contributionsHeartbreaking and unbelievable this happened however a museum such as this confronts us with the reality it did. This is an immense collection of visual and spoken evidence. It is well laid out and each tribute and collection is well put together.Written 30 January 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Carol SToano, VA61 contributionsPlanned to visit this museum when we did our self-guided tour of Montmarte. We were pleasantly surprised to see how comprehensive the collection was. It was wonderful to walk in the studios used by such great artists. Loved reading about the history of the area and seeing old photographs. Views were beautiful. The ticket price was pretty high for such a small museum.Written 4 October 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Mairwen1United Kingdom12,133 contributionsThe Conciergerie is most famous as the prison where Marie Antoinette awaited execution in 1793. She wasn’t alone. During the French Revolution more than 2,500 prisoners were imprisoned, tried and sentenced here. However the executions (and the sentence was mostly execution) were not held here.
Prisoners were sent on, usually to the Place de la Concorde, where the guillotine drew a large crowd and fell with alarming regularity. It’s thought that up to 40,000 people died during this period at the end of the guillotine blade. The best thing that can be said about it was that it was fast.
However I was surprised to learn that the Conciergerie was originally a royal palace. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been - it looks like one with its rounded towers and turrets.
Along with the Palais de Justice and Sainte Chapelle, the Conciergerie formed the ancient Palais de la Cité, the residence of French kings from the 10th-14th centuries.
It is located on the western end of the small, boat-shaped island, Île De La Cité.
It can be visited on its own or with a combo Sainte Chapelle ticket.Written 17 January 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Grant SAlnwick, UK183 contributionsHave been to Paris many times and always try to visit different attractions. Really enjoyed learning more about Victor Hugo and his amazing canon of work and its wider impact. It's a very moving and quite personal museum and even if you don't know his work it is engaging. Lovely and stylish cafe too.Written 5 February 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Andrew H1 contributionAn amazing glimpse into the struggles of the French people during WW2, with some poignant exhibits of the bravery of the people.
The staff are amazing and made us feel so welcome. Our Granddaughter Evelyn loved meeting you all.Written 5 December 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Dan MaarekTel Aviv, Israel16,512 contributionsSome might call it a hidden gem, and they might not be wrong.
It is on your way to la Place des Vosges when you're walking the so beautiful narrow streets of Le Marais,
You'll need around 1 hour to make the mst of it.
The building architecture as well as its interior are beautiful and well worth your time.
A good choice for a rainy dayWritten 28 October 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - ANGELO VMilan, Italy4,957 contributionsMy first visit to this museum was a disappointment because I could not visit the permanent exhibition, so I tried again during my latest trip - this time I managed to see the entire museum, and it is a very good one.
The museum covers the history and culture of Jews in Europe and North Africa from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, with collection of religious objects, archives, manuscripts, and works of art. The museum is very well organized, although the visit route is a bit of a labyrinth.
I especially appreciated the paintings by Marc Chagall - there are several of them.
At the time of my visit (November 2024) there was a temporary exhibition on "The Dybbuk. Phantom of the lost world" that was exceptionally well organized.Written 15 November 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - TrainbleuBrussels, Belgium39,799 contributionsHaving visited the Police Museum in Stockholm (listed under ‘Polismuseet’) just recently, we were curious to see what Paris had to offer. The museum is located on the third floor of the police station of the 5th and 6th arrondissements at rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève in the Latin Quarter. For obvious reasons, there is a security check at the entrance, and visitors aren’t allowed to roam the premises freely. A very friendly person came to fetch us downstairs and accompanied us in the lift to the museum, where we were met by friendly female staff. There is a multilingual audio guide you can download on your phone, but as we read French, we didn’t use it. In respect of the limited space available, the scope of the museum is very large and goes way back in history. We happily spent two and a half hours looking at interesting and sometimes gruesome historic and contemporary exhibits and reading all kinds of documents. The museum is free of charge and is open from 9:30 am to 5 pm on weekdays. On the third Saturday of the month, it is open from 10:30 am to 5 pm. Closed on SundayWritten 25 January 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Chip SNJ4 contributionsThis is a very quick and easy pop in museum which provides a feast for the eyes. Free, easy, gorgeous grounds. The Napoleonic treasures (paintings, uniforms, medals, etc) are fascinating and layout is very compact. So much reward for so little effort or time required. Great bag check w nice restrooms. Riggt in the shadow of the Orsay.Written 28 March 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Scott BParis, France43 contributionsWe were looking for a museum to visit on Monday and by chance found this museum. It is located across from the Montparnasse Railroad Station in the 14th arrondissement on the longest street in Paris.
We had visited there quite a few years ago for a street art expo. The space has been renovated and has 4 floors covering the history of communication from Morse code, telephone exchanges, semaphores and provides quite a bit of interesting historical information.
I enjoyed the description and short video clip of a mail-sorter working on a train especially since my grandfather rode the train from Tama, Iowa to Omaha, Nebraska and back every day for years.
Lots of information about the artwork on stamps, the history of letters and how the current mail sorting and delivery system works. An exhibit shows letters that were returned to sender including a letter addressed to Henry IV in Paris which was retuned with the note "He died in 1610"n along with several that were delivered late due to being on an airplane that crashed.
It is not expensive as museums in Paris go. The only downside for english speakers is that essentially all of the descriptions are only in French. However, there is a guide pamphlet in English. We spend an hour and one half and could have spent at least an hour more.Written 26 August 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - JRMPenetanguishene, Canada115 contributionsThe "Maison Balzac" should be of interest to any student or fan of 19th century French literature. The enigmatic writer penned much of his Comedie Humaine at this location in the now fashionable Passy quartier of western Paris. The narrow hallways and compact rooms make for a tight squeeze; but the dwelling is both manageable and charming. The tour is also pleasantly underwhelming: the exhibits and displays are easily digestible, allowing the visitor to enjoy a complete visit in less than 45 minutes. The highlight for most is Balzac's writing table and chair, basic and functional, but evocative nonetheless. Very easy to combine a visit here with one to the nearby Musee Marmatton Monet. To top it all off, the Maison Balzac is free!! Not a can't miss to be sure but an interesting, informative and rewarding diversion off the beaten track.Written 30 August 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- LocutusZurich, Switzerland392 contributionsThis was a very surprising find when we were at Invalides. It’s on the 4th floor of a wing (same wing where the temporary SAS exhibition is). The detail and size of the models are amazing. They must have been extremely valuable in terms of military strategy in the past.
There is also a section of the museum which shows how the maps were made and restored etc.Written 23 December 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Sandy DZeeland, MI354 contributionsBeautiful building and interesting museum even though we're not medical professionals or military veterans. The entire Val du Grace area is fenced in. To visit the museum, you must ring the bell, located on the gate, and ask to be admitted to the museum. At the "guard house", you exchange a photo id for a visitor's lanyard. Upon entering the museum itself, there is a 5 euro charge and a coat check. We spent a little more than an hour in this interesting building. The architecture, chapel, and exhibits were very interesting, and sometimes a little grizzly due to their nature. We were very pleased that we visited. The chapel was constructed in the 16th century and the flooring, staircase, etc were a sight to see.Written 25 November 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- AlexanderDJackson, NJ5,745 contributionsThis is a small museum located within the Invalides. It is separate admission but is covered by the Paris Museum Pass if you have it (I did). The collection was interesting and informative and worth a few minutes especially if you have the museum pass.Written 24 August 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
