Can't ever go wrong with a free museum!…read more Cute little house with some interesting artwork. I wouldn't go out of my way to go there but if you're in the area, swing on by. They do have a paid area though, not sure what it was.

"There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved"... Il n'y a qu'un bonheur dans la vie,…read morec'est d'aimer et d'être aimé. - French Poet Paris, France: The above one of my all time favorites. In French, romance can have tragic endings too, as in film noir and the love for dueling over a pretty French lady lol. For me, I'm very passionate in life and love, but in all honesty probably would never duel over anyone, well unless said name ends with Jolie ;D Musée de la Vie Romantique ahh a museum that resonates of the era of Romanticism. A time of emphasis on emotion and individualism, idealization of nature, suspicion of science and industrialization, and glorification of the past with a strong preference for the medieval rather than the classical. Ahh... to live George Sand was the pen name of Amantine Lucile Dupin. She lived by her own words, having affairs with several of her literary contemporaries and the occasional commoner too. Nothing like French love affairs, eh? Today she a HO! Musée de la Vie Romantique has to be one of my favorite small museums in Paris. Don't expect the Louvre here, but expect a very intimate experience as you walk around in an old mansion built before the era of Romanticism. Each creak in the stairs a story that once was, each artifact in the case a story within a story. Sounds cliché but only if the walls could talk! If you have the Paris Museum Pass, which I highly recommend, entering this intimate museum is absolutely free! So get the pass and be Parisian in the City of Love! II n'y a qu'un bonheur dans la vie, c'est d'aimer et d'être aimé... ahh to love and be loved. In the end, I recommend Musée de la Vie Romantique in Paris. It's probably not for everyone, but you don't have to be a Romance Novelist or Casanova to enjoy the intimate history here. Oh! And do enjoy the Tea room in a timeless Victorian era Greenhouse! I enjoyed my tea with all the old French ladies there checking out moi lol! Musée de la Vie Romantique a treasure from a bygone era! Je t'aime! "I saw that you were perfect, and so I loved you. Then I saw that you were not perfect, and I loved you even more..." *Le sigh*

It's got some good exhibits that make you think and a lot of detail around the wax figures. I went…read moreon a rainy day and it was packed. The cost is $30 and I'm not sure this is worth it. Especially when you are in Paris and could go to a real museum or show.

Wow! This was more than I expected! And such a beautiful building. It is currently celebrating its…read more140th year! There were some actors posed to appear as wax figures and they were good!! Showing how very life like the work is. This is France so many of the figures are French but you recognize most. Very neat. Follow the crowd from room to room, era to era, genre to genre. I saw the kids enjoy it and insisting on getting their selfies done with a favorite athlete or other. Worth it to us. Especially on a rainy afternoon.

The Arab World Institute by architect Pierre Soria was built in Rue des Fossés Saint Bernard s/n,…read moreParis, France in 1981-1987. Absolutely stunning building. The exterior facade is made up of a series of square panels that are optical louvers. Each panel has one large optical louver surrounded by 16 medium louvers & 56 small louvers (give or take). These louvers are light sensitive and operate similar to the iris of an eye or a camera lens. Depending on the exterior light level they can close up if it's sunny outside or open if it's cloudy & overcast. The ensuing light patterns inside this building is stunning as every panel operates in synchronization to the exterior light. Very cool play of light on the inside of the building and definitely worth checking out when your in Paris

This museum made a big impact on me when I visited as a college student. I was eager to return…read more Unfortunately, the building was being repaired, but it was still incredible to look at, and the elevators were just as fun to ride as I remembered. The exhibits contained so many types of items (artifacts, modern art, ceramics, scientific tools, clothing, jewelry, religious objects) from thousands of years ago to the present day. There was a special exhibit on writing and calligraphy, one of my favorite media. I only wished I could read all the Arabic! The gift shop is mostly a bookstore, which was a refreshing change from the usual tchotchkes.

Also had a chance to visit the library here. All in French the collection is a handy tool used to…read moreteach dozens of students daily. Nice tables and chairs also make it a good place to read and find out more - open afternoons.

Extremely interesting. On the first floor there's a little…read moreexhibit on the history of the Palais de la Porte Dorée itself, which first hosted a colonial exhibition in 1931 and a series of colonially-minded collections before becoming the museum it is today. You can then find a section made of personal items donated by individuals to the museums: family photographs, objects of devotion, musical instruments, old postcards. I found it a very interesting insight on the 'plural voices of migration', as the museum puts it, and liked the fact that this section is varied chronologically and geographically. The centerpiece is the exhibit on migrations which develop thematically rather than chronologically/geographically. Some topics I remember: sport as a means of integration, music as a means of integration (with a nice jukebox of French songs written by / about migrants), lodging issues connected to immigration, food and immigration. It's a small museum and I personally spent about 2hrs inside. Tip: if you visit on Sundays (but apparently also on Thursdays) you can enjoy the local market (Marché de la Porte Dorée) and have a snack there. Just across the museum is the nice Bois de Vincennes. While I visited, the Palazzo Café just outside the museum (not the museum coffee shop, which is inside the Palais) offered snacks and drinks on a very nice patio. The only reason why I did not give a 5 stars rating: only some of the explanations are translated (into English, some are translated also into German and/or Spanish), therefore visitors who do not read French might only partially enjoy the exhibits.

Any place that dedicates fully four floors to photography gets high marks in my book. When you…read moreenter off the street you are greeted by cool stone garden only black and white stones (black and white...get it?). Each floor contains at least one, and sometimes two artists (there are basically two wings at each level. There is a small book store / gift shop on the second level. Accouterments include wood floors, white walls and spot halogens. On the downside and in terms of the gallery itself, there are parts of several galleries where they have images on both walls of a narrow hallway. I understand the need for quantity, but the viewing experience of having to wait, move around and sometimes in front of others is distracting. English translation of the posted information seems to be hit and miss - it was there for Alice Springs, but not for Claude Nori. I know; I'm in France. But I don't feel the need to defend this mild criticism. This format - having information, biographies, etc. - posted in both French and English is simply a more enlightened approach to their business (see also Jau de Paume). As for the exhibits currently in place, here's my take: Choi: Large, abstract and relying on darkroom and technique. I don't get it. Claude Nori: It seems like Claude traveled around Italy in the 1970s and 80s and took a lot of picture of his family and friends on vacation at the beach. That's cool, and he captured some moments for sure. But, overall I found the Nori exhibit little monotonous. Alice Springs (June Newton): Definitely the marquis exhibit. I wasn't sure what to expect and was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Alice Springs is known for her straight photography and straight-on it is. In one sense, it's easy to believe that a big part of her success is simply access to the (at least in their own minds) movers and shakers of the 1970s - 1990s. But access is not all there is to June Newton's success and in fact its not really the predominant factor. Access only gets you in the door, its what you do once you're there that counts. Many of the large black and white portraits are striking, if for nothing more than their subject. And, some of the impact comes from how quickly many of these individuals are forgotten - or perhaps never really known outside of June's circle (i.e. Edmund Teske, Erte, Lou Lou de la Falaise, Alice Springs, etc.) One of the things you get to see with a retrospective exhibit is the artists work as a whole and when you look at it like this you can draw some conclusions about their vision and talent. Newton took pictures of people who were at the top of their game either as professionals or professional social climbers. Some of the images are ironic (ironic funny, not iconic) - especially the socialites who came across as insecure and arrogant in exactly equal measures. On the other hand, the two Dennis Hopper (1981 and 1986) images (the camera loved Hopper), were classic in that they capture a guy who is both believably insecure and completely confident. Ok, I guess Hopper is a bit iconic. One of the strangest images was of Gordon Liddy and Timothy Leary together in 1990 - weird. The Hells Angels images were a little contrived, until I got to the one of the HA president and his family - think chopper, small boy, top bad-ass and his smiling wife with a single almost missing tooth that is the centerpiece of the image - classic. Frederico Fellini in 1986 - neither vain nor insecure - busy. Robert Maplethorpe 1977 - cool portrait of an artist just starting. The Scott brothers (Ridley and Tony) together in 1979. Sort of sad now. If you have a chance to visit this exhibit or any other, please go. It's worth it. Probably a 10 minute walk from Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Marais or Bastille.

As far as photography museums, this one really delivers!…read more Beware, however, as the exhibits change regularly- What I saw today is leaving! There are several floors in this old Hotel Paticulaire (Private Mansion) that has been converted to a museum. There are 4 levels. We started at the top and worked our way down. At the top, was Martin Parr-I will for the rest of my life seek this photographer and any exhibits or books pertaining to him out. On the second level, we found some great 70's-80's examples of paparazzi celebrity photography- including some of Mick Jaegar and ironically Princess Di. O course Jackie O and Kate Moss. On the same level was a grossly self indulgent 1970-80's exhibit of Luciano Castelli. Fun weird stuff. We breezed throughout he rest of the exhibits on the bombing of Lebanon and others, and seemed to get heavier as we went down. We ended up in the basement with the creeped out freakshow and private terrifying universe of Jean-Michel Fauquet. While the material was dark and disturbing, he clearly makes a lasting impression. However, we left the scary basement and opted for brunch nearby at le Chimiere. The museum seems to carefully curate and present this exhibits in a meaningful context. I am looking forward to coming back.