As you depart Fondation Louis Vuitton following your visit you may find yourself asking whether you…read morecame to see the exhibit or the Frank Gehry masterpiece in which it's housed. Instead, consider it a 2-fer: you got to experience both the art and the building for a single price of admission. Both are exceptional. I understand that museum exhibits change but it's difficult to imagine a better use for the massive space than the Calder restrospective I enjoyed. It's so comprehensive that I'm certain I'll never see a Calder show that compares. I can't even imagine another museum that has the space to house such a collection. And then there's the building itself. Should you ever finish viewing the Calder exhibit, make your way to the rooftop. You were surely awed by the sight of Gehry's masterpiece from the outside but only from inside can you get to the terrace with its peek-a-boo, un-photographable Eiffel Tower view. Clearly, Gehry could have given us a dead-on site from which to take a selfie with that landmark in the background and equally clear was that he chose not to. The terrace itself is rife with views, just not that one. Don't miss it. Fondation Louis Vuitton had crowds without being crowded (except in the initial exhibit rooms) making it the perfect antithesis of a Louvre or d'Orsay experience. Other stuff: * Al fresco terrace cafe (with blankets provided; it was chilly in May) and a light-filled, artsy ground floor restaurant; * Best to purchase advance, timed tickets, easily done 1-day ahead. * When booking your ticket you can also reserve (for a couple additional euros) a shuttle to and from the site. The walk there takes about 15 minutes, is well-marked, and flat. I'd paid for the shuttle but didn't use it in either direction.

Went to visit the Calder retrospective. It's always a nice place to escape to from the hoards of…read moretourist in Paris, but then you get the hoards of tourist at the park. The Calder show was nice, but some pieces were hard to appreciate due to the way they were being displayed. Really enjoyed Calder's painting.

We arrived at Musée d'Orsay without a pre bought ticket…read more The line wasn't that long so we decided to stay. We were inching along, and then suddenly the line moved really fast, they were letting people enter faster. We spent over 10 minutes and we were in. This museum is smaller than the Louvre, and has many floors and seems harder to navigate, so I just let my son take the lead and I followed. We took our time admiring the paintings: Monet, Lautrec, Van Gogh, Degas....some people are going with the flow, but some took too much time posing with the paintings, maybe thinking it's their personal studio .... We really like this museum. The time we went, there is a special exhibit dedicated to Renoir.

Stunning. One of the most beautiful museums I've been to in the world. It is an absolutely must see…read moreif you're in Paris. The space itself pulls you in, and it's easy to spend hours here without realizing it. I got lost in the beauty of the paintings here many times. Although the Louvre Museum is #1 and the most iconic, Musée d'Orsay is absolutely worth seeing and holds its own. It's in my opinion the #2 must see museum in Paris. Le Restaurant du Musée d'Orsay inside is also worth a stop on it's own, beautiful setting with high quality desserts and coffee.

Orangerie Museum, Paris, France -- April 12…read more Our family of four with kids ages 9 and 10 visited after a morning at the Louvre, looking for a more relaxed museum experience. It ended up being one of the most enjoyable stops of the trip. Arrival and First Impressions The museum is smaller and much calmer than the Louvre, which made it an easy transition after a busy morning. The space is bright with beautiful natural light and a peaceful atmosphere. We arrived without reservations, and it took about 45 minutes to enter the museum. The Highlights Monet's water lilies are the centerpiece and absolutely worth the visit. The scale, color, and immersive layout of the rooms make it a unique experience. We also enjoyed seeing works by artists like Matisse and Renoir. The park outside was a great bonus and gave the kids space to run around afterward. The Challenges We waited about 45 minutes to get in without reservations, which could have been avoided with advance tickets. Final Thoughts This museum was my personal favorite and a place we would absolutely visit again. It is a great option for families or anyone looking for a more manageable and peaceful museum experience. It is definitely worth it, especially if you plan ahead

I'm honestly surprised I did not go to this museum when visiting Paris in the past, as it has a…read morebeautiful installation of Claude Monet's Water Lillies. Book tickets directly from the museum website, otherwise you may pay more. Times entries are available. Get there early to avoid the crowds as the galleries are small. The two oval rooms of Monet paintings are the highlight here. Designed by the painter himself, they are meant to be observed in silence, but that is not what we experienced while there. Eat before you visit. The cafe food and drink was unfortunately some of the worst I've experienced in a museum.This museum is in the Tuileries Garden with a large wall around the area. Nice views of the Eiffel Tour and seating overlooking the river is available nearby.

Certainly one of the more amazing sites in Paris. A great example of the new modern Paris. I love…read morethe idea behind this arch, unfortunately it's not being applied at all around the world today.

Grande Arche de la Défense is a beautiful, modern monument in La Défense, Paris…read more Although it isn't the most well-known or widely recognised monument in Paris, it is kind of an unsung hero of the city which is truly one of my favourite cities in the world, it's a modern arch which consists of government offices, in a really nice square which separates Westfield and CNIT, right by the metro station which is underneath. At 360 ft tall, it is a little taller than the Tour Eiffel and also forms part of the Axe Historique. It's magnificent structure really adds grace and elegance into the La Defense area and makes the view from the Starbucks nearby a little better, especially in the outdoor patio area. It does have multiple steps which lead up the monument which is popular for people to sit and relax, while it might not have the international fame or wow-factor as the Arc de Triomph (of which it is 4km away from) or the Tour Eiffel, it's a pretty nice and underrated monument in a great city.

If you like smaller museums, this is a very neat place to check out at least once when visiting…read moreParis. The main floor and second story have beautiful old interiors. The lower level has a more modern look and features a large collection of Monet works, mostly later ones. It is a beautiful place. They also have a temporary exhibition area with rotating exhibits, although I happened to come between exhibits based on when my trip was. They were setting one up while I was in town. The museum isn't huge, so I suggest timed tickets to make entry easy. The residential and tree-filled neighborhood where this museum is located is also quite pretty. It may be nice to walk around and look at the architecture before or after.

This was a great afternoon and a special treat was the theme exposition on Sleep and hypnosis and…read moreart about it over Centuries. Put Centuries in a few rooms and you get a real overview on how we look at sleep and how we need it. The Monet Exhibit and mantle clocks are not to be missed. We always need a Monet gift from the store, make it 4.

A dream come true to finally visit the Louvre. If you want to make sure to get in, you have to…read morepurchase your tickets online, and preferably at 9am when they first open. We arrived an hour early and was second in line so we got to be one of the first to see the Mona Lisa right as they opened and were able to get as close as the public can get. The museum is closed to the public every Tuesday. We walked through the day before and it seemed that groups in conferences is what goes on during those Tuesdays that they're closed. I booked our tickets 2 months in advance, and was able to get the opening day slot for two. And just 20 minutes after opening, the room 711 in the Denon Wing where the Mona Lisa is, got packed. You can spend the whole day here and still not have seen everything. There are multiple floors filled with art work, and luckily there are elevators. There's also a small cafe, and restaurant on the first level, and then another cafe at the second. At the exit it almost turns into a mall of shops and eateries. So it might take you another hour past when you thought you'd be exiting. You definitely want good walking shoes, cuz you'll loose track of how far you walked, even after 3 hours.

Ok. I am going to be a little negative here. I know The Louvre is the most popular museum in the…read moreworld. So why am I giving a 3? I visited it last week and purchased my advance reservation ticket weeks before for last Thursday at 9 am. Taking the Metro there was easy and I arrived in the center by the glass pyramid at about 8:40 am. By then there were several hundred people already standing in the 9 am line. By 9 am there were several hundred more people behind me. I estimated about 1500 people were in my 9 am line. As we started to move towards security there were people already in the 9:30 am line and even some in the 10 am line. The crowds here are for real. It was almost 9:30 am by the time I got past security and inside ready to start, First problem. There are just too many people admitted every day. I found it distracting to look and admire all of the works of art in there. It's like going to a college football game. The Louvre reminded me of the second most popular museum which is The Vatican Museums in Rome. I've been there too. Second problem. Even some if the docents agreed with me that their map is confusing, I know that because I got lost a few times and asked them for directions, One of them told me that it's better to ask a docent for directions than try to figure where you are using the map! By the way you get your map in your language right after you pass security. This place is big. It's very easy to miss things you might want to see if you aren't careful. Now, I have a tip for improvement. When I visited The Vatican Museums a couple of years ago, I took a guided tour which made the visit pleasurable and less stressful, I failed to do that here. My mistake. If I had I might have a better perspective of this place. The guides don't get lost and also point out things that I might have missed. This is a great museum with high quality art and history inside. It's silly that hundreds of people will jostle to get Mona Lisa's picture but you will too like I did. Ditto on the Venus de Milo and Winged Victory. Don't forget afterward to visit the exterior of the Louvre including the nearby Gardens.

Features contemporary art and permanent collection is free to the public. There are also paid…read moreexhibits but you'll just appreciate what they have downstairs. Their outside space has skateboarders and overlooks the Seine. Nice bookstore too.

"It was okay" is how I would reply, if asked about my visit (09/27/2023) to the Musee d' Art…read moreModerne while in Paris for the 1st time. I have to say, having a lukewarm experience was disappointing & so unexpected. I must have hyped up the Musee d' Art Moderne in my head before visiting because I was so sure that because it was a PARIS museum that it was going to "wow" me from beginning to end because surely, all Paris museums were supposed to have that wow factor. On a positive note, at least I can now share a few helpful tidbits w/ others so hopefully, you'll have a wow experience! :) Helpful tidbits: - - - research exhibits beforehand: During my visit the majority of the exhibits on display didn't "wow" me so I would recommend doing a little research beforehand to see if the exhibits being shown when you go are something that would peak your interest (I didn't do this & wish I would have) - - - budget friendly thing to do! It is free to visit this Paris museum so a great location to use the restroom and/or take a break from all your Paris sightseeing - - - security screening & free coat/bag check Hope, this info helps! Rebecca visiting from Austin, Texas (United States)

Yes. Come do the touristy things like shopping, eating, and sightseeing. But also consider this…read moreplace with a spin to the sightseeing portion with a historical twist. The admissions price you pay is worth it. You just don't see this type of local flair anywhere else. Soak in the history about Paris and also its darker side. Your perspective about things will change, for most people anyway. The takeaway the hubs took from this experience is that nothing really matters at the end. It's a real eye opening experience TBH. As you wander the dark corridors, you will see piles of real human bones piled in neat stacks. It was saddening to realize that these were once human beings. Now they are part of a collection of unknown souls. It was just a down to earth experience. The audio tour will allow you to wander at your pleasure so there's no real rush or live tour. Book early because spots are limited!

This is a quick hour self guided audio tour. Well done. Would warn anyone with walking or climbing…read moreissues. Steep spiral steps going in and more importantly coming out.

Located on Montaigne Avenue, the Dior Gallery is a stunning walk through experience through…read moreChristian Dior's journey and designs across the years. Tucked amongst the buildings on the street, it's almost hard to believe how large the gallery is on the inside as there is so much to see from dresses to accessories to magazines and more. Upon entering, the exhibition starts at the top floor, where you make your way through the building and steadily downwards on a journey through time. This is a fun experience for those who love fashion, history, and art, but there is truly much to appreciate for someone coming in with no prior knowledge or expectation. This gallery is extensive and they change out the pieces periodically, so there's a lot of re-visit value. The gallery goes beyond fashion and has moments discussing Christian Dior's personal life, the building itself, and how the Dior name continues to thrive in modern-day couture. At the end of the gallery they have their own Dior Le Café, which carries both drinks and food, and a mini gift shop section. I found it a great spot to relax and rechage. *Lucky Sando en trio: This trio of sandwhiches was delicious and larger than expected for a tea-time-style snack. The egg-mayonnaise was moist and flavorful, tasting as expected. I enjoyed the smoked salmon and cucumber one which provided a refreshing and cooler-tasting sandwich. The chicken with spices was the most unique one of the three. It had tumeric and other spices that made it stand out. It held the most umami. *Caesar salad with Chicken: This dish was crafted together at table-side which was both unexpected and lovely to experience! I appreciated the different toppings to what I thought was going to be a generic salad, and the overall outcome was very vibrant. The chicken itself is a fully seasoned and cooked fillet, making this dish very filling. *Chocolate Chaud: This is my favorite drink in France, and ordering it here was no different. Deeply rich and made with heavy cream and dark chocolate, chocolate chaud tastes like drinking liquid chocolate straight from a pot. Generally, you can purchase tickets online for a specific date and time with full price being 16 EUR, though there are discounted options available. You can also try your hand for a walk-in visit, though the line can get rather long. I was fortunate enough to enter for free and without a wait, which I am extremely grateful to the team for!

Okay, so the museum is amazing. The rainbow stair case of Dior is amazing to behold and the…read morefashions throughout are just incredible and it's better than most Met fashion exhibits I've been to (the McQueen & China exhibits being the notable exceptions.) But I'm here for the food. The chocolate and blackberry mousse tartlet was hands down the best pastry I had in Paris. The offerings are beautiful but pricey. However, totally worth it and wish I'd ordered more.