Carnavalet Museum

Located in the historic Marais district, the Carnavalet Museum is dedicated to the history of Paris, from its origins to the present day.

Inaugurated in 1880, the current museum occupies two 16th and 17th century palaces, theHôtel Carnavalet and theHôtel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau. In this extraordinary architectural setting, you will discover the museum’s rich collections: Gallo-Roman and medieval archaeological finds, souvenirs of the French Revolution, as well as paintings, sculptures, furniture and works of art.

The collections are presented in rooms that recreate the atmosphere of private residences from the 15th to the 19th century. One of the highlights of the tour is a visit to the completely restored Orangerie. Major exhibitions are regularly organised there.

Things to do at the Carnavalet Museum

The Carnavalet Museum offers fascinating temporary exhibitions featuring unique works of art and a permanent collection tracing the history of the city.

The museum is housed in two 17th-century buildings, the Hôtel Carnavalet and the Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau, which were converted into a museum in 1880. The permanent collection of the Carnavalet Museum includes works of art, objects and documents that tell the history of Paris, from prehistory to the present day. Visitors can discover fascinating artefacts, such as objects from the French Revolution and relics of famous people like Marcel Proust.

After an immense 4-year renovation, the new Carnavalet Museum reopened in 2021 to tell the story of Paris in 3900 square metres.

The museum was enlarged, taking advantage of areas of the building that had remained hidden for decades, such as the basement of the Hôtel Carnavalet: this allowed many more objects to be exhibited, reaching the impressive number of 3800 works.

Designed as a journey into the past and present of Paris, the Carnavalet Museum is organised in chronological order, from prehistory to the present day, through the exhibition of sculptures, paintings, wall hangings, art objects, furniture, photographs, prints, posters, drawings, medals, coins, models and archaeological collections. A historical and documentation-based journey.

Don’t miss Marcel Proust’s bedroom, the Portrait of Madame de Sévigné by Claude Lefèbvre, the Fouquet jewellery store designed and built in 1901 by Alfonse Mucha, the decorated rooms. Your visit will continue in the basement, to discover collections ranging from the Mesolithic period (9600-6000 B.C.) to the Renaissance, through the Middle Ages to the 20th and 21st centuries.

Hotel Carnavalet

Magnificent Renaissance-style palace dating back to 1548 and containing truly interesting pieces. Inside you will find:

• portraits of Molière and Jean de la Fontaine.
• the gallery of Madame de Sevigné, the famous writer who lived in this mansion.
• a rich collection of shops and street signs dating from between the 16th and 20th centuries.
• the reception room of the Hotel d’Uzès.
• the room of Louis XV.
• the ballroom of the Hotel de Wendel.

Hotel Le Peletier

A covered gallery connects to the Hotel de Peletier, which dates back to the 17th century and houses interesting archaeological collections dating back to the Gallo-Roman period. Here you can see:

• Paintings, objects and documents from the French Revolution.
• Fouquet’s art nouveau jewellery.
• Marcel Proust’s cork-clad bedroom.

In addition to its permanent collection, the museum also offers temporary exhibitions featuring unique works of art. These are often related to the history of Paris and offer visitors a fascinating insight into the city and its inhabitants.

The Carnavalet Museum in Paris is a must-see for lovers of history and art. With its fascinating collection, visitors can relive the streets of Paris through the exhibits and explore the city’s history.

Tickets and opening hours

The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., ticket offices close at 5.15 p.m., rooms close at 5.45 p.m. Annual closures: the museum is closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.

The Musée Historique de Paris Carnavalet is free of charge, as are all the Paris Musées belonging to the municipality of Paris, while temporary exhibitions are chargeable.

How to get to the Carnavalet Museum

The Carnavalet Museum is located in the heart of Paris, more precisely in the Marais district, in the 3rd arrondissement, and is easily reached using public transport such as the metro, line 1, stop Saint-Paul, line 5, stop Bréguet Sabin, line 7, stop Pont-Marie and line 8, stop Chemin Vert.

Alternatively, you can take a bus, line 96 stop Place des Vosges, line 91 stop Saint-Gilles Chemin Vert, line 29 stop Place des Vosges, line 69 stop Saint-Paul or line 76 stop Saint-Paul.