The best underrated museums in Paris

It makes sense that the vast majority of visitors to Paris flood to the same museums; after all, the Louvre is the largest museum in the world. The big hitters are popular for a reason, but they do steal the limelight somewhat, when in any other city these smaller, quirkier places might get much more recognition. 

Paris’s lesser-known museums conjure up images of obsessed collectors, spanning every possible niche interest. If you’ve already been to Paris, you’re short on time, or you’d rather not line up with thousands of other tourists, these are the Parisian museums people don’t shout about – but they should.

Advertisement

1. Musée Bourdelle

Best for sculpture

Antoine Bourdelle isn’t exactly a household name, but those who’ve spent time in Toulouse or Montauban may have walked past some of his sculptures without realizing it. Born in the mid-19th century, Bourdelle created immense sculptures for some of the most famous buildings in France, including the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. The Musée Bourdelle contains sculptures in plaster, clay and sandstone, and a beautiful courtyard garden, filled with gigantesque bronze sculptures. It’s laid out like a working studio, giving the impression that rather than having been dead for almost a century, Bourdelle has just popped out for coffee.

Planning tip: Download the museum’s app that has five different bilingual tours (French/English) and quizzes.
Make it happen: Open Tue–Sun from 10am–6pm, closed Mon. Entry is free, reservations are not generally required. 
Link your trip: Combine it with a visit to the Musée de la Poste, on the history of France’s postal service, which is just around the corner.

2. Hôtel de la Marine

Best for opulent interiors

Not to be confused with Musée Nationale de la Marine, Paris’s maritime museum, Hôtel de la Marine on place de la Concorde is Louis XV’s former stockroom, used to store excess furniture. It was occupied by the Ministry of the Navy from the French Revolution right up until 2015, hence the name. Very much like a Versailles in miniature, Louis XV’s old storage unit has only been open to the public since 2021.

Advertisement

Planning tip: Don’t miss the loggia, a balcony with immense columns that looks right over place de la Concorde.
Make it happen: Open daily from 10:30am–7pm, and until 9pm Fri. Entry is free the first Sun of the month from Nov–Mar. Buy tickets online. 
Link your trip: Stop by the decadent Bar des Ambassadeurs in Hôtel de Crillon just next door. Cocktails cost an arm and a leg, but you’re paying to enjoy them under painted ceilings and gold gilded walls worthy of royalty.

3. Musée Gustave Moreau

Best for taking a step back in time

This hôtel particulier (mansion) was where the 19th century painter, engraver and sculptor Gustave Moreau spent the final years of his life. He left all his belongings to the French State upon his death in 1898, and the museum has remained frozen in time ever since. The indisputable highlight is the wooden, spiral staircase, so beautifully curled that it looks like a pencil shaving.

Planning tip: If art makes you feel zen, Musée Gustave Moreau often hosts yoga classes in the exhibition rooms, check the online schedule for details.
Make it happen: Open from 10am–6pm Wed–Mon, closed Tue. Entrance tickets are valid for 7 days should you wish to return. Free entry the first Sun of each month.
Link your trip: Catch a show in Pigalle afterwards, with its numerous cabaret clubs.

4. Le M. Musée du Vin

Best for oenophiles

One of the newer kids on Paris’s museum block, Le M. Musée du Vin opened in 2023. While its life as a museum and bar-restaurant is recent, the vaulted cellars – formerly part of a 13th-century limestone quarry, before being used by monks of Passy Convent in the 15th century – are anything but. They’ve been used for storing wine ever since, and until the 1950s, acted as the wine cellar of the Eiffel Tower’s restaurant.

The exhibition retraces the history of France’s winegrowing industry, and for an extra €4 you’ll get a glass of wine with your entry ticket (guided tastings also available for an additional fee). Alternatively, book a table in the bar-restaurant; tasting menus are available with or without wine pairings.

Planning tip: Visit on Friday evenings for live jazz, with or without a guided wine tasting or dinner.
Make it happen: Open from 10am–6pm Tue–Sat, closed on Sun and Mon. Late-night opening for the Friday jazz club (until 2am), booking strongly recommended. 
Link your trip: Arrive via metro line 6, crossing Pont de Bir-Hakeim, for one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower from the subway.

5. Musée du Fromage 

Best for foodies

Not merely a museum, the Musée du Fromage is also a working dairy, showcasing the udder-to-plate process cheeses go through. There’s plenty on the history of cheese and France’s various AOPs (appellation d’origine protegée), and a mouthwatering on-site cheese shop. All visits include a tasting, otherwise it would be too torturous. 

Planning tip: You can get a dual museum pass which covers both Le M. Musée du Vin and the Musée du Fromage.
Make it happen: Open 10am–7.30pm Mon–Sat, closed Sun. Advance booking recommended (particularly for visits in English).
Link your trip: Spend time pottering around Île St-Louis after, one of the prettiest parts of the city. Coffee shop Noir just along the road does an excellent brew, but it doesn’t come cheap in this part of town.

6. Musée des Égouts 

Best for toilet humor

Exploring Paris’s sewers sounds like something from the 2007-movie Ratatouille, but at the Musée des Égouts they’re really quite sanitary. It’s a delightfully dark look at the history of the sewers, the people who worked there, and the diseases which plagued Paris when its sanitary system was considerably more basic than it is today. 

Themed guided tours (in French) are available on Sunday mornings, exploring the weird and wonderful things that have been found in Paris’s sewers, and, above all, the exotic wildlife…

Planning tip: Wear sturdy, closed shoes, it’s not uncommon for the ground to be wet and slippery. The average temperature is just 13°C (55°F), so pack a jumper.
Make it happen: Open Tue–Sun from 10am–5pm (last entry at 4pm). Closed Mon. Lates on the first Thursday of the month, until 9pm (last entry 8pm). Buy queue-jump tickets online. Visits last roughly an hour.
Link your trip: Got a thing for toilets? Stay on theme and visit Paris’s prettiest public toilet, Lavatory Madeleine, just 2km away.