The 21st annual Nuit Européenne des Musées (European Museum Night) takes place on Saturday, May 17th, offering free evening access to museums across Paris and Europe. Some venues require reservations, while others offer open visits with potential long wait times. Here are Heather’s tips and recommendations for making the most of the evening.
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What to Expect at the 21st Annual Nuit des Musées
The annual Nuit Européenne des Musées (often just called Nuit des Musées) is sponsored by the French Ministry of Culture, UNESCO, and the Council of Europe, with the goal of making museums more accessible to those who might not typically visit, particularly families. While most of the evening’s events are tailored for this demographic, that doesn’t mean the rest of us will miss out.
More than simply a free evening, each participating museum usually holds various special events for the evening — such as concerts, activities for kids or adults, themed guided tours, or demonstrations — in addition to open access to the permanent and temporary museum collection. Therefore, it’s wise to check what’s available before making reservations or queuing for a long time. This year’s theme is La Classe, l’Œuvre, where students from primary through high school become cultural guides for the evening, presenting projects they’ve developed around a museum work they studied throughout the year. So expect to run into some rather young Parisian “guides” during your visits!
Don’t forget! You can visit these museums under calmer circumstances most days, albeit not for free. So weigh the benefits of waiting in line for two hours just to save €10. The extra activities, concerts, and late-night opening hours are what make the event worth the trouble, not just the fact that they’re free. If you manage to squash in three or five museums, the savings do add up, but recall this is just one evening, so even fitting in two visits will be a feat). If you’re there more to see the collections in peace than to enjoy the ambience, don’t trouble yourself.
Planning Ahead for the Best Experience
Similar to Heritage Days in September, some museums do not require reservations and are open to all, but this could mean long wait times for the more popular museums like the Musée d’Orsay or the Orangerie. Other museums might require you to book one of the free timeslots online, which can be its own headache since each museum has its own booking platform (and while some are already fully booked, others haven’t even opened reservations yet). With less than a month until the event, some museums are still adding to their list of events. It could be beneficial to check the website a few days before to catch any new additions.
Using the Website
The official website for Nuit Européenne des Musées, though intended to be user-friendly with its interactive map and filters, is rather slow and clunky, especially when using the English auto-translate function. Navigating the site in French is recommended, if possible, but even then you’ll need a lot of patience each time the page reloads.
Click on “Programme” to view the map of France. Zoom into the area you’re interested in, and the map will automatically show only the participating museums in that area. For example, focusing on the 6th arrondissement might display only 20 events, but zooming out to include all of Paris and its suburbs might show over 250 events.
You can filter the events by type of museum, whether they require a reservation, accessibility, and other options by clicking “Filtrer”. Once you’ve chosen your filters, click on the blue “Fermer” tab at the bottom right and the list of venues will show on the left in a list, and on the map. If a museum has five different events that night, it will show as five different events on the list. You usually click on the venue or the event that’s underlined, then are taken to the page that has information, and if a reservation is needed (“Sur Inscription”), a big blue “RESERVER” link going to the museum’s website (only once you’re there will you know if it’s already all booked). “Visite Libre” means you can visit any time without a reservation.
If you don’t want to deal with the official website, I made a shortlist of the ones I thought worth considering, split into museums that offer open visits and museums that require reservations. I left out any places that only had events and activities that require knowing French to focus on the Visite Libre venues. So if you can understand French, I recommend you take a closer look at the additional options on the official website.
Open Visits (No Reservation Needed)
Archives Nationales Hôtel de Soubise (60 rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 3rd) – Open 2pm-midnight. The National Archives Museum, created in 1867, is housed in the Hôtel de Soubise, a former aristocratic mansion that contains elaborate 18th-century Rococo apartments by architect Germain Boffrand, with paintings by the greatest French artists of the era of Louis XV – François Boucher, Carl van Loo, and Charles Natoire. The National Archives museum, dedicated to archival documents in all their forms, presents the facsimiles or originals on a rotating basis in temporary exhibits, such as “Jeanne d’Arc, le Premier Portrait” presenting the very first recorded drawing of Joan of Arc from May 10, 1429, or the exposition “Music and the Republic, from the Revolution to the Popular Front” with rare scores, forgotten instruments, political correspondence, and archival treasures trace 150 years of musical production, education, and activism tied to republican ideals. There are guided tours every hour of the newly restored rooms of the Chancellery of Orléans, reserve on-site 30 minutes in advance. Make sure to have a peek at the hidden gardens through the gate on your right before entering.
Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme (71 rue du Temple, 3rd) – Open 6-10pm. The Nuit des Musées is an opportunity to discover or rediscover the Museum of Jewish Art and History collection in another Marais historic mansion. In addition to the permanent collection, two temporary exhibits are open (but not free): “Alfred Dreyfus: Truth and justice” about the events leading up to the wrongful imprisonment that resulted in the French law separating Church and State; and the history of a pioneer in the emergence of Israeli contemporary dance, “Paula Padani, Migrant Dance: Hamburg, Tel Aviv, Paris”. Read about my last visit here.
Bibliothèque Polonaise de Paris – Musée Adam-Mickiewicz, Salon Chopin et Musée Boleslas-Biegas (6 quai d’Orléans, 4th) – The Polish Library of Paris, a major center of Polish emigration since the mid-19th century and the largest cultural institution representing Poland outside its borders, is located on the Île Saint-Louis in a magnificent 17th-century building housing valuable books, archives, and a significant art collection. The library holds many relics of Adam Mickiewicz, the great 19th-century romantic poet, although most of you might be more familiar with the illustrious Polish composer, Frédéric Chopin. For the Nuit des Musées, the exhibition “Polish Historical and Literary Society – The Essence” is open from 2-9pm; there will also be Polish dances and lessons from 3:30pm.
Musée Curie (1 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 5th) Open 5-11pm. The Curie Museum is located on the ground floor of the historic premises of the former Curie laboratory of the Radium Institute and laboratory where Marie Curie worked to discover radium. Did you know Marie Curie won the Nobel prize for Chemistry AND Physics? Today it’s an important center for cancer research.
Maison d’Auguste Comte (10 rue Monsieur-le-Prince, 6th) – Open 6-10pm. The last home of the French philosopher Auguste Comte (1798-1857), located at 10 rue Monsieur le Prince in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, where he lived from 1841 until his death in 1857. This is a bit of an obscure museum, owned by an international association dedicated to Auguste Comte, but the apartment offers visitors a glimpse into the philosopher’s living quarters as they were in his lifetime—a time capsule complete with original furnishings and personal belongings.
Monnaie de Paris (11 quai de Conti, 6th) – Open 7pm-midnight. The former Paris mint overlooking the Seine still makes collectible coins and medals. The museum highlights the metalsmiths’ savoir-faire with demonstrations throughout the evening. You’ll discover the history of money and minting techniques, and if you’re there between 8-9pm, you may catch a musical performance by the young conservatory students.
Musée d’Histoire de la Médecine (12 rue de L’école de Médecine, 6th) – Open 6-11pm. Housed in a lovely 19th-century setting within the Descartes Medical School near Odéon, the Museum of Medical History is both creepy and fascinating, worth a visit (before you eat if you’re sqeamish).
Musée de la Légion d’Honneur et des Ordres de Chevalerie (2 rue de la Légion d’honneur, 7th) – Open 8pm-midnight. The Museum of the Legion of Honor and Orders of Chivalry right next to the Orsay Museum is one of the few museums in the world specializing in the field of French and foreign decorations. You’ll see more medals and other honorary decorations you ever thought possible. The setting itself is worth the visit. If the shape of the building seen from the Seine looks familiar to American visitors, it’s because it was modelled after Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello (the statue of the former Ambassador to France is right across the street).
Les Egouts de Paris (Esplanade Habib-Bourguiba 7th) – Open from 5:45-11pm. Completely renovated and reopened in 2021, the Paris Sewers Museum includes an interesting educational center before visitors access the actual tunnels. Recommended especially if you’re interested in the noteworthy urban engineering feats of 19th-century Paris. Does it smell? Well, you are walking along the sewer, so yes. But it’s well-ventilated, so you won’t be overwhelmed (but maybe breathe through your mouth if necessary).
Europa Experience (28 place de la Madeleine, 8th) – Open 6-10pm. I still haven’t had a chance to visit this new museum-cum-information center on the Place de la Madeleine, but they describe it as a multimedia journey with immersive installations and a 360-degree cinema, explaining how the European Union functions and how European citizens can shape its future…maybe more important than ever in the current political climate! Content is available in the 24 official languages of the Union (Ireland’s still a member, so that includes English).
Musée de la Franc-Maçonnerie (16 rue Cadet, 9th) – Open 7pm-11:30pm. Created in 1889 (although today the building is modern, almost futuristic), the Museum of Freemasonry’s primary goal is to answer questions about this “secret” society through a presentation of the history of Freemasonry and the contribution of the lodges in various fields: philosophical and political – from the spread of the Enlightenment in the 18th century to the republican construction in the 1880s – but also religious, literary, and artistic. The museum also aims to explain the origin and nature of symbols and rites used in Masonic Temples, and what initiation into Freemasonry consists of (interesting aside: this “lodge” has both men and women as members).
Musée de la Libération de Paris – Musée du Général Leclerc – Musée Jean Moulin (4 avenue du colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy 14th) – The permanent collection of the WWII Liberation of Paris Museum across the street from the Catacombes is always free, so the only difference tonight is that it’s open until 8pm, two hours later than usual. The temporary exhibition and underground command post bunker are not open for the event. Read about my previous visit here.
Musée Bourdelle (18 rue Antoine Bourdelle, 15th) – Open 6:30-10pm, including the café until 9pm. Another one of my favorite small museums for its garden setting and gorgeous sculptures. Tonight the dance company Sous la peau presents a new interpretation of Écorchés vifs, Claude Brumachon’s 2003 choreography inspired by Bourdelle’s sculpture studios and museum spaces. The one-hour free performance begins at 7:30pm. Considering the size, it may get a bit crowded for the Nuit des Musées.
Musée National Jean-Jacques Henner (43 avenue de Villiers, 17th) – Open 6-10pm. Located near the Park Monceau, the mansion that now houses the museum dedicated to the painter Jean-Jacques Henner (1829-1905) was originally the home and studio of Guillaume Dubufe (1853-1909). The building is remarkable for its decorations and architectural elements from various eras and civilizations. The museum’s collections trace the artist’s journey from his native Alsace to Paris, where he made his career, including his time at the Villa Medici after winning the Grand Prix de Rome in painting, presenting the trajectory of an artist considered one of the most important of his time at the beginning of the 20th century. The permanent collection is open for free visits, but you need to reserve time slots to visit the temporary exhibition.
Musée des Années Trente (28 avenue André-Morizet, Boulogne-Billancourt) – Open 6–11:30pm. This is in the western suburbs, just a few minutes’ walk from metro line 9 station Marcel Sembat. Spanning four floors, this museum showcases the vibrant creativity of the 1930s through paintings, sculptures, furniture, decorative arts, and architectural models. Highlights include Parisian life scenes, colonial art, and materials linked to artists like Paul Landowski, Zadkine, Max Jacob, and the architect Le Corbusier. I just wrote up an article about my recent visit here. While you’re there, don’t miss visiting the Art Deco Hôtel de Ville next door (26 avenue André-Morizet).
Reservations Required (Timed Entrance Ticket)
Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (62 rue des Archives, 3rd) – Open 7 pm – midnight. The Hunting and Nature Museum is one of my favorite Paris museums, a very whimsical collection in a historic Marais mansion (it’s more about the animals than the hunters, FYI). On the occasion of the Nuit des Musées, the museum presents an immersive outdoor installation in their courtyard, Serpens by Sheila Concari. Inspired by the symbolism of the serpent, this multisensory work blends light, sound, and scent to create “a dreamlike landscape exploring transformation and metamorphosis.” Reserve a free spot on their website.
Ecole des Mines de Paris (60 boulevard Saint-Michel, 6th) Open 6pm-11:45pm. On the 2nd floor of this historic civil engineering school next to Luxembourg Gardens is the totally underrated “Museum of Mineralogy”, presenting 5,000 minerals (including pieces of the moon and Mars) in gorgeous wooden cases. I visited during the 2022 Nuit des Musées and was fascinated how beautiful each “rock” could be, almost too colorful and weird to be natural! Free, but reserve your timeslot here.
Cinémathèque Française – Musée du Cinéma (51 rue de Bercy, 12th) – Open 6pm-midnight. Housed in the striking Franck Gehry building overlooking Bercy Park, there are still spots open to visit the permanent collection of the whimsical Méliès Museum of Cinema History (reserve your time slot here). The wildly popular Wes Anderson retrospective has already filled up, but you may prefer to come on a quieter morning to visit it without the crowds, even if you have to pay.
Palais de la Porte Dorée (293 Avenue Daumesnil, 12th) – Open 7:30-11:30pm. In connection with the Banlieues chéries exhibition, the Palais de la Porte Dorée pays tribute to the festive and inventive spirit of the Parisian suburbs from the 19th century to today, with DJs Maître Madj — a pioneer of France’s first independent hip hop label — along with Titus and Ritta, members of the Paris-based Good Dirty Sound collective known for their underground parties across Greater Paris. Their sets will blend afro, amapiano (South African house), hip hop, rap, soul, 1970s and 1980s funk and disco. Reserve your free spot here.
Musée de l’Institut du Monde Arabe – IMA (1 Rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, 5th) – Open 7pm-11:55pm. The exhibition Treasures Saved from Gaza presents 130 exceptional pieces from a larger collection of 529 archaeological works preserved by the Geneva Museum of Art and History (MAH) since 2007, reflecting the rich, uninterrupted history of the Palestinian enclave from the Bronze Age to today. Free entry, reserve your spot here.
La Maison Élysée (88 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 8th) – Open 7:30pm-midnight. The boutique-tearoom-exposition space across from the Elysée Palace will be offering visitors a unique opportunity to explore the artisanal workshops of the French Garde Républicaine. Throughout the evening, artisans will demonstrate traditional crafts such as helmet-making, sword polishing, saddlery, and shako-making, accompanied by live musical interludes from the Garde Républicaine Orchestra. Reservations for time slots open on May 2nd at 10am Paris time (and will surely fill up fast), reserve here.
Open Visits at the Most Popular Venues (Expect Very Long Lines)
Musée National de l’Orangerie (Jardin des Tuileries, 1st) – Open 6:30-11pm. Enjoy a free visit of the permanent collections, Claude Monet’s Water Lilies, and the exhibition “Out of focus, another vision of art from 1945 to the present day.”
Musée National Picasso-Paris (5 rue de Thorigny, 3rd) – Open 6pm-1am (last entry 11:30pm). Open this evening for the new presentation of the museum’s collections and the exhibition “Degenerate Art. The Trial of Modern Art under Nazism”
Grande Galerie d’Evolution (Jardin des Plantes, 36 rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 5th) – Open 7pm-midnight. The Grand Evolution Gallery is a legendary Parisian museum of natural history renovated in 1994. It’s immensely popular with families, so they will be lined up early. Open visits of the permanent exhibition are available from 7pm, last entry at 11 pm.
Musée de Cluny – Musée National de Moyen Age (28 rue Du Sommerard, 5th) 6pm-midnight, last entry 11pm. The permanent collection of the Latin Quarter’s Cluny Medieval Museum, also home to the Roman hot baths ruins, always attracts big crowds, so expect to wait in long lines to see the famous Unicorn Tapestries. The café closes at 11:30pm.
Musée du Luxembourg (19 rue de Vaugirard, 6th) – Open 7:30pm-midnight (last entry at 11:30pm). This evening is dedicated to the current exhibition Tous Léger! Highlights include a live dance and performance piece by the Théâtre du Corps Pietragalla–Derouault dedicated to poet René Char, a friend of Fernand Léger, and student-led presentations from Université Paris-Dauphine showcasing their favorite artworks.
Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac (37 quai Branly, 7th) – Open 6pm-midnight. You can visit the temporary and permanent collections of this modern museum dedicated to the indigenous art and cultures of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. A great chance to see the exposition “Threaded in Gold: The Art of Dressing from the Orient to the Land of the Rising Sun”.
Musée d’Orsay (1 rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 7th) – Open 6-11pm (last entry 10pm). One of the most popular museums in Paris is always going to be crowded. If you manage to get in tonight, you’ll have access to most of the permanent collections (certain rooms may be closed). Does not include access to the current temporary exhibitions.
Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris (10 avenue Pierre Ier de Serbie, 16th) Open 6:30pm-11pm. The Palais Galliera offers free evening access to La Mode en mouvement #3, the final chapter of its fashion collection exhibition tracing the evolution of style from the 18th century to today. This edition highlights over 180 new works, with a special focus on winter sports and the relationship between fashion, the body, and movement.
Musée Marmottan Monet (2 rue Louis-Boilly, 16th) – Open 6:30pm-9pm. For just a few short hours you can enjoy free access to the Marmottan’s exceptional collections, housed in a preserved Empire-style mansion. You’ll find a nice little collection of masterpieces by Monet, Morisot, and other Impressionists alongside works by Delacroix, Gauguin, Rodin, and Chagall.