Ah, Paris – probably one of my favorite cities in the world. Beautifully uneven and dusty streets paved with cobblestones, music drifting down from buskers with their accordions at strategic tourist-heavy locations, a natural symphony of melodious conversations in French from passersby as you make your way towards the next metro station. Having spent about five months in Paris for my student exchange, I’m probably also slightly biased towards the city, in no small part due to the sheer number of cultural activities one can be immersed in.

While the Louvre is a world-famous symbol of Paris and perhaps the most famous museum in the world, you shouldn’t miss out on the other museums that the city has to offer either!

Note: if you’re between 18 to 25 and are a long-term resident or citizen of an EU member state, you can get free admission to most of the museums in Paris by bringing your passport with you (yaaaaaaaasssss, who doesn’t love free things?). Otherwise, admission is free on the first Sunday of the month, for anyone under 18, or if you’ve purchased a Paris Museum pass.

Here are five other museums that you should check out:

1. Musée d’Orsay

Built as a railway station for the 1900 Universal Exhibition, the Beaux-Arts architecture of this museum alone is one of the many reasons to visit it. I love buildings with lots of natural light, and walking into this museum fills one with a sense of wonder and anticipation. The Musée d’Orsay houses a large and diverse collection, with beautiful paintings by Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, and of course, Vincent van Gogh, among countless others. There are also sculptures, photographs, and decorative arts, but the highlights for me were the paintings. I spent a few hours there, but this could easily take a whole afternoon.

Opening Hours: 9.30am to 6pm, till 9.45pm on Thursdays, closed on Mondays
Address: 1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur
Nearest Stations: Gare Musée d’Orsay (RER C)
Admission: €12 (full rate), €9 (concession)
Website: http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html

2. Musée National d’Art Moderne (Centre Georges-Pompidou)

This is a revolutionary and iconic building well-known for how strange and industrial its exterior looks. At first glance, with all the steel pipes and brightly colored tubes, it may even seem like construction hasn’t finished. In fact, every part of its structure has been carefully planned out – the different colors of the tubes actually indicate their different uses, while the ‘inside-out’ façade frees up more space on the inside. The style aptly reflects the modern art collections within the museum.

Inside, the museum is organized in such a way that it takes you on an epic journey starting from the very foundations of modern art, to art in the 21st century, covering various mediums and artists. As a complete noob at modern art, although I often felt confused, I emerged from my visit feeling that it was very educational, and I had a really great time learning about the movements of modern art.

Opening Hours: 11am to 9pm, closed on Tuesdays
Address: Place Georges-Pompidou
Nearest Stations: Châtelet-les Halles (RER A/B/D), Rambuteau (metro line 11), Hôtel de Ville (metro lines 1 and 11), Châtelet (metro lines 1, 4, 7, 11 and 14)
Admission: €14 (full rate), €11 (concession)
Website: https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en

3. Musée Rodin

This museum is dedicated to the French sculptor Auguste Rodin, the man behind the famous The Thinker statue. The Thinker, representing Dante, the author of the Divine Comedy, can be found in the small gardens before entering the indoor area. Although this museum is much smaller than the previous two above, I personally enjoyed spending a few quiet moments admiring how un-statue-like the sculptures were up close, and at the café in the garden.

Opening Hours: 10am to 5.45pm, closed on Mondays
Address: 77 Rue de Varenne
Nearest Stations: Invalides (RER C, metro line 8), Varenne (metro line 13)
Admission: €10 (full rate), €7 (concession)
Website: http://www.musee-rodin.fr/en

4. Musée de l’Orangerie

If you’re a fan of impressionist paintings, the Musée de l’Orangerie cannot be missed. Within this museum, there are two large oval-shaped rooms joined together in the symbol of infinity. Visitors can sit in the center of each room and take in a 360-degree view of Claude Monet’s Water Lilies series. It’s a peaceful, unique, and truly beautiful experience that can’t be found elsewhere.

The museum also shows a short documentary on Monet’s life and how the Water Lilies came to be at the museum. I recall feeling a tinge of sadness when I learned that Monet, wanting his work to be perfect, kept the paintings till his death, and thus never got to see his work as we do now, in their full glory. Furthermore, for years after the Water Lilies had been installed, they went unappreciated by the public as more modern art styles had just become popular. What a pity.

There is a combined ticket option that grants one access to the permanent exhibitions of both the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée de l’Orangerie for €16, so do check that out when purchasing tickets if you’re interested.

Opening Hours: 9am to 6pm, closed on Tuesdays
Address: Jardin Tuileries, Place de la Concorde
Nearest Stations: Concorde (metro lines 1, 8 and 12)
Admission: €9 (full rate), €6,50 (concession)
Website: http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en

5. Musée de l’Homme

The Museum of Man is an anthropological museum that focuses on how humans and our societies have evolved through the ages. It aims to answer three main questions – who we are, where we came from, and where we are headed, and in doing so, hopes that visitors will leave with a better understanding and appreciation for our shared history and our role in the world. As an idealist, the mission of the museum really appealed to me, and in these tumultuous times, perhaps visiting this museum would inspire more hope and faith in humanity.

Unfortunately, a very important note is that almost everything in this museum is in French – great if you want to practice your French, not so great if you don’t understand it. While there are still some fun exhibits like the ‘tongue’ one above (pull on the tongues to hear an excerpt of the various languages from all over the world – even ones like Latin) and one where you can see how you’d look like if you were a Neanderthal, this is more of an option to consider if you’ve already been to the larger attractions in Paris and have some time to spare.

If you do decide to visit, though, there is a nice little museum café on the top floor, where you’ll be rewarded with a nice view of the Eiffel Tower. I enjoyed the super touristy view with my equally touristy chocolate croissant and espresso, without the crowds of tourists.

Opening Hours: 10am to 6pm, closed on Tuesdays
Address: 17 Place du Trocadéro
Nearest Stations: Trocadéro (metro lines 6 and 9)
Admission: €10 (full rate), €7 (concession)
Website: http://www.museedelhomme.fr/en

Have you been to any of these museums? Leave a comment below.
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