Check Out The 10 Best Small Museums in Paris

Let's face it: visiting museums is a massive chore! I'm a bona fide museum-hopper myself, but I've grown tired of devoting entire days to just one museum when I travel. Can't there be a smaller gallery that I can complete in about half a day and then move on to the next one before nightfall? Fortunately, Paris has several of them. The city may be known for its grand museums, but there are also smaller options that you can check out and finish before lunchtime! My favorites include Musée Rodin and Musée Jacquemart-André, but there are more you should check out, just the same.

Musée de l'Orangerie

Despite being one of the most famous art museums in Paris, Musée de l'Orangerie is surprisingly small. Perhaps that's part of why it's so popular in the first place. At least, that's why I love it. I can pop in and out of this world-famous gallery within a day, and it'll still be a worthwhile museum visit. It does get crowded, though, especially the iconic oval room where Claude Monet's 'Water Lilies' mural is displayed. So if you want to check it out, you'll want to go there really early!

Where: Jardin des Tuileries, 75001 Paris, France

Musée de Cluny

Revel in the medieval history and artistry in Musée de Cluny, located on Rue du Sommerard in the 5th arrondissement. Despite how grand this castle-turned-gallery looks from the outside, it's actually one of the smaller museums in Paris. I'm pretty sure practically a majority of the castle is closed off to the public, and the art is displayed in only a handful of rooms. Be that as it may, though, the said art is nothing short of extraordinary. These are priceless pieces of Medieval art, all inexplicably preserved for centuries!

Where: 28 Rue du Sommerard, 75005 Paris, France

Musée Rodin

Now, for my personal favorite—Musée Rodin! Whenever I want to immerse myself in the high art and romance of Paris, I always go to this gallery on Rue de Varenne. It's not just that the museum houses a treasure trove of Auguste Rodin's best and most intricate works, but the place itself is nothing short of breathtaking, too. The 18th-century manor and its lush garden make up one of the most romantic spots in all of Paris. You should especially see it in spring!

Where: 77 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris, France

Petit Palais

True to its name, Petit Palais is also one of Paris's smallest museums. It may not look it with its grand Renaissance building in the 8th arrondissement, but rest assured that it's a place you can easily explore in less than a day. At least, if you only focus on the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris. This fabulous collection of fine art isn’t vast, so much so that I've spent many mornings browsing through its displays and finished by lunchtime.

Where: Avenue Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris, France

Musée de Montmartre

You'd think a museum dedicated to one of the most famous neighborhoods in Paris would be big and grand, right? Well, Musée de Montmartre on Rue Cortot undoubtedly... isn't! It even looks more like a countryside villa than a typical museum in Paris, which I've always found pretty novel. While the city's other galleries are housed in palaces and fortresses, Musée de Montmartre offers a pleasant provincial charm at the heart of the busy district. I've gone to Musée de Montmartre for its intimate setting alone!

Where: 12 Rue Cortot, 75018 Paris, France

Musée Gustave Moreau

Not only is Musée Gustave Moreau one of the smallest museums in Paris, it's also among the most underrated. And it's a shame, too, because I honestly consider it one of the best art galleries in the city. House in the artist's former Parisian residence, going there feels more like you're going over to someone's home instead of a standard museum visit. It so happens that the “someone” was one of the most prolific artists of the Symbolist art movement, who painted some of the most haunting works ever!

Where: 14 Rue Catherine de la Rochefoucauld, 75009 Paris, France

Musée Marmottan Monet

If Musée de l'Orangerie wasn't enough to satiate your Monet-loving heart, check out Musée Marmottan Monet next! Not only is it one of Paris's smaller museums, but it also boasts over 300 of Monet's Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings. Housed in the legendary art historian and collector Paul Marmottan's former residence on Rue Louis Boilly, the paintings were donated by no less than Monet's own son, Michel. There's this level of personal attachment and intimacy that makes this museum a bit more special, at least to me!

Where: 2 Rue Louis Boilly, 75016 Paris, France

Musée Carnavalet

Set in a grand manor in the 3rd arrondissement, Musée Carnavalet looks bigger than it is. You may think you'll spend as much time here as you would have in the Louvre, but rest assured, you won't! You can easily browse through its beautiful galleries in half a day, and even if you didn't get to all of them, you would've already seen a bulk of its most worthwhile displays. As for why it's worth visiting, Musée Carnavalet highlights art that depicts and represents Paris as the romantic, historic, and significant city it is and always has been.

Where: 23 Rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris, France

Musée de la Vie Romantique

Looking like it came straight out of the French countryside, you can already sense how truly romantic Musée de la Vie Romantique is. It's the perfect place for a museum date, and as someone who visited the gallery on their first date with their now-spouse, I guarantee that it's a bit of a lucky charm in the romance department. With that said, the “Romantique” in its name refers to the Romantic Era (1798 to 1837), which highlighted intricate works aimed at touching on people's emotions and a heavy reverence for the past.

Where: 16 Rue Chaptal, 75009 Paris, France

Musée Jacquemart-André

Musée Jacquemart-André is another of those smaller galleries that look grander than it is from the outside. I can't blame you for feeling overwhelmed once you see this lavish estate along Boulevard Haussmann, but rest assured that it's still a museum you can finish in less than a day. What's so great about it is that it shows off Édouard André and Nélie Jacquemart's extensive art collection, as well as giving a glimpse of how this elite family lived the high life back in the day. More than just taking in all the high art, you can also live your best “The Gilded Age” fantasies here!

Where: 158 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris, France



If you only have time to visit a small museum in Paris, consider these options. Not only would you be able to explore them in less than a day, but they’re also some of the most beautiful and fascinating spots in the city!