After a dark year in which all we could do was dream of returning to Paris, we’re finally starting to see a little light at the end of the tunnel (hopefully it’s not an oncoming train). Most of the local population has been vaccinated, France’s vaccination campaign is picking up speed, and Macron has even announced a plan for returning to normal life, at the end of which we’ll be able to roam Paris freely and enjoy its museums and attractions (you can find detailed information about the plan for returning to normal life and about COVID guidelines in this article).
And if that wasn’t enough to get you searching for flights to Paris, we have some especially good news: no fewer than four fascinating museums and cultural centers are about to open their doors during the month of May. In this article I’ll tell you a bit about these places, each of which, in my opinion, is worth a flight to Paris all on its own.
4 Museums Opening Just in Time for Travelers Returning to Paris
Hôtel Carnavalet
If you’ll allow me, let me start by bringing out the big guns and tell you about the museum whose reopening I’ve been impatiently waiting for, for more than four years now. I’m talking, of course, about the Hôtel Carnavalet, which is set to reopen to the public on May 29, 2021.
For those who don’t know it, this is my favorite museum in Paris, because it covers the subject that inspired me to start this website: the history of the City of Light. If you haven’t heard of this museum yet, let me recommend you go read the article Musée Carnavalet: Why Is It My Favorite Museum in Paris?
Louis XIV in the courtyard of Hôtel Carnavalet (photographed during the renovations). Photo: Zvi Chazanov” class=”wp-image-53432″/>Whether you already knew this museum or you just learned about it from this article, you’re probably wondering why it took the museum’s management more than four years to finish the renovation.
It turns out this was a complete renovation that included the facades, the courtyards, and of course the various rooms, each devoted to a particular period or an important historical figure.
On top of all that, two new rooms were added to the museum. The first gives an overview of the history of Paris, while the second covers the long history of the renovation itself. The food lovers weren’t forgotten either: a café-restaurant will open in the hotel’s garden, which I promise to sample for you as soon as I visit the place.
And finally, two more very important changes were made. The first is making the place fully accessible to people with disabilities. The second is translating the explanations found in every room for visitors who don’t speak French, so you’ll be able to read them in English.
In short, I’m very excited about the reopening of this place, and until you and I make it to Paris, feel free to visit the Musée Carnavalet website and start getting excited along with me.
And one more small thing before we continue: if you decide to visit this museum, let me recommend combining it with the walking route following Madame de Sévigné. Once you read the article, you’ll understand why 🙂
How Do You Get to the Musée Carnavalet?
Address: 23 Rue de Sévigné.
I recommend getting there via metro line 1, getting off at Saint-Paul, and then walking down Rue de Sévigné until you arrive.
If you’d rather take the bus, you can take line 69, 76 or 96 and get off at Saint-Paul, then continue on foot to the museum.
Maison de Victor Hugo
Not far from the Musée Carnavalet, in the southeastern corner of Place des Vosges, sits the Maison de Victor Hugo. This is the house where the famous poet, novelist, politician and (self-appointed) interior designer lived between 1832 and 1848, which became a museum in his honor in 1902.
The museum is made up of three main sections covering Victor Hugo’s life: before his exile (1802-1852), during his exile (1852-1870), and after his exile (1870-1885). You’ll find portraits of him, his family and his friends, along with quite a few objects and works of art he collected throughout his life.
Renovations on the museum began in 2019 and it was supposed to reopen in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the reopening. Barring any last-minute surprises, the place will reopen to the public on May 19, 2021 (in line with France’s COVID guidelines).
By the way, if you come visit this museum, I highly recommend combining it with one of these two walking routes:
How Do You Get to the Maison de Victor Hugo?
Address: 6 Place des Vosges
I recommend getting there via metro line 1, getting off at Saint-Paul, and then walking past Hôtel de Sully until you arrive.
If you’d rather take the bus, you can take line 69, 76 or 96 and get off at Saint-Paul, then continue on foot to the museum.
Finally, if you’d like more information about the Maison de Victor Hugo, feel free to visit the official website.
Hôtel de La Marine
While I’m impatiently waiting for the Musée Carnavalet to reopen, my dear friend Ronen Sass, the owner of Hôtel Violet, is waiting for the Hôtel de La Marine to reopen. And honestly? He’s right to.
This is one of the iconic buildings on Place de la Concorde, designed by the famous architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel (1698-1782), and for 200 years, starting in 1798, it housed the offices of the French Navy.
It’s worth noting that before that, the building housed the office in charge of the royal furniture collection, which is why a number of workshops and display spaces were built there. Pierre-Élisabeth de Fontanieu (1730-1784), director of the royal furniture office, built himself a lavish residential suite overlooking the square, which was considered, by the interior design standards of the time, the ideal apartment. A display hall was added to this suite, originally meant to show off some of the royal furniture and quite a few art objects.
The French Navy left the building in 2015, and the Centre des Monuments Nationaux took it over and began an extensive renovation. This renovation, which cost 130 million euros, restored all the splendor and beauty of the original 18th-century palace, and now lets us come and visit it. Beyond the rooms I mentioned, you’ll also find a restaurant and a hall that will host rotating exhibitions.
Curious? Feel free to read Ronen Sass’s in-depth article about the Hôtel de La Marine and go grab your tickets (all the details on how, where and when are in the article).
How Do You Get to the Hôtel de La Marine?
Address: 2 Place de la Concorde
The easiest way to get there is via metro line 1, 8 or 12 (get off at Concorde).
La Bourse de Commerce
The last place I want to tell you about is set to open on May 22, 2021, and it’s located very close to Les Halles, with its array of culinary attractions, and Église Saint-Eustache.
This is a beautiful building standing on the site once occupied by the Hôtel de Soissons, where Queen Catherine de’ Medici once lived (all that remains of it is a column on which the queen’s astrologer, Cosimo Ruggieri, built an observatory). During the 18th century, the queen’s palace was demolished and replaced by the Halle aux Blés (grain market), with its spectacular metal dome, about which Thomas Jefferson said it was “the most superb thing on earth.” The building burned down several times and was rebuilt in the late 19th century, preserving all its grandeur.
After many years serving as a commodities exchange, the mayor of Paris decided to lease the building for 50 years to businessman François Pinault, for 15 million euros. Renovation of the building began in 2017, converting it into a museum to display Pinault’s enormous collection, mostly modern art. The renovation was completed in 2020 and the place was supposed to open that summer, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the opening back to May 22, 2021.
Like the Hôtel de La Marine, this is a museum with an admission fee, but in my opinion, just visiting this beautiful building is a must, even if you’re not a huge fan of modern art. To book tickets, visit the museums page on my site.
If you’d like to get to know the museum and the building it’s housed in more deeply, check out the article Bourse de Commerce: A Journey from the 16th Century to Paris’s Most Talked-About Museum of Modern Art.
By the way, if you love modern art, you’ll be happy to know that the Centre Pompidou is about a 15-minute walk from here.
How Do You Get to the Bourse de Commerce?
Address: 2 Rue de Viarmes
The simplest way to get there is via metro line 1, getting off at Louvre-Rivoli, and walking north on Rue du Louvre (the museum will be on your right).
Looking for More Paris Museums and Interesting Attractions?
I really hope this article has whetted your appetite and that it will help you as you plan your next trip to Paris. If you’re looking for more attractions and museums, let me recommend the attractions page on my site. There you’ll find not just museums but also churches, gardens, amusement parks for kids, and quite a few other places well worth a visit.
Happy trip planning!
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