Musee du Quai Branly

I went on an October Sunday and there was a long line. Since we did not want to wait, we were able to gain immediate access for the special exhibit that was on at that time, which was marvelous.. Next time I will buy tickets in advance to circumvent waiting to enter the permanent collections...

Yes, from the small glimpse we got, definitely worthwhile both interior and Nouvel exterior.

I've been twice, the 2nd time just 2 weeks ago. There was no line. I think it's one of the best museums in Paris!! The collections are stunning, as is the building.

I have heard that there is a very fine restaurant at the Branly. Hope to try it later this month when we are in Paris briefly.

On the website it says it is covered by the museum pass.

If you are planning on going to other museums, you will find it is best to purchase the Museum Pass.

If you go to the official museum pass website, you will find a list of all the museums that are on the pass. It might help you decide which museums you would like to see.

Enjoy.........

"If you are planning on going to other museums, you will find it is best to purchase the Museum Pass."

If we are talking purely from the aspect of skipping lines then yes. For cost maybe yes maybe no.

We had no problems getting tickets last June. I find the building and its surrounding garden interesting, although the interior ramp is something of a conceit in my mind--the exhibit along that ramp becomes decoration. The collection is enormous when it comes to what were the French colonies and should be seen by anyone interested in les premiers arts as they call it. The Americas are weaker. The exhibit of similar arts in the Louvre (Pavillon de Flore) is much more limited, but the individual pieces have greater aesthetic value in themselves and are displayed as such.

There is an article in this past Sunday's NY Times Magazine on Jean Nouvel which gives some explanation of the logic of the interior of the museum.

No line just two weeks ago? Oh, shoot, I should have gone. I was in Paris two weeks ago and that's the only museum I wanted to go to since I've been to the others so many times. But, when I asked my French friend if he wanted to go he just looked at me and said," I've been and I stood in line for 3 hours." So, I told him I'd try to get there on a day that he was at work, and just go on my own, but I didn't end up going because the thought of such long lines was starting to sound too Disneylandish to me. Smiles. Happy Travels!

Thank you all. This was most helpful.

Didn't go to the collections or the restaurant, but the building is astonishing. As you no doubt know, the facade is partly screened by glass and partly composed of a vertical garden. Yes, the front of the building is planted with a lush garden that completely obscures the underlying structure. Simply wonderful.

Here is my impression of the restaurant at the MQB:

MQB: I had the African BBQ chicken, and it was the least of the lunches the three of us had both in taste and in quantity. In any case, it is expensive for what it is: $71 (this was in 2007)for three light lunches. If I had a choice, I would go into the 7th, away from the Seine and look for a restaurant there.

Conventional opinion, as related to us by Parisian friends, then confirmed by my spouse:

1. Great building, less certain about the works displayed
2. Heterogeneous collection, displayed in sometimes rather confusing ways
3. Officialdom thought "ethnic" Paris would flock there but it's almost all white folk
4. Worth a visit, though -- definitely.

Yep, no line! We went on Tuesday afternoon (March 25) and the museum wasn't crowded at all!

It sounds like the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the building is interesting the collection not so interesting.

I will definitely inspect the exterior.

Thanks.

The collection of the MQB is much larger and far more interesting than the Guggenheim's in Bilbao. It did have some strange quirks. Sometimes relevant music can be heard by pushing a button in front of a display, but not for any of the instrumental displays.

What a mistake it'd be to miss the interior.

Images, the day you were there was the day I considered going but didn't. I now am having mild regrets. I still would like to see it, but I guess you can't do everything.

Nikki, there will be a next time! I very much wanted to go to the Marie Antoinette exhibit, but didn't since my grandson wouldn't have appreciated it. Instead we went to the Armory museum at Les Invalides which we'd never been at. Wow, it had a extensive collection of wonderful armory. He loved it so much, and I'm gald we found another "new" part of Les Invalides.

Even the Orangerie didn't have a long line on Wednesday, when we went. Maybe the newer museums aren't as popular now, so the lines are down, or it was just a quiet week in Paris! I'm so sorry we missed seeing you, but it was such a joy seeing Paris through our grandson's eyes! Well, except for the part where he RAN up the steps of the Eiffel tower!

No long line at the Orangerie Wednesday? I can testify that there was quite a long one on the previous Friday. Timing is everything.

Lunch at Les Ombres Restaurant at the Musee du Quai Branly is worth a splurge. I can't remember what I paid on my June 2007 visit but I'd say it was approximately $50-60/pp with wine.

In the shadow of the Eiffel Tower and close enough that you can see the people standing on the lower level observatory deck of the tower the restaurant with its glass ceiling and handsome waiters was a wonderful break from sightseeing. You should make a reservation to be sure to get a table. There were many local business people having lunch around me rather than tourists. http://www.lesombres-restaurant.com/index.html

The Musee du Quai Branly is also well worth a visit. Beautiful building, beautiful displays and beautiful objects in each display. http://www.quaibranly.fr/en/accueil.html

Oops! Meant to post my reply in another thread. Apologies for bringing up an old one.

I've never been inside the museum, as the collections do not interest me, but the building itself is of surpassing ugliness, and could scarcely look more out of place. However, considering who the architect was, that does not surprise me. It's unfortunately that this eyesore was constructed in such an otherwise pleasant part of town. I waited a long time for the building to be finished, until I finally realized that it was already finished ... it was actually designed to look that bad.

but the building itself is of surpassing ugliness, and could scarcely look more out of place

The same thing was said of the Pompidou, and no one talks of it that way anymore.