Are Paris museums free for under-18's?
 

We're taking our teen grandsons next March, ages 15 and 16. I seem to recall reading somewhere that Paris museums are free to those under age 18. Could someone out there confirm this, and would this hold true for most Paris attractions? I'm thinking specifically of the Louvre, St. Chapelle, Versaille or Fountainblu, Picasso. Would love to get some feedback on this. Thanks!

I know the Louvre was free but be sure you have their passports with you because they may ask to see it to verify age.

You can probably go to each museum's website to verify as well.

There is no general rule about all Paris museums on entry. You should check the websites of any particular museum you are concerned about. Many are, but some are not. Some museums are private, some are national and some are run by the city of Paris, and rules differ. Even ones that are national are not necessarily free for those under 18, especially if they are geared to young people (the Science and Industry museum comes to mind, I don't think it is--it is free for those less than age 7).

How do you prove the child in question is under 18? Does he or she need to take a passport along?

To prove the child's age, a valid ID is required, so, yes, she/he will have to show her/his passport.

Yes, that's what I mentioned in the first response...bring the passport. I can tell you that my 16 yeear old son's passport was checked.

Most museums also have discounted admission rates for students, so they should bring their school IDs.

Thanks for the great information! I'm looking for as many cost-cutting options as I can find, given the dismal exchange rate.

I found that most museums were free for those under eighteen, and at least in my daughter's case, passports were not checked, even though she was sixteen or seventeen. However, the student discount in many museums applied only to EU students, so for those over eighteen who were US students there was no discount.

Sandi_Travelnut - thanks. Not sure how I skipped over that!