15 Best Sights in Paris, France

Following on the heels of the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris (and helmed by its former director), this drop-dead gorgeous exhibition space, housed in the same building as the Dior flagship boutique store and restaurant, inaugurated a new direction for Dior, fusing fashion and culture, in 2022. The permanent exhibition showcases groundbreaking designs from all of the house's great designers—from Yves Saint Laurent and Gianfranco Ferré to John Galliano and Maria Grazia Chiuri—and of course iconic pieces from the master himself. This primer on the history of Paris fashion is an absolute must-see for fashion buffs, and afterward, you may be inspired to pop into the Avenue Montaigne boutique for some shopping or a quick pick-me-up at the superchic café.

This splendid museum is the closest you'll get to Versailles in Paris. It took more than 200 skilled artisans and nearly $160 million to achieve what is hands down Paris’s most ravishing museum to date, allowing the public a glimpse behind the elegant facade of a masterpiece of French 18th-century interior design for the first time in 250 years. No detail was overlooked in the restoration: wallpaper and curtains were painted or sewed by hand using the original 18th-century techniques; the woodwork was painstakingly stripped, restored, and gilded by master craftspeople; and decorative features were created in Paris’s most rarified workshops. 

The mansion is one of two twin structures built in 1758 for Louis XV to mark a new square created in his honor (now Place de la Concorde). Both buildings sat unused before the eastern facade—now the Hôtel de Crillon—was auctioned off to the Duc d’Aumont. The western edifice became the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne, the institution in charge of selecting, maintaining, and storing the king’s furniture. In 1789, it became the headquarters for the navy ministry, which remained in the building for 226 years. The decrees ending slavery and the slave trade in France were signed here in 1794. Visitors can learn about the building's history through state-of-the-art interactive displays in the grand ballroom and loggia, a sprawling balcony facing Place de la Concorde with impressive views of the Assemblée Nationale and the Eiffel Tower. You can take a guided visit (in English) or grab a state-of-the-art headset; well worth it to discover the museum's fascinating history.

The museum also houses the exquisite Al Thani collection, featuring objects and artwork spanning 6,000 years and myriad civilizations, as well as an outpost of the Cordon Bleu cooking school ( www.cordonbleu.edu/paris-hoteldelamarine). The waiting room retains lovely details of the historic mansion while classrooms are equipped with top-of-the-line culinary equipment. At stations designed for two students, participants in these hands-on ateliers glean the secrets of French cuisine from professional chefs; while classes are taught in French, expert interpreters are always present to ensure English-speakers reap the full benefits. Classes start at €33 for a one-hour demonstration, but spring for the €110 two-hour Capitaine or €165 three-hour Amiral for the fullest experience.

Another great pleasure of your visit is lunch, teatime, or a cocktail at the romantic Café Lapérouse (offshoot of the historic Paris restaurant) or Mimosa, across the courtyard, helmed by chef Jean-François Piège, one of the city's star chefs. Both restaurants offer sumptuous interiors and outdoor dining in the interior courtyard or under the pillars overlooking Place de la Concorde.

Located in the west wing of the Palais de Chaillot and one of five national museums dedicated to all things nautical (other locations are in Brest, Port-Louis, Rochefort, and Toulon), the Paris branch is the country’s foremost treasure trove of art and artifacts documenting maritime development pertinent to France over the centuries. The sparkling new design includes impressive special effects, interactive features, and games for adults and kids. Exhibits highlight a notable collection of models of vessels, from 17th-century flagships to modern warships. Kids can climb a step to get a closer look at a model aircraft carrier or a nuclear submarine cut in half to expose their decks. The main gallery displays several figureheads recovered from sunken ships, including a giant Henry IV, miraculously saved from a shipwreck in 1854 during the Crimean War. An enormous representation of Napoléon, in his favored guise as a Roman emperor, was taken from the prow of the frigate Iéna in 1846. There is also a sinister-looking metal diving suit from 1882 and the menu from a 1935 voyage of the SS Normandie cruise ship. The café-restaurant offers snacks and warm meals along with views of the Eiffel Tower, and the shop stocks original sea-themed artworks, chic clothing, and toys. Free English audioguides are available.

The city's Museum of Fashion occupies a suitably fashionable mansion—the 19th-century residence of Maria Brignole-Sale, Duchess of Galliera. Inside, exhibition spaces on two floors focus on costume and clothing design. Covering key moments in fashion history and showcasing legendary French designers, the museum's collection includes 200,000 articles of clothing and accessories that run the gamut from basic streetwear to haute couture. Galleries at the garden level focus on fashion history from the 18th century to the present via pieces from the permanent collection. Information about changing exhibitions is on the website. Don't miss the lovely 19th-century garden that encircles the palace, a favorite spot for neighborhood Parisians to take a coffee and a book.

Considering that a daily dose of chocolate is practically obligatory in Paris, it's hard to believe that this spot (opened in 2010) is the city's first museum dedicated to the sweet stuff. Exhibits on three floors tell the story of chocolate from the earliest traces of the "divine nectar" in Mayan and Aztec cultures, through to its introduction in Europe by the Spanish, who added milk and sugar to the spicy, dark brew and launched a Continental craze. There are detailed explanations in English, with many for the kids. While the production of chocolate is a major topic, the museum also has a respectable collection of some 1,000 chocolate-related artifacts, such as terra-cotta Mayan sipping vessels (they blew into straws to create foam) and delicate chocolate pots in fine porcelain that were favored by the French royal court. Frequent chocolate-making demonstrations finish with a free tasting.

The greatest gems of French architecture are represented at the City of Architecture and Heritage, which occupies the east wing of the Palais de Chaillot. The former French Monuments Museum covers French architecture from the Middle Ages to the present and contains some 350 plaster-cast reproductions spread out over 86,000 square feet. Although this is a collection comprised entirely of copies, these are no ordinary ones: they include partial facades from some of the most important Gothic churches, a gallery of frescoes and windows (among them a stained-glass stunner from the famous Chartres cathedral), plus an assembly of gargoyles practically leaping off the back wall of the soaring first-floor gallery. Video monitors allow a 360-degree view of some of the grandest cathedrals. The upper-floor gallery has been devoted to architecture since 1851, with a life-size replica of a postwar apartment in Marseille designed by the urban-planning pioneer Le Corbusier. The newest exhibit takes you on an immersive 3D tour of the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral, accompanied by a lecturer-guide. It's well worth picking up the free English audiovisual guide. When you're ready for a break, the museum's small café offers a great view of the Eiffel Tower.

More of a showroom than a museum, the small exhibit run by parfumier Fragonard above its boutique on Rue Scribe is heavy on decorative objects associated with perfume, including crystal bottles, gloves, and assorted bibelots. The shop is a good place to find gifts, like body lotion made with royal jelly (from honeybees), myriad soaps, and, of course, perfume. True fragrance aficionados can double their pleasure by visiting the Théâtre Musée des Capucines-Fragonard, another mini-museum nearby ( 39 bd. des Capucines).

Oenophiles with some spare time will enjoy this quirky museum housed in a 15th-century abbey, a reminder of Passy's roots as a pastoral village. Though hardly exhaustive and geared to beginners, the small collection contains old wine bottles, glassware, and ancient wine-related pottery excavated in Paris. Wine-making paraphernalia shares the grotto-like space with hokey figures—including Napoléon appraising a glass of Burgundy—retired from the city's wax museum. But you can partake in a thoroughly nonhokey wine tasting, or bring home one of the 200-plus bottles for sale in the tiny gift shop. Check online for a calendar of tastings and classes offered in English. You can book ahead for a casual lunch or Friday dinner, too (restaurant open Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 3 pm and Friday evening until 1 am, reservations required).

Crime buffs will enjoy this museum hidden on the second floor of the 5e arrondissement's police station. Although the exhibits are in French only, the photographs, letters, drawings, and memorabilia pertaining to some of the city's most sensational crimes are easy enough to follow. Among the 2,000-odd relics you'll find a guillotine, old uniforms, and remnants of the World War II occupation—including what's left of a firing post, German machine guns, and the star insignias worn by Jews.

The most difficult Paris museum to get a ticket to these days is the Serge Gainsbourg House and Museum, a must for die-hard fans of the talented (and infamous) musician-composer. Due to its small size, only a handful of visitors are admitted every hour so be sure to book your ticket before you arrive (spots often book up months in advance).

Born Lucien Ginsburg in Paris in 1928, Serge Gainsbourg wrote multiple hits for top pop artists along with performing several of his own, becoming well-known for his adept play on words and provocative lyrics. His most famous song, "Je t’aime . . . moi non plus (I love you . . . me neither)", recorded in 1969 with romantic partner Jane Birkin, was banned by the Vatican for its blatant eroticism, but the single sold millions around the world. Gainsbourg died in 1991 but the house where he lived on the Rue de Verneuil stayed in the family and is now easily recognizable by its front wall, lovingly graffitied with tributes and portraits since the day of the artist's death. A 30-minute, auto-guided tour is narrated by Gainsbourg's daughter with Birkin, Charlotte Gainsbourg, who takes visitors through her childhood house, recounting her memories and describing her father’s love for the objects that surrounded him. After the tour, visitors can continue across the street to a small museum that has a chronology of recordings (in the original French with English subtitles) of the many interviews Gainsbourg gave over the years, along with additional Gainsbourg-related memorabilia.

Parc de la Villette’s music museum contains four centuries' worth of instruments from around the world—about 1,000 in total, many of them exquisite works of art. Their sounds and stories are evoked on numerous video screens and via commentary you can follow on headphones (ask for a free audioguide in English). Leave time for the excellent temporary exhibitions. On the plaza adjacent to the museum, the outdoor terrace at Café des Concerts ( 01–42–49–74–74) is an inviting place to have a drink on a sunny day.

A visit to the charming Museum of Romantic Life, dedicated to novelist George Sand (1804–76), will transport you to the countryside. Occupying a pretty 1830s mansion in a tree-lined courtyard, the small permanent collection features drawings by Delacroix and Ingres, among others, though Sand is the undisputed star. Displays include glass cases stuffed with her jewelry and even a mold of the hand of composer Frédéric Chopin—one of her many lovers. The museum, about a five-minute walk from the Musée National Gustave Moreau, is in a picturesque neighborhood once called New Athens, a reflection of the architectural tastes of the writers and artists who lived and worked in the area. There is usually an interesting temporary exhibit here, too. The garden café (open mid-March to mid-October) is a lovely spot for lunch or afternoon tea. Just note that the museum is currently closed for renovations until March 2026.

This unique museum in the historic Pavillons de Bercy in the Bercy Village shopping district chronicles Paris’s Belle Époque heyday of carnivals and the fairground arts. Visitors discover a world of colorful, fantastical objects that conveyed all the romance and whimsy of 19th- and early 20th-century funfairs, culminating in a ride on a vintage carousel. The museum is open by reservation only.

If you like wax museums, this one founded in 1882 ranks among the best. Pay the steep entry price and ascend a grand Phantom of the Opera–like staircase into the Palais des Mirages, a mirrored salon from the 1900 Paris Exposition that transforms into a hokey sound-and-light show the kids will love. (It was a childhood favorite of designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, who is in the collection, of course.) From there, get set for a cavalcade of nearly 300 statues, from Elvis to Ernest Hemingway, Picasso to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Every king of France is here, along with Mick Jagger and George Clooney, plus scores of French singers and celebrities.

As elegant and stylish as the master couturier's groundbreaking designs, this museum is housed in the very mansion where Yves Saint Laurent did his work and entertained celebrity clients. More than 50 prototypes—including such landmarks as the Mondrian dress, the original pantsuit, and the woman's tuxedo—are on display at any one time, as are dozens of design drawings and a glittering array of jewelry. Thanks to its huge windows, the light-bathed upstairs atelier, stuffed with books and fabrics, offers an intimate glimpse into YSL's world. Be sure not to miss the touching short film detailing the relationship between Saint Laurent and his longtime partner Pierre Bergé. All of the exhibits have detailed English labeling, and a free English guide is available at reception.