Paris Museums & Monuments

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre Crowning the Butte Montmartre, this church was built from 1875 onwards as an act of penance after France was defeated by the Prussians in 1870. Built in a... Romano-Byzantine style, the building was consecrated in 1919 and given the name “basilica,” thereby making it a shrine. Before entering the Sacré-Cœur, enjoy the unrestricted view of Paris from the square in front of the basilica. Even better, go up to the dome gallery, which offers a spectacular view extending over a 50-km radius! Among the noteworthy elements of the basilica are the 18,835 kg “Savoyarde” bell, three metres in diameter - the biggest church bell in France. The mosaic ceiling in the apse and the big church organs are other impressive features of the interior. Practical information BASILIQUE DU SACRE COEUR DE MONTMARTRE Parvis du Sacré Coeur 75018 PARIS Metro : Anvers Bus : 30, 31, 54, 80, 85, Montmartrobus telephone number : 01 53 41 89 09 fax : 01 53 41 89 19 mail : adoremus@sacre-coeur-montmartre.fr www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.fr Musée d’Orsay The Musée d’Orsay has been open to the public for over 20 years : formerly a palace then a hotel and a railway station, it has been a listed building since 1978... Among the different collections presented in the museum, the one devoted to Impressionism is the richest and best-known, and includes world-famous works by Auguste Renoir (“Le Bal au Moulin de la Galette”), Edouard Manet’s “Olympia” and one of the many versions of “La Cathédrale de Rouen” by Claude Monet. In addition, the museum features a number of visiting exhibitions throughout the year: currently and up until 6 January 2008, discover the drawings and pages of the studio of Redon, a symbolist painter from the end of the 19th century. Also, showing until 3 February, an exhibition devoted to Ferdinand Hodler, a late-19th-century Swiss painter, who was “at the time considered as one of the leading modernist painters”. Practical information MUSEE D'ORSAY 1, rue de la Légion d'Honneur 75007 PARIS Metro : Solférino RER : Musée d'Orsay Bus : 24, 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84, 94 telephone number : 01 40 49 48 14 www.musee-orsay.fr The Pompidou Centre turns 30 All year long The Centre national d'art et de culture Georges Pompidou has lined up an eclectic year-round programme to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary in 2007... Inaugurated during the presidency of Georges Pompidou, this Parisian cultural landmark offers visitors a space entirely devoted to modern and contemporary forms of art where fine arts share the spotlight with theatre, music, cinema and literary activities. When it opened in 1977, one of the Pompidou Centre’s main objectives was to be a significant point of exchange between Europe and the United States. _ Thirty years later, its international reputation established, the Centre has taken on new missions such as the creation of new artistic scenes, the development of new means of expression and experiments with new technology. The thirtieth anniversary of the Pompidou Centre is not so much a celebration of the past as a fresh reading of the various stages of its cultural existence. The festivities announced for this exceptional year include the multidisciplinary exhibition ‘Airs de Paris’, Hergé’s original ‘Tintin’ plates, a significant monograph devoted to Alberto Giacometti and a series of talks titled ‘Thirty years’: a rich programme of events that will undoubtedly spark your desire to visit one of France’s most popular monuments. Practical information CENTRE GEORGES POMPIDOU Place Georges Pompidou 75004 PARIS Metro : Hôtel de Ville RER : Châtelet Les Halles Bus :21, 29, 38, 47, 58, 69, 70, 72, 74, 75, 76, 81, 85, 96 telephone number : 01 44 78 12 33 fax : 01 44 78 12 07 www.centrepompidou.fr Musée Fragonard The art of perfume making goes back over 5,000 years, as you’ll discover at the Fragonard museum. Set up over 20 years ago, the museum retraces the way fragrances and essences of all kinds have evolved over the centuries. You’ll discover an extensive range of flowery, fruity and oriental eaux de toilette and perfumes, cosmetics and essential oils and scented soaps and candles for men, women and children. The museum shop has a collection of Fragonard perfumes with evocative and romantic names such as “Juste un baiser”, “Lune de Miel” and “Ile d’Amour”. Practical information MUSEE DU PARFUM - FRAGONARD 9, rue Scribe 75009 PARIS Metro : Opéra RER : Auber telephone number : 01 47 42 04 56 fax : 01 47 42 34 64 mail : tourisme@fragonard.com www.fragonard.com Maison de Victor Hugo Among the museums the City of Paris owns and runs is the Maison de Victor Hugo. The writer’s residence, equipped with the original furniture and all his works and memoirs, opened to the public on Hugo’s hundredth birth anniversary in 1902. The flat is on the second floor of the Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée on Place des Vosges, where Victor Hugo lived from 1832 to 1848 and wrote major works such as Ruy Blas and Mary Tudor. The three-part tour of the flat covers the three main phases of Victor Hugo’s life: before, during and after his exile (to Guernsey). The museum’s educational section also organises temporary exhibitions and talks as well as storytelling sessions for young visitors. Opéra Bastille The Opéra Bastille was designed by Canadian-Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott. Inaugurated on 13 July 1989, the building is 80 metres high - 30 metres of it below ground - with a transparent facade... Within the building, the Grande Salle seats 2,700 people over a surface of 1,200 sq.m, a mere five per cent of the building’s total volume. Discover the Opéra Bastille’s singular stage equipment and workshops with built-in decors, its wide variety of costumes and accessories and multiple rehearsal rooms. You’ll be caught up in the magic of the opera in the heart of this huge modern theatre. Practical information OPERA BASTILLE - OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS Place de la Bastille 75012 PARIS Metro : Bastille RER : Gare de Lyon SNCF : 133 Bus : 20, 29, 65, 69, 76, 86, 87, 91 telephone number : 01 40 01 17 89 fax : 01 40 01 16 16 www.opera-de-paris.fr Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower, undoubtedly the Paris landmark and must-see monument, is 324 metres high and weighs a total of 10,000 tons. Built for the World Fair in 1889... the tower took two years, two months and five days to complete. You can take the stairs or the lift up. There are souvenir shops and the Altitude 95 restaurant with its decor reminiscent of an airship on the first level, while the second level offers an opportunity to enjoy a gastronomic menu at the smart Jules Verne restaurant, 125 metres above ground level. Once you get to the third and final platform, you’ll be up there among the clouds with an amazing 360-degree view of the city. Practical information TOUR EIFFEL Champ de Mars 75007 PARIS Metro : Bir Hakeim RER : Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel Bus : 42, 69, 72, 82,87 telephone number : 01 44 11 23 23 fax : 01 44 11 23 22 mail : relationclient@toureiffel.fr www.tour-eiffel.fr Musée Jacquemart André Step into the home of Nélie Jacquemart and Edouard André, 19th-century collectors with a passion for art. The works on display in the museum include ... French and Dutch collections, the highlights of which are paintings by Jean-Marc Nattier, Louise-Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, Anton Van Dyck and Rembrandt Van Rijn. As for the Italian collection, it forms a museum in itself. Mantegna, Botticelli and Bellini were among the couple’s favourite painters. Keep an eye out for the many superb pieces of Louis XV and Louis XVI furniture in the couple’s private apartments. The museum is open seven days a week from 10 am to 6 pm. Practical information MUSEE JACQUEMART-ANDRE 158, boulevard Haussmann 75008 PARIS Metro : Miromesnil Saint Philippe du Roule RER : Charles de Gaulle - Etoile Bus : 22, 28, 43, 52, 80, 83, 84, 93 telephone number : 01 45 62 11 59 fax : 01 45 62 16 36 mail : message@musee-jacquemart-andre.com www.culturespaces.com Musée des Arts Décoratifs The Musée des Arts Décoratifs offers visitors a chronological tour of its comprehensive collection of decorative arts from ... the Middle Ages to the present day, spread over an area of 9,000 sq. metres with about 6,000 items on display. Apart from its collections, the museum has seven other exhibition spaces: a thematic study gallery, a jewellery gallery, a toy gallery, a contemporary gallery and the Jean Dubuffet gallery, plus the 1900 salon and the Salon des Boiseries with its woodwork collection, not to mention the ground floor nave, which houses temporary exhibitions. The museum is open from 11am to 6pm from Tuesday to Friday (until 9pm on Thursday) and from 10am to 6pm on weekends. Practical information LES ARTS DECORATIFS - MUSEE DES ARTS DECORATIFS 107, rue de Rivoli 75001 PARIS Metro : Tuileries Bus : 21, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95 telephone number : 01 44 55 57 50 fax : 01 44 55 57 93 www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr Musée de la Poupée (Doll museum) Here’s an appealing and wonderful place to explore for any little girl – or little boy – the Musée de la Poupée, a magical spot at the end of a flowery lane, right in the heart of Paris... Dolls of all kinds have happily nestled here since 1994, flashing their eyes and attracting admiring gazes from visitors of all generations. It is a unique space where permanent and temporary exhibitions and workshops grab the attention of kids and grown-ups alike. French dolls and baby dolls dating from 1860 to 1960 are presented in traditional settings and atmospheres of each period. Temporary exhibitions have included a variety of themes such as 'Sweet softies', 'Barbie exhibits 5,000 years of the history of costumes', 'Bécassine, Bleuette and La Semaine de Suzette dolls celebrate their 100th birthdays! ' and 'Housekeeping for dolls”. In addition, don’t miss all the things going on around the exhibits: activity workshops for children from 6 to 10, drawing competitions, doll hospital and made-to-measure clothes for up-to-the-minute dolls. An enjoyable time can be had by all in this museum of dreams and reality. Practical information MUSEE DE LA POUPEE - PARIS Impasse Berthaud vers le 22, rue Beaubourg 75003 PARIS Metro : Rambuteau RER : Châtelet Les Halles Bus : 29, 38, 47, 75 mail : musee.poupee@noos.fr www.museedelapoupeeparis.com Musée de la magie Dear visitors, step into the den of magic, the universe of the unreal! From card tricks to white rabbits, from magic trunks to vanishing tricks, everything you see here emanates as much from your own imagination as from reality... The museum of magic (established in 1993 by George Proust) is an incredible place that groups together everything involved in the art of magic, conjuring tricks and illusion from the 18th century to the present day. In the museum’s seven rooms you will find a considerable collection of objects: magic wands and boxes, magicians’ hats… as well as posters, engravings and ancient items that speak of the history of magicians. All kinds of surprises (all nice ones!) will pepper your itinerary and during your visit, experts are on hand to answer any questions you might have. Make sure you don’t miss the regular shows that will delight, amaze and impress kids and grown-ups alike. Practical information MUSEE DE LA MAGIE 11, rue Saint-Paul 75004 PARIS Metro : Saint Paul RER : Gare d'Austerlitz SNCF : 133 Bus : 67, 69, 76, 96 telephone number : 01 42 72 13 26 fax : 01 45 36 01 48 mail : contact@museedelamagie.com www.museedelamagie.com Centre de la mer (Marine Centre) Show me a butterfly fish! What does a clown fish eat? Have you ever seen a sea urchin? To have all the answers to your kids’ questions about marine life, why not take the whole family on a trip to the Centre de la Mer?... This educational museum reveals all the secrets of the deep through exhibitions highlighting the infinite variety of ocean organisms, plus tours of 7 aquariums housing tropical fish. For those who want to know more, they can join one of the fun and informative activities at the centre: a touch tank for close encounters with starfish, crabs and sea urchins; a detective game to seek out creatures and objects in the museum or the discovery of the hidden life of an aquarium. Remember to book on 01 44 32 10 95. Practical information CENTRE DE LA MER - INSTITUT OCEANOGRAPHIQUE 195, rue Saint-Jacques 75005 PARIS RER : Luxembourg Bus : 21, 27, 38, 82, 85, 89, 84 mail : cme@oceano.org www.oceano.org Grande Galerie de l’Evolution Ever seen a couagga zebra, a Jackson’s hartebeest or a Sumatran tiger? No? Then it’s time you visited the Grande Galerie de l’Evolution at the Musée d’Histoire Naturelle... Previously known as the Galerie de Zoologie and renovated in 1994, the gallery offers a fascinating trip through the history of the various species. Take your children on a voyage of discovery through these vast halls where you will find 7,000 different species including extinct and endangered animals as well as sea and land creatures. Here’s your chance for a crash course in the life sciences and evolution theories while learning about the impact of human activity on Nature and animal species: the perfect family outing. Practical information MUSEUM NATIONAL D'HISTOIRE NATURELLE - GRANDE GALERIE DE L'EVOLUTION 57, rue Cuvier 75005 PARIS Metro : Jussieu RER : Gare d'Austerlitz Bus : 24, 57, 61, 63, 67, 89, 91 telephone number : 01 40 79 54 79 / 56 01 fax : 01 40 79 54 48 mail : valhuber@mnhn.fr www.mnhn.fr Musée Grévin If you’ve always wanted to see Madonna, Pablo Picasso, Spiderman, French pop star Lorie, Louis Armstrong, Albert Einstein or Louis XIV, go along to the Musée Grévin and say hello to their waxworks... Spread out over six different halls — the “Palais des Mirages” (Hall of Mirrors), “Clichés du XXe siècle” (20th-century photographs), the “Histoire de France”, the “Théâtre du Tout Paris”, the “Paris Grévin Magazine” and the “Collection Grévin” — are life-size waxworks of the stars of showbiz and people in the news, past and present. The collection is updated regularly: French actor Gérard Jugnot and humorist and impersonator Laurent Gerra are the two latest additions. Make it a family trip with the children: they’ll enjoy spotting celebrities and being let into the secret of how the waxworks are made. Practical information GREVIN 10, boulevard Montmartre 75009 PARIS Metro : Grands Boulevards RER : Auber SNCF : 171 Bus : 20, 39, 48, 67, 74, 85 telephone number : 01 47 70 85 05 fax : 01 47 70 84 00 mail : contact@grevin.com www.grevin.com Musée d’Orsay If you’ve a budding scientist at home with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of questions prefaced by “Why?” — to which you, of course, have no reply — let the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie provide the answers... Located in the heart of the Parc de la Villette, the Cité is Europe’s largest centre for scientific and technical culture. Open to anyone desirous of understanding the latest scientific and technological advances and their many applications, the Cité des Sciences includes various sites especially for children and teenagers. There’s the Cité des Enfants with a range of activities spread over 4,000 sq. m., divided into two areas for children aged 3-5 and 5-15 respectively; Explora, which hosts both permanent and temporary interactive exhibitions on the Universe, our planet and life on Earth; the Argonaute submarine, Omnimax projections at the Géode with its 1,000 sq.m. screen, the Cinéaxe, which simulates motion to accompany films (for children 3 and upwards), the aquarium and a multimedia library for children. Expect the next question to be “When?”, as in “When can we go back there?” Practical information CITE DES SCIENCES ET DE L'INDUSTRIE - LA VILLETTE Parc de la Villette 30, avenue Corentin Cariou 75019 PARIS Metro : Porte de la Villette Bus : 75,139,150,152, PC 2,PC 3 telephone number : 01 40 05 80 00 fax : 01 40 05 81 90 www.cite-sciences.fr Palais de la Découverte Are your kids fascinated by science and discoveries in the fields of astronomy, chemistry and biology? In order to provide answers to those endless questions on such vast subjects, why not take them along for a fun trip to the Palais de la Découverte?... In Paris’s 8th arrondissement in the west wing of the Grand Palais, this establishment is both a scientific centre and a museum, aimed at all those - children and grown-ups alike – who are interested in science and its applications. Six themes are presented in an entertaining and educational way: astronomy/astrophysics, chemistry, geosciences, physics, mathematics and earth sciences. You will find permanent and visiting exhibitions, guided tours, workshops and conferences with on-the-spot experiments and where you can ask questions of the scientists. Don’t miss the many interactive activities: the new Zeiss Planetarium and its dome 15 metres in diameter, the electrostatics presentation and the 3D film “Journey inside a cell”. Plenty to quench your progeny’s thirst for knowledge! Practical information PALAIS DE LA DECOUVERTE Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt 75008 PARIS Metro : Champs Elysées Clemenceau RER : Invalides Bus : 28, 42, 52, 63, 72, 73, 80, 83, 93 telephone number : 01 56 43 20 21 fax : 01 40 74 81 81 www.palais-decouverte.fr Aquarium Sea Life The Sea Life Aquarium is the biggest aquarium in the Ile-de-France region, just 20 minutes from the Paris city limits and not far from the Disneyland Paris Resort... Visit the fifty open tanks, spread over 2,500 sq.m. and abounding in more than 300 marine species including rays, sharks, moray eels and tropical fish… Right now, make sure you don’t miss the turtles who have joined their fellow creatures in the tropical section since the month of April. The Sea Life Aquarium is open every day from 10am. Practical information AQUARIUM SEA LIFE PARIS VAL D'EUROPE Centre Commercial International Val d'Europe 14 Cours du Danube - Serris 77711 MARNE LA VALLEE cedex 4 telephone number : 01 60 42 33 66 fax : 01 60 42 33 55 www.sealifeeurope.com