1. Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac Museum
The Quai Branly brings together the arts and civilizations of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas in a building designed by Jean Nouvel, situated along the Seine at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Its living wall, designed by Patrick Blanc, runs the entire length of the facade facing the river, offering a spectacular sight even before you step inside.
The collections reflect a spirit of travel: masks from Central Africa, textiles from the Andes, statues from Oceania, and musical instruments from every continent. The garden, designed by Gilles Clément and open to the public free of charge, extends the visit outdoors.
It's the closest museum on the Left Bank, and one of the easiest to visit with the family. Plan on spending a good half-day there, or an hour focusing on a single continent.
Closed on Mondays; open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with extended hours on Thursdays until 10:00 p.m. Accessible on foot along the riverbanks from Beaugrenelle or via Line 6 to Bir-Hakeim. Metro: Bir-Hakeim (Line 6), École Militaire (Line 8), or RER C to Pont de l'Alma.
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The Palais de Tokyo is Europe’s largest contemporary art center, housed in a wing built in 1937 on the Right Bank, across from the Eiffel Tower. It has no permanent collection: everything changes with the seasons, featuring often immersive exhibitions designed to fill the vast, raw concrete spaces.
You go in to be surprised. Some installations take up entire floors, while others play with sound or light—something that appeals to teens and art lovers alike.
What really sets it apart is its hours: it’s open from noon until late at night, which is rare for an art venue in Paris. Closed on Tuesdays, open the rest of the week from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., with extended hours on certain Thursdays (check the website). Metro: Iéna (Line 9) or Alma-Marceau (Line 9).
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The Museum of Modern Art in Paris is located in the wing next to the Palais de Tokyo, making it easy to visit both during the same outing. Its permanent collection spans the entire 20th century, from Fauvism to conceptual art, and admission is free—a real plus for families.
Two works alone are worth the trip: Raoul Dufy’s *La Fée Électricité*, a giant fresco that ranks among the world’s largest paintings, and Matisse’s *La Danse*, a version of which is housed in the museum. You’ll also find works by Modigliani, Soutine, and the great names of the School of Paris.
The tour takes one to two hours, without the crowds found at ticket-required museums. Closed on Mondays; open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; late-night hours on Thursdays until 9:30 p.m. for exhibitions. Metro: Alma-Marceau or Iéna (Line 9).
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The Cité de l'Architecture occupies a wing of the Palais de Chaillot at the Trocadéro, offering one of the most beautiful views of the Eiffel Tower from its forecourt. Its gallery of casts features life-size reproductions of the portals, tympanums, and frescoes of French churches—a spectacular setting where visitors can walk among miniature cathedrals.
The models, replicas of murals, and reconstructions appeal to children and architecture enthusiasts alike. Visitors can gain an understanding of a thousand years of French architecture without ever leaving a single room, which makes it easy to shorten the visit when traveling with young children.
Plan to spend one to two hours here, ending your visit on the terrace with a view of the Champ-de-Mars. Closed on Tuesdays, it’s open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with extended hours on Thursdays until 9 p.m. Line 6 runs directly from Beaugrenelle to the Trocadéro. Take the metro to Trocadéro (6, 9) or Iéna (9).
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The Bourdelle Museum is housed in the studios of sculptor Antoine Bourdelle, in the 15th arrondissement, just a few blocks from Montparnasse and thus in the same arrondissement as the hotel. Visitors can explore the spaces where he worked—including his apartment, studio, and gardens filled with sculptures—an intimate setting that few museums offer.
Plaster casts, marble sculptures, and large bronze statues are all on display here, including his *Hercules the Archer*, drawn back with his bow. The sculpture gardens—which are free to visit—offer a pleasant, shaded stroll, a welcome break in the middle of a day of sightseeing.
The permanent collection is free to visit; it’s an easy, quick stop that doesn’t require a reservation. Allow about an hour. Closed on Mondays; open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Take the metro to Montparnasse-Bienvenue (lines 4, 6, 12, 13) or Falguière (line 12).
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The Rodin Museum showcases the sculptor’s work at the Hôtel Biron, an 18th-century mansion, which is flanked by a large sculpture garden on the Left Bank. The garden alone is worth the visit, especially on sunny days, and a ticket allows you to see it without entering the exhibition halls.
The museum’s major works are all on display here: *The Thinker*, *The Kiss*, *The Burghers of Calais*, and the immense *Gate of Hell*. The museum also houses works by Camille Claudel in a room dedicated to her.
Plan on spending one to two hours here. Closed on Mondays; open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with last admission at 5:45 p.m. A change from the 15th arrondissement. Metro: Varenne (13) or Invalides (13, 8).
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The Musée d'Orsay houses the world's largest collection of Impressionist paintings, in a former train station built in 1900, where the large clock still dominates the main hall. The building is a sight to behold in its own right, complete with its glass roof and period ironwork.
The names come one after another: Van Gogh, Monet, Degas’s dancers, Renoir’s *The Dance at the Moulin de la Galette*, Manet’s *Luncheon on the Grass* and *Olympia*. This is the museum you should visit first on a trip focused on painting.
Plan for a half-day visit and aim to arrive right when it opens or during Thursday’s late-night hours to avoid the crowds. Closed on Mondays; open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with late-night hours on Thursdays until 9:45 p.m. Take the Metro to Solférino (Line 12) or the RER C to Musée d’Orsay; one or two transfers from Beaugrenelle.
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Monet’s eight *Water Lilies*, displayed in two oval rooms designed according to the painter’s plans in 1927, at the entrance to the Tuileries Garden. There, one sits in the center, surrounded by water and light—a rare moment.
In the basement, the Walter-Guillaume Collection features works by Cézanne, Renoir, Picasso, Modigliani, and Soutine—enough to complement the *Water Lilies* without boring the kids. The entire collection can be viewed in one to one and a half hours.
It’s the perfect museum to visit at the end of the day or in between other activities, since the tour is so concise. Closed on Tuesdays; open the rest of the week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Metro: Concorde (lines 1, 8, 12) or Tuileries (line 1); one or two transfers from the 15th arrondissement.
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The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world, a former fortress and later a royal palace, topped since 1989 by Ieoh Ming Pei’s glass pyramid. It is so vast that it’s impossible to see it all in one visit: it’s best to choose one or two departments and stick to them.
The must-see works are well known: Leonardo da Vinci’s *Mona Lisa*, the *Venus de Milo*, the *Winged Victory of Samothrace* at the top of the staircase, Delacroix’s *Liberty Leading the People*, and David’s *The Coronation of Napoleon*. Surrounding them are thousands of works, ranging from Egyptian antiquities to the Napoleon III apartments.
Plan on spending at least half a day there and be sure to purchase your ticket in advance. Closed on Tuesdays; open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with extended hours until 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays. Metro: Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre (Lines 1, 7); from the 15th arrondissement, take Line 10 or 6 with one transfer.
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The Marmottan Monet Museum, located in the 16th arrondissement near the Bois de Boulogne, houses the world’s largest collection of Monet works in a former private mansion on a human scale. It is here that *Impression, Sunrise*—the painting that gave Impressionism its name—is on display.
On display are about a hundred works by Monet, ranging from views of Giverny to his late Water Lilies, plus a fine collection of works by Berthe Morisot. The atmosphere here is more intimate than at the Orsay—without the crowds—and it’s a pleasant place to visit as a couple or with the family.
Allow one to two hours. Closed on Mondays; open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with extended hours on Thursdays until 9 p.m. This is the farthest out of all the places on the list—a change from Beaugrenelle. Take the metro to La Muette (Line 9) or the RER C to Boulainvilliers.
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Which museums are closest to the Eiffel Tower? The Quai Branly is right at the foot of the Tower, on the Left Bank. Across from it (Trocadéro, Place d’Iéna) are the Palais de Tokyo, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Cité de l’Architecture. You can reach all four on foot or with just one stop on public transportation.
Which days should you avoid? Monday and Tuesday. The Louvre, the Orangerie, the Palais de Tokyo, and the Cité are closed on Tuesdays; the Orsay, the Rodin, the Quai Branly, the Bourdelle, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Marmottan Monet are closed on Mondays. Check the official website before you go.
Are there any free museums near Beaugrenelle? The permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art and the Bourdelle Museum, plus the Quai Branly garden. There is still an admission fee for temporary exhibitions.
Is the Esteem Tour Eiffel in a good location? Yes, it’s on Rue Ginoux in the 15th arrondissement, just a few minutes from Charles Michels (10), with Line 6 nearby for the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadéro. The museums in the area are often within walking distance.
Several museums in one day? Yes, by choosing ones that are next to each other: Palais de Tokyo + Museum of Modern Art (same building), Quai Branly + Cité de l'Architecture (across the Seine from each other). Two museums a day to leave plenty of time to explore each one.
To visit museums without spending the whole day on public transportation, it’s best to stay somewhere quiet and well-connected.The Esteem Tour Eiffel, a 29-room boutique hotel in Beaugrenelle, checks both boxes, with its connecting rooms and an apartment that sleeps up to 6 people, plus private parking—a rarity in Paris.
The neighborhood is also perfect for a weekend getaway for couples near the Eiffel Tower, and when summer arrives, our guide to things to do in Paris in August expands on this itinerary. For the best rates, book directly.
