Are you looking for some unique museums in Paris? Paris is an open-air museum, brimming with world-famous museums as well as small, unusual ones, some of which are even secret.
These 11 unique Parisian museums bring together personal collections of wealthy owners, painters’ houses nestled in the heart of a small garden in the middle of Paris, and museums with unusual themes. It’s simple, there’s something for everyone! I hope you find inspiration among all these unique Parisian museums!
To continue exploring Paris, check out my travel guides:
3 Days in Paris Itinerary by a French Girl
The Best Latin Quarter Self-guided Walking Tour
Stroll through the Butte aux Cailles, with street art and flower gardens
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR DISCOVERING THE MOST UNIQUE MUSEUMS IN PARIS
You can book your ticket for each museum directly (and at no extra cost) via the link below each museum.
You will also find all the practical information for each museum by clicking on its name! And don’t forget, many museums are free for everyone on the first Sunday of every month. The free admission mentioned below is valid all year round.
Where to stay to discover the most unique museums in Paris?
3 recommended accommodation to visit the most unique museums in Paris
HÔTEL OFF PARIS SEINE
- Sleep on the Seine !
- With a pool
- From €150
HÔTEL DES ARTS MONTMARTRE
- Rated 9,6/10
- Quiet and with a view !
- From €180
HÔTEL JOSÉPHINE BONAPARTE
- In the heart of Paris
- In an old convent
- From €300
GREEN OASES HIDING UNIQUE MUSEUMS IN PARIS
I really love the little museums hidden away in green spaces, where you least expect them. Sometimes it’s the building, sometimes it’s the artwork that blends in with nature. But they are always a breath of fresh air amid the hustle and bustle of Paris…
Zadkine Museum
Zadkine Museum: 7th arrondissement – 
Notre-Dame-des-Champs (L12) or Luxembourg (RER B)
This museum was one of my most wonderful surprises in Paris! Hidden at the end of an alley between two buildings in the Luxembourg district, the Zadkine Museum is a small, typically Parisian haven of peace. It’s an enchanting interlude that invites you to discover the work of Ossip Zadkine, a French sculptor of Russian origin (1880-1967).
His studio, set in the middle of the garden, also reveals sculptures and beautiful combinations of materials. Numerous busts, bodies, faces, and birds are on display. They come in all sizes and are sculpted from a wide variety of materials, including beech wood, acacia, ebony, alabaster, stone, and bronze. Zadkine literally played with materials, and you can feel the power of the material through his work.
You want to touch these works, to play with them to understand them better. Their surprising shapes reveal a strong Cubist influence in the sculptor’s work.
In the garden, you will discover other monumental works that blend into the surroundings. They are both hidden and highlighted, playing with the vegetation. It is a very poetic ensemble that invites you to linger.
A small, hidden museum, just the way I like them!
Museum of Romantic Life
The Museum of Romantic Life is a small green oasis in the middle of the elegant streets of New Athens, in the 9th arrondissement. At the foot of Montmartre, it pays tribute to Romantic painters across the two small floors of the main house. It previously belonged to the painter Ary Scheffer, whose studio now serves as an exhibition space.
I loved the setting of this museum, which you wouldn’t expect to find in the heart of Paris. The driveway leads to a large courtyard with a charming shaded garden. It’s a lovely place to enjoy tea and cake in the shade of the trees. A perfect spot for a spring afternoon.
Musée de la Vie Romantique: 9th arrondissement – Pigalle (L2, 12) – free – reopening in March 2026
Read also : The Best Montmartre Itinerary by a Local Girl
Montmartre Museum
Musée de Montmartre: 18th arrondissement – Lamarck-Caulaincourt (L12) – 15€
Book your ticket for Museum of Montmartre here
There’s nothing like the Musée de Montmartre to escape the buzz of tourists on the Place du Tertre and around the Sacré-Cœur. Away from the crowds, you can immerse yourself in the calm of this house haunted by the souls of the painters who once lived there. It is a small green oasis in the middle of the Montmartre hill, just above the famous vineyards of the Clos Montmartre, which I told you about during the grape harvest festival.
The collections will bring the history of Montmartre in days gone by to life, when it was bustling with painters and artists at the end of the 19th century. You will discover how this little piece of Montmartre countryside was gradually swallowed up by the city. You can almost hear the music of the French cancan escaping from the cabarets…
The museum reveals another side of Montmartre, thanks to posters from the famous Chat Noir and shadow theater boards from the neighborhood. In a second building, you can also stroll through the studio of Suzanne Valadon and Maurice Utrillo, who also lived in the house.
If you want to discover more of the neighborhood, (re)discover my best Montmartre Itinerary
Other unique museums in Paris that are surrounded by greenery: the Musée Delacroix and the Musée Bourdelle
UNIQUE MUSEUMS IN PARIS BECAUSE OF THEIR THEME
These unique museums in Paris have themes that are surprising to say the least. They are often museums bringing together the richest collections in Europe or the world around their theme.
Museum of Funfair Arts
Musée des Arts Forains: 12th arrondissement – Cour Saint Emilion (L14) – 18,80€
Book your ticket for the museum here
The Museum of Funfair Arts was a real favorite among all the unique museums in Paris that I was lucky to visit! Located in the former wine market of Bercy, the tour takes you on a 2-hour guided tour of the largest collection of funfair arts in Europe. A guaranteed return to childhood, as you can try out the rides! I think the adults had as much fun as the kids…
The guides are fascinating actors who bring the golden age of fairground arts to life. Fairground arts flourished between 1880 and 1940. Fairgrounds then declined in cities because they were too noisy for city dwellers.
The first room takes us back to Venice at the end of the 18th century, when carnival still lasted six months! It was Napoleon who put an end to this tradition because the masks allowed people to break the rules. Each profession wore a different mask!
Carnival was later revived in a shorter format: today it lasts 10 days.
The rest of the tour takes you to the carousel salons of the 1890s. These were the ancestors of amusement parks and were invented in France! The principle was simple: the same ticket gave access to several attractions under the big top.
The huge statues outside attracted visitors with the sound of the barrel organ. There are many anecdotes, as you will see! Do you know the difference between French and German carousel horses? The former have their ears to the side, while the latter have their ears pricked up! 😉
You’ll discover a whole range of fairground games, such as the amazing waiters’ race. You can also go on several rides, including one on a bike. And it’s your strength that will make the ride go round!
The tour ends in a cabinet of curiosities, combining naturalia (natural objects with very strange shapes) and costumes from the Folies Bergère, including one worn by Josephine Baker. The dreamlike atmosphere of this place brings the tour to a beautiful close.
Fragonard Perfume Museum
Perfume Museum: 9th arrondissement – Opéra (L3, 7, 8) – free
The famous perfume house founded in Grasse in 1925 set up its museum a few years ago in this chic and secluded pedestrian street. The location is unique, as the collections are displayed in the former velodrome where Parisians used to learn to ride bicycles!
The museum can be visited with a guide who explains the steps involved in making perfume. From picking the flowers by hand (it takes 1.5 tons of roses to make 1 liter of essential oil!) to the aluminum bottles patented by Fragonard. You can also discover the evolution of perfumes through the ages, including their use as a substitute for bathing, since water was considered a carrier of disease. There are also many anecdotes about the little vanities of the ladies of the time… They used perfumes and makeup to send messages!
You can also learn how to analyze eau de parfum, eau de toilette, and cologne, and distinguish between top, middle, and base notes. A fascinating journey to explore the world of scents!
Magic Museum
Musée de la Magie: 4th arrondissement – Saint Paul (L1) or Sully-Morland (L7) – 11€
Nestled in the heart of Paris’s 4th arrondissement, in the middle of the medieval quarter, the Magic Museum offers a real escape into the mysterious and wonderful world of magic… Created in 1993 by an enthusiast, it now exhibits numerous objects, books, and attractions related to magic. The visit is fascinating for children and very surprising for adults! You can discover, for example, how to make Ouija boards fly or learn the tricks of escapology, the art of escape!
It’s a real experience in itself! You can touch, experiment, get scared, laugh… You’ll also be treated to a magic show lasting about 20 minutes where you’ll see fire and smoke! And enthusiastic “guides” are on hand to explain the history and evolution of magic.
You’ll discover the first magic tricks from ancient times (crying statues!), fun physics textbooks from the Middle Ages, and even the first movie tricks!
The Museum of Magic is located next to the Museum of Automata, which has nearly 100 automatons!
Other unique museums in Paris with unusual themes to discover: Absinthe Museum, Phonograph Museum, Fan Museum, Counterfeit Museum
UNIQUE MUSEUMS IN PARIS, NESTLED IN BEAUTIFUL PRIVATE MANSIONS
The world’s most famous figures open the doors of their homes, rich with collections they have spent their lives assembling. Here you can discover fabulous exhibitions, but also the daily lives of these privileged individuals in their mansions…
Nissim de Camondo Museum
Musée Nissim de Camondo: 8th arrondissement – Monceau (L2) – 15€ – free for visitors under 26
This mansion, inspired by the Petit Trianon in Versailles, welcomes you on the edge of Parc Monceau in the 17th arrondissement. Bequeathed to France by its owner, the Nissim de Camondo Museum brings together the 18th-century decorative art collections accumulated throughout his life. The Camondo family lived here in the early 20th century, in a setting built from scratch with 18th-century elements but with all the comforts of modern life.
The first floor reveals the sumptuous reception rooms, where refinement matches the luxury of the decor. Master paintings on the walls, exceptional furniture and objects, silverware and porcelain—it’s all there! The second floor is dedicated to the family’s living quarters, including elegant bathrooms.
This fascinating insight into the life of this wealthy family ends with a visit to the beautiful kitchens.
Jacquemart-André Museum
Jacquemart-André Museum: 8th arrondissement – Saint-Philippe-du-Roule (L9) – 18€
Book your ticket for the Jacquemart-André Museum
This late 19th-century mansion houses a museum of fine and decorative arts in the heart of Paris’s 8th arrondissement. It is definitely one of my favorite unique museums in Paris !
In addition to the diverse collection of works, many by famous artists, the exhibition setting is magnificent. As you wander through the rooms, you are transported back to bourgeois life in the 19th century, discovering salons, vestibules, boudoirs, bedrooms, and more.
You can imagine yourself dancing in these rooms, climbing the sumptuous staircases in a long dress, reading in the winter garden… This garden offers a real breath of fresh air and was a surprise for the time when the palace was inaugurated. Right next to it, the monumental staircase is also a unique technical feat.
The museum also regularly hosts remarkable exhibitions. This exceptional setting makes visiting the exhibitions even more enjoyable!
Other unique museums in Paris that are housed in mansions: National Archives Museum, Rodin Museum, Picasso Museum
UNIQUE MUSEUMS IN PARIS BECAUSE OF THEIR LOCATION
Musée des arts et métiers
Musée des Arts et Métiers: 3rd arrondissement – Arts et Métiers (L3) – 12€ – free for visitors under 26
Book your ticket for the Musée des Arts et Métiers
The Museum of Arts and Crafts houses the great inventions of history, displayed in a church! Cars and other vehicles from yesteryear fill the nave, while one of the first airplanes seems to fly beneath the vaulted ceiling. The place is huge and simply magical!
I always find it fascinating to see how ingenious people were with the means available to them at the time. The Museum of Arts and Crafts is a true tribute to these geniuses. Some of them remained anonymous, even though they advanced their times and expanded the realm of possibility. You will discover Blaise Pascal’s first calculating machine, Léon Foucault’s pendulum, and Clément Ader’s first “flying machines” from the late 19th century.
The visit provides a better understanding of the evolution of techniques and inventions, taking you on a journey from ancient times to the present day. The Musée des Arts et Métiers has a huge collection covering all fields, including mathematics, chemistry, astronomy, robotics, carpentry, and electricity.
Sewer museum
Sewer museum : 7th arrondissement. – Alma-Marceau (L9) – 9€ – free under 26
Please note: wear flat shoes and bring something to cover up with, as it is quite cool in the Parisian underground!
What could be more original than venturing into the bowels of the capital and discovering… its sewers! While the idea may seem unlikely, the visit is fascinating!
From the history of the sewers to sanitation methods and the current challenges facing the Parisian network, this museum opens up a whole new world of curiosities. Visiting the museum really helps you understand how the network works, but also allows you to walk through many key parts of the network, following in the footsteps of the sewer workers.
In short, it’s a fascinating visit, and much less smelly than you might think!
The cellars of the Louvre
Caves du Louvre: 1st arrondissement – Louvre-Rivoli (L1) – free (excluding wine-tasting activities and experiences)
Here’s another unusual place for a museum! In the 17th century, Trudon, supplier of candles to the king’s court, opened a shop a few steps from the Louvre, which was then the Royal Palace.
Magnificent vaulted cellars were dug under the shop to age the owner’s wine. But Trudon also became the wine supplier for the Louvre Palace! The cellars were connected to the Louvre by a tunnel for security reasons, as the streets were unsafe at the time.
Today, you can discover a journey through wine and the five senses in these superb cellars. You can learn about the life cycle of wine, from fertile soil to the labeled bottle.
The tour is classic in nature but very interactive and easily suited to a visit with children.
Wine tastings are also available, as are guided tours.
Other unique museums in Paris located in unlikely places: the sewer museum, the Collège des Bernardins, the Conciergerie, a former prison, the Catacombs in the basement of Paris…
To continue exploring Paris, check out my travel guides:
3 Days in Paris Itinerary by a French Girl
The Best Latin Quarter Self-guided Walking Tour
Stroll through the Butte aux Cailles, with street art and flower gardens
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