By Cosette
I’ve been wanting to do this post since we started visiting museums in Paris, but obviously I had to wait until the end of the month. And then of course, I got locked out of my blog, so it’s gotten shoved off again. Anyway, I put together my list of the museums I visited in Paris and ranked them from least to most favorite. This was hard because most of the museums we visited were incredible and had at least something I enjoyed! The museums I visited were the following: the Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, Musee de Cluny, Conciergerie, Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine, Centre Pompidou, Musée de Egouts, Maison de Victor Hugo, Maison de l’Outil, Musée Vauluisant, Foundation Monet in Giverny, and the Musée Rodin
Number 12: Musee Vauluisant aka The Dual Museum
This museum missed the mark in my book. The museum is split into two sections: the Museum of 16th century Art in Troyes, and the Hosiery Museum. It was interesting to discover since I came into Troyes not knowing about this museum. However, the two halves felt really strangely stuck together, like freshman year roommates that kinda have to make the best of a less than ideal situation. There was also just not a ton of interpretation or information, especially in sections of the hosiery part. It was an experience, and I’m glad we went but it’s not my favorite.
Number 11: Musée de Egouts aka Sewer Museum
I regret putting the sewer museum so low because I know that it’ll be one of the museums I tell stories about someday, but someone has to be in the bottom. This just wasn’t really it for me. I found it interesting to see the sewers and I was grateful Dr Smith was there to translate the information for us. However, I just didn’t get much out of the visit. I was admittedly having some breathing issues and was not a fan of the smell too. I retained the least information from this visit, but I do now know that the Paris sewer system has different size sewers for different areas! I also did not see Jean Valjean with Marius anywhere in the sewer, false advertising.
Number 10: Foundation Monet in Giverny aka Monet’s Gardens
I was just not feelin it this day, there were a lot of people there and it was very hot. I kinda wanted to just chill in the gardens for a bit and not move, maybe read, with all the pretty greenery around me. I retained nothing from Monet’s house except for the million Japanese paintings and the epically cool kitchen. For me the gardens were the best part (Versailles anyone?) and although I was grateful to get the chance to see his home, it was not the highlight of our trip. Plus the gift shop was air conditioned, which was nice after our six forms of transportation to get there.
Number 9: Maison de l’Outil aka the Tool Museum
When we walked into this museum, I had low expectations. Like c’mon a TOOL museum? But seriously, this was the coolest tool museum to ever museum. It still wasn’t my jam, but I can appreciate a good museum no matter what. The displays for these tools were spectacular, and I really enjoyed their incorporation of interactive elements. Bonus points for making a presumably dry topic remotely interesting.
Number 7: Musee de Cluny aka the Middle Ages museum
I was sick on this day, so I don’t completely remember most of the museum, but I do remember the most important pieces of art: Christ on a donkey, and Christ’s umbilical cord reliquary. The Roman baths were really cool, and it’s wild to think about standing in a building that is hundreds of years older than our country. This museum really reminded me of the Met Cloisters, especially with the huge, gorgeous tapestries. All the religious art tends to bleed together in my brain but there were plenty of stand outs in this museum as well, thankfully.
Number 8: Conciergerie aka the old prison
This one gets bonus points for being near the start of our program so it sticks out, and for having the celebrity element with Marie Antoinette. I didn’t actually retain a whole lot from this visit, but I remember the classist prison cells, and the parts about Marie Antoinette, so I count that as a win. Plus, we spent a long time on the French Revolution in my high school AP European History class, so it was pretty neat to hear all those names again but in context. I also thought the room lined with names of those who were imprisoned or died in the prison was very respectful and a good memorial.
Number 6: Maison de Victor Hugo aka
I visited this museum on my own, mostly for my father who is the world’s biggest Les Miserables fan. I was excited since it was a public museum and so had no admission fee. It was actually bigger than I expected, and set up like a historic house museum, so you moved through the apartment which was recreated to be as it was in his time. It was really cool to be where he lived, and look out the windows at the Place de Vosges. I learned a ton about his life, works, and art, which I hadn’t realized he was also an artist. My dad was thrilled that I got to visit!
Number 5: Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine aka the Architecture Museum
This was the last museum we visited and I really loved it. The building was perfectly airy for all the incredible building remnants and casts. It’s an epic way to exhibit items that don’t fit the normal confines of a museum. Plus, the Corbusier apartment was just about the coolest thing ever. I loved learning about those apartments and it was helpful to be able to walk through one and see it!
Number 4: Centre Pompidou aka the Funky Modern Art Museum
I explored the Centre Pompidou on my own, mostly because it was air conditioned. I’m not a huge modern art fan, nor do I understand it super well, but this museum was pretty epic. The building itself is pretty unique, since it is an “inside out” building, so you can see all the systems from the outside. Honestly, architecture alone warrants a visit. But the art inside is amazing too. There are some incredible pieces, some deeply strange pieces, and some fun interactive pieces, so all together, it was worth it in my book. I found some new artists I love from this visit!
The top three are all very close together!!
Number 3: Musee d’Orsay aka the Doctor Who Museum (Okay, impressionist museum mostly)
I have been dreaming of the Musee d’Orsay since seeing it in my favorite Doctor Who episode with Van Gogh. It’s a gorgeous museum and an amazing example of adaptive reuse. The only reason it’s not higher is because I wish I had done more research on what was there before I went. It felt like I missed a lot of art between being lost and not having much energy left after class that day. Still, the Van Gogh exhibit alone was enough to make my top three, plus the gorgeous architecture, incredible statuary, and the beautiful artwork that I did see. Honestly, I wish I had gone back, so if I ever return to Paris, this will be at the top of my list to revisit.
Number 2: Musée Rodin, aka STATUES museum
The beginning of my trademark “I enjoyed this more than I thought I would!” I didn’t even know who Rodin was before visiting this museum, and I still had to be almost physically removed at the end of the day. His sculptures are beautiful and so captivating. I can’t even really explain my attraction to his work, but there’s something so raw and human about the way he can portray a wide range of emotions, from love to grief. Plus, they have a really beautiful garden area too!
Number 1: The Louvre aka if you don’t know this one, I can’t help you.
Listen, I had a lot to say about the Louvre, but at the end of the day, c’mon. It’s the largest museum in the world, and despite the massive crowds and extreme museum fatigue, it was still an incredible experience. I have been so interested in Egyptian art ever since taking Art History and they had the biggest exhibit I’ve ever seen on Egyptian artifacts. Wandering through the third floor galleries of Northern European art, looking for the Vermeer, and almost completely alone despite the crushing crowds on lower levels, was a near religious experience. I’ve said it before, but again, the architecture in this museum alone is jaw dropping. I can gripe about crowds, but in the end, it was still stellar.