SCI CARNAVALET

What a gem of a museum. It truly gets better as you progress. Don’t give up. This museum is special because it is only devoted to the history of Paris and its people. It is very local. It has history of some famous Parisian surnames. It covers all of the French revolution including incredible art work from every century. As a tourist it made me fall in love with Paris as I know so much more about it. Especially things like how every bridge was built and which were destroyed or remodelled. The English explanations are detailed and explained well. And of course, the fact it is free of charge is amazing. What a treasure. We spent a long time there even though we skimmed the decorated rooms lol!

I’m surprised that is isn’t busier than it is, given what an excellent museum it is. Tells the story of Paris through art and exhibits. I especially enjoyed seeing the remnants of the statue of Henry IV on Pont Neuf, which has subsequently been rebuilt. In addition, a tiny fragment of the hand of the statue of Louis XV that was located on what is now the place du Concorde. There are also beautiful rooms and good dioramas.

An impressive museum in the heart of Paris that is dedicated to the history of the city. The museum occupies a few neighboring mansions: the Hôtel Carnavalet and the former Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau. The structure contains multiple levels filled with art that despict life in Paris. The building, a historic monument from the 16th century, contains furnished rooms from different periods of Paris history, historic objects, and a very large collection of paintings. The entrance of the museum walks you through various city signs and building signs that identify the skill of the craftsman. The museum is free to enter and open every day from 10-6 except Monday and quite impressive if you have the time to visit.

A superb free museum in the heart of the Marais. The collection gives a rich, layered history of Paris, from medieval streets and aristocratic interiors to the Revolution and modern city life. The building itself is beautiful, and the rooms feel atmospheric rather than overwhelming. Perfect if you want to understand Paris beyond the usual postcard version. Highly recommended, especially because the permanent collection is free.

Super interesting and informative. The best free history museum Ive been to in Paris. They have an art section, a medieval section, a USA friendship section, a room recreation section etc. I had to come twice to experience the full museum. They have lockers for free at the entrance to leave your things in, which I found very useful, and the museum is easy to navigate! Absolutely recommend, lots to learn!

This is one of my favourite museums ever, and I'm really glad I went there. Admittedly, my expectations were not very high. I was just searching for somewhere new in Paris to spend an afternoon. However, Carnavalet turned out to be a gem! It's extremely well organised and curated, with excellent objects and informative plaques. I found myself flowing effortlessly between the rooms, not because the path was too linear but because it all just made sense. You move from the basement across all floors of the museum, covering the whole history of Paris chronologically. The main emphasis is the French Revolution, which I had studied and watched documentaries on before, but was still able to learn new things at the museum and feel much closer to the events. In total, I spent 3h in there. Lastly, as I left the museum and continued walking around Paris, I ran into several monuments that I appreciated much more after having read about them in Carnavalet (from the Hotel de Ville to the Fontaine des Innocents).

I really enjoyed visiting Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris. It was very interesting to learn about the history of Paris and see the beautiful exhibits and historic rooms. The atmosphere was charming and inspiring, and the time passed so quickly. A wonderful place for anyone who loves Paris and its history!

I loved it. History of Paris all in one place with some next interactive displays great for kids and many objects from different time periods. Gonna come back. It’s big and if you come like me at 10:00 on Saturday it was quite empty. Later it gets busy and I’m not sure it’s gonna be easy to find a locker box available. Beautiful garden and a cafe.