Musée Carnavalet
Place · Le Marais
Go for the history of Paris in period rooms across two mansions; 90 minutes, and the permanent collection is free. Closed Mondays.
- History of Paris
- Free permanent collection
- Marais
- Free entry
- Works with kids
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 10Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…The Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, the Eiffel Tower and most mo…
- Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
- Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
- France and Monaco ↗France has run temporary identity checks at its internal Schengen land borders since 2015; carry a passport or EU/EEA national ID on trains and buses from Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg.
- France and Monaco ↗Nights in France and Monaco draw on the same Schengen 90-in-180-day allowance as the rest of the area; Monaco does not reset or pause it.
- France ↗France is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources; the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors' fingerprints and photo at the first Schengen border, and further pre-travel authorisation rules are being introduced.
- France ↗TGV (including the low-cost Ouigo) and Intercités night trains need a seat reservation: a rail pass alone does not let you board.
- France ↗Paris, Lyon and other large cities run low-emission zones that require a Crit'Air sticker on cars; check before you drive a hire car or your own car into a city.
- France ↗Carry your passport or national ID card: police can ask for identification, and hotels register foreign guests.
- Paris ↗The Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, the Eiffel Tower and most monuments refuse suitcases and large bags at security and have no reliable storage: leave big bags at the hotel and carry a day bag.
- Paris ↗The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Sainte-Chapelle and the Eiffel Tower sell timed entry: book the slot on the official site before you go, and remember that the Louvre closes on Tuesdays and the Musée d'Orsay on Mondays.
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Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, best time to go, opening hours
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Hours unknown · closed Mon
- Crowds
Quietest around 09:00 or 17:00 · go a weekday morning
MonTueWedThuFriSatSunQuietest Mon–Thu · busiest Sat · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: free (check)
free for under 18 (check)
- Time to spend
- 75–105 min · up to 150 min if you linger
Best time to go
Calmer than the big museums; school groups fill the Revolution rooms on weekday mornings.
By weekday: quietest Mon–Thu, busiest Sat.
Opening hours
- Closed
- Mon
- Note
- Opening hours and last admission are not printed until verified.
- Hours note
- Open Tuesday to Sunday, usually from about 10:00 to 18:00; closed Monday; confirm on the official site.
Which month is quietest
- Janlight
- Febbusy
- Marbusy
- Aprheavy
- Mayheavy
- Junheavy
- Julpacked
- Augpacked
- Sepheavy
- Octheavy
- Novbusy
- Decbusy
Quietest Jan · busiest Jul–Aug.
Estimate: desk reasoning from weekday, season and holiday patterns; not counted. Holidays and events move these weeks.
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
Getting in, access, sensory load, what to bring, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Ticket
- free · official site
- Stairs
- Not recorded
- Shoes
- Not recorded
Accessibility
- YesStep-free entrance · Few.
- YesLifts
- YesAccessible toilet
- YesWheelchair
- YesStroller · ok
- YesPlaces to sit · Benches in the rooms and a garden café.
Sensory load
- Sensory load2/5 Low
- Peak crowd4/5 High
What to bring and the rules
- A small bag · Cloakroom for larger bags (check).
- Cloakroom for larger bags (check).
- Lockers or cloakroom Cloakroom (check).
- Allowed without flash (check).
Rules and prices change: check the official site before you go.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where it is, how to get there from your hotel or from where you stand, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
Tickets, prices and entry
Know before you go
- The permanent collection is free; temporary exhibitions are ticketed (check).
- Two joined mansions hold more than 600,000 works; you do not need to see everything.
- Proust’s cork-lined bedroom and Alphonse Mucha’s jewellery shop interior are favourites.
- Closed on Mondays.
Best time of day
Go a weekday morning. Plan 75–105 min inside.
quietlightbusyheavypacked· desk estimate for an ordinary weekday; add one level on weekends and holidays
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- No ticket needed.
- Permanent collection: Gate
- Temporary exhibitions: Official site or desk
- The permanent collection needs no ticket; check the site for exhibitions.
- Queues
- Permanent collection: No ticket queue; security still applies.
- Temporary exhibitions: Book online for popular shows.
- Bags & lockers
- Cloakroom for larger bags (check).
- Lockers or cloakroom Cloakroom (check).
- Photos
- Allowed without flash (check).
- What's closed
- MondaysClosed on Mondays.
- 1 January, 1 May, 25 DecembercheckClosed on these days (check).
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Where to buy | Skip-the-line reality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent collection | free (check) | Gate | No ticket queue; security still applies. |
| Temporary exhibitions | about €10 (≈ US$12) (check) | Official site or desk | Book online for popular shows. |
How to do it well
- 1Enter at the main courtyard; the permanent collection is free (check).
- 2Follow the chronological route from Roman times to the 20th century.
- 3See the Revolution rooms, then Proust’s bedroom and the Fouquet jewellery shop interior.
- 4Walk out to Place des Vosges, five minutes away.
Time on site, inside and your plan
Time on site
Minimum
45min
Worthwhile
75min
Typical
105min
p95
150min
How much time do you have?
Enough for a typical visit (105 min).
With the other 15 min, these are a walk away (their own visit time is on their page):
- Place des VosgesThe square with brick arcades.5 min on foot · 10 min spare
- Musée PicassoNext museum in the Marais.5 min on foot · 10 min spare
- MiznonPita for lunch.8 min on foot · 7 min spare
Visit times are typical figures, not promises; queues and closing times can change them.
Inside, in order
The Revolution rooms
20 minObjects from 1789 and the Terror.
Proust’s bedroom
10 minThe reconstructed cork-lined room.
Fouquet jewellery shop
10 minArt Nouveau interior by Mucha.
Garden courtyards
10 minFormal French gardens.
optional
Plan this visit
- Crowd on arrival
- light
- Worst while inside
- busy
- Leave by
- 10:4510:45 AM
- Closing buffer
- 375′
Good window: go.
- Closing buffer is measured against a planning close of 17:00. Closing times vary by season (check).
- Crowd levels are a desk estimate by hour, not live data.
Step-free check, who it suits, facilities
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: yes · yesFew.
- Lifts: yes · yes
- Accessible toilet: yes · yes
- Wheelchair: yes · yes
- Stroller: yes · yesok
- Places to sit: yes · yesBenches in the rooms and a garden café.
Reopened in 2021 after a long renovation with step-free routes (check).
Step-free route
- 1Step-free routes across the two mansions (check).
Facilities on site
| What | Status | Where / note |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | yes | Inside. |
| Lockers or cloakroom | yes | Cloakroom (check). |
| Café or food | yes | A garden café (check). |
| Seating | yes | Benches. |
| Card or IC payment | yes | Cards at shops and desks. |
Seasons, festivals and night openings
| When | What happens | Effect on your visit | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainy days | A good indoor choice | Free and quiet. | check |
“Check” rows move every year; confirm dates on the official calendar before you plan around them.
Who it suits
| Traveler | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| History lovers | good | The city’s story in rooms. |
| Budget travellers | good | Free permanent collection (check). |
| Wheelchair users | ok | Step-free (check). |
| Families | ok | Best with older children. |
Skip it if
- You only want famous paintings: the Louvre and Orsay do that better.
Rules on site
- food
- Not inside; a café is in the museum (check).
With kids
- with kids
- Costumes, shop signs and models of the old city work for ages 8 and up.
- child price
- free for under 18 (check)
Combine with
Combine with
- 5 minPlace des Vosges — The square with brick arcades.
- 5 minMusée Picasso — Next museum in the Marais.
- 8 minMiznon · eat — Pita for lunch.
Walk the Le Marais area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Best photo time
Best photo time today
Sun times for today load in your browser.
| Spot | When | Rule on the spot |
|---|---|---|
| Main courtyard | Morning | Free. |
| Period rooms | Any time | No flash. |
Deep dive
Questions, photos, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
Is it worth it?
Yes for the history and the period rooms, and the permanent collection is free (check).
Checked 2026-10-22 · Voykit desk
Is it free?
The permanent collection is (check); exhibitions are ticketed.
How long do I need?
75–120 minutes.
When is it closed?
Mondays.
Photos
Photos
Musée Carnavalet Photo: Miguel Hermoso Cuesta, CC BY-SA 4.0
Deep dive
Sources
- officialOfficial site
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Source: Price
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
Prices are 2026 estimates. The official site has the current price.
Source: Opening hours
Source: Best hour
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The quietest window written into this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.
Source: Bag rating
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Rated for the whole walking cluster, from desk research, not for this entrance.