Paris is know as a city where the mastery of techniques are given a special space to express itself openly. Therefore, a museum that collects all this incredible work has been created.
The Musée des Arts et Métiers of Paris (Museum for Arts and Crafts) houses an impressive collection of scientific inventions and technical objects in seven fields you will discover in this article. It is definitely one of the must-see museums in Paris if you are interested in inventions, science and craft.
In order to make you appreciate this visit at its fair value, we prepared a complete visitor information review for the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris, including exhibition highlights, history, tickets, tours and helpful information on how to get there. Here we go!
What can I do at the Musée des Arts et Métiers ?
The Musée des Arts et Métiers is housed in the former monastery of Saint-Martin-des-Champs and the neighboring buildings. The museum's holdings include around 80 000 exhibits.
Visitors can discover a treasure trove of interesting inventions spread over three floors, most of which date from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
Permanent Exhibition
More than 2400 inventions and instruments of scientific and technical origin are presented in the permanent exhibition. The collection, which houses numerous original objects as well as perfect replicas, is displayed chronologically.
The most notable exhibits include the original of Foucault's pendulum, Pascal's calculator from the 18th century, a smaller version of the Statue of Liberty, the plane of the pioneer of aviation Blériot and the steam turbine-powered vehicle from Cugnot - the first motorized vehicle.
The museum's permanent exhibition is divided into the following 7 collections :
- Scientific instruments
- Materials
- Energy
- Mechanics
- Construction
- Communication
- Transport
Temporary Exhibitions
The museum collection is regularly enriched with temporary exhibitions. An up-to-date overview can be found on the Arts et Métiers Museum’s official website.
Activities for Children
The Musée des Arts et Métiers is ideal for families with children, as the collection will delight both young and old. At the reception, there is a free museum quiz for children as well as an audioguide for visitors from 7 to 12 years, which playfully introduce children to the permanent exhibition.
The museum also offers educational workshops for families and children from 4 years of age. The museum's repertoire also includes family tours that encourage adults and children to research topics such as photography, transport, optical toys, animated images, and electricity.
Activities for Visitors
The museum offers a variety of activities for its visitors. This includes workshops, guided tours of special exhibits or demonstrations by scientific interpreters. To find out about the latest activities, please consult the museum’s official website.
Entrance, Tickets and Tours
How to get to the Musée des Arts et Métiers
The Musée des Arts et Métiers is situated in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris in the neighborhood of "Quartier des Arts-et-Métiers".
Our recommendation is to take metro 3 or 11 to the “Arts-et-Métiers” station. This is not only the easiest way to get to the museum, but some exhibits of the museum can also be found at this metro stop. The “Arts-et-Métiers” metro station is inspired by the Nautilus submarine from Jules Verne's novel “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea”. Portholes and cladding made of copper plates make the metro station quite unusual.
Alternatively, you can take the bus lines 38 and 39 to “Boulevard Sébastopol” or the bus lines 20, 47 and 38 to “Rue Réaumur”.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
The Musée des Arts et Métiers is located in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris in the popular Marais district, just a 10-minute walk from the Pompidou Center. The address is: 60 Rue Réaumur, 75003 Paris, France
The Musée des Arts et Métiers is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. On Fridays it is open until 21:00. For the lastest information about opening hours, please consult the museum's official website.
Entry to the Musée des Arts et Métiers is free for all visitors on the first Sunday of each month and every Thursday between 18:00 and 21:30.
Yes, the Musée des Arts et Métiers displays the original Foucault pendulum, with which the physicist Léon Foucault demonstrated the earth's rotation in 1851.
History of the Musée des Arts et Métiers
The Musée des Arts et Métiers is located in the historic premises of the former monastery of Saint-Martin-des-Champs and the adjoining buildings.
Its origins go back to the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers founded by Abbot Grégoire in 1794. This facility was built as a repository for scientific instruments and inventions.
Since then, the collection has been continuously expanded and now includes 80 000 exhibits and 15 000 drawings.
After extensive renovations, the Musée des Arts et Métiers has been open to the public again since 2000 and presents over 2,400 inventions.
Today, it is considered one of the oldest technical and industrial museums in the world.