Unusual Museums In Paris – Expand Your Curiosity

Red and black artwork from the Tang Dynasty, photo Guimet Asian Arts Museum

If the Louvre had a cooler, more mysterious cousin, it would be the Guimet Asian Arts Museum. Founded by 19th-century explorer Émile Guimet, this museum is an exquisite crash course in Eastern art. The moment you step inside, you're greeted by serene Buddhist statues, delicate porcelain, and samurai armor that looks straight out of a movie.

Why is this among the unusual museums in Paris? It's a place where gilded Tibetan artifacts sit alongside fierce-looking guardian deities, and where ancient scrolls whisper tales of empires long gone. One of the most offbeat Paris attractions, the Guimet is an artistic passport to lands far beyond the Seine. If you're looking for a unique museum experience in Paris, this one delivers.

Paris Mineralogy Museum – A Star Rock Collection

A young girl and her father at the Paris Mineralogy Museum, photo Ville de Paris

Think minerals are boring? Think again. The Paris Mineralogy Museum is a geological playground, featuring everything from rare gems to meteorites that have traveled millions of miles through space. This is where science meets spectacle, all set against the backdrop of a stunning 18th-century building to create one of the greatest and unusual museums in Paris.

Yves Saint-Laurent Museum Paris – A Fashionista's Time Capsule

Yves Saint-Laurent cutting out miniature dresses, photo Yves Saint-Laurent Museum

For anyone with even a passing interest in fashion, this museum is like stepping into a designer's diary. Housed in Yves Saint Laurent's former atelier, the space still exudes the quiet hum of creative genius. Here, you can admire sketches, fabric samples, and some of the legendary couturier's most stunning designs — because nothing says "fashion history" like a collection of impeccably tailored jackets that could still turn heads today.

It's not just about the clothes. The museum also dives into Saint Laurent's creative process, from inspiration boards to the painstaking craftsmanship that went into every collection. If you've ever wondered what it takes to shape the world of haute couture, this museum lays it all out — one impeccably sewn seam at a time.

Fondation Louis Vuitton – Ready for Takeoff

Multiple roofs looking like sails in the setting sun, photo Fondation Louis Vuitton

If alien spacecrafts had a taste for contemporary art, they'd probably look a lot like the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Designed by Frank Gehry, this architectural marvel is a swirling mass of glass and steel floating above the Bois de Boulogne. It's part museum, part sculpture, and entirely unlike anything else in Paris. One of the most unusual museums in Paris? You bet.

Inside, the exhibitions lean bold and modern, featuring big-name contemporary artists alongside experimental installations. Whether you're admiring an oversized sculpture or contemplating a digital masterpiece, this is a place where the art world lets loose. The rooftop views? Just as spectacular as the building itself. If you're after an unusual museum in Paris that doubles as a jaw-dropping photo op, this is it.

Fondation Cartier Pour l'Art Contemporain

Architectural grids cover the facade and gardens, photo Fondation Cartier by Luc Boegly

Forget stuffy galleries — this place is all about pushing artistic boundaries. Fondation Cartier is where contemporary art meets the unexpected, and sometimes, the downright bizarre. The glass-walled museum, designed by Jean Nouvel, provides the perfect backdrop for thought-provoking exhibitions that blur the lines between art, science, and society.

One visit might have you contemplating massive kinetic sculptures; another might introduce you to an avant-garde photography collection that makes you rethink reality. With a lush garden outside and a rotating lineup of daring exhibitions, Fondation Cartier proves that modern art doesn't have to be intimidating — it just has to make you think (or at least leave you wondering what on earth you just saw).

Unusual Museums in Paris – Grevin Wax Museum

In the Hall of Columns, photo Grevin Wax Museum by S Giraud"

Think of Grevin Wax Museum as the Parisian cousin to Madame Tussauds — but with a little more BelleÉpoque charm and slightly fewer awkward celebrity poses. This museum has been creating eerily lifelike wax figures for over a century, and while some are so realistic they could fool you in dim lighting, others veer delightfully into the uncanny valley.

The setting is just as impressive as the waxworks themselves. Housed in a stunning 19th-century building, the museum's grand staircase and ornate interiors transport you back to a time when wax figures were the height of entertainment. Whether you're posing with historical figures or trying not to laugh at a slightly off-kilter celebrity replica, it's one of the most unusual museums in Paris — and one of the most fun. Funnest?

Musée de la Sculpture En Plein Air

A white marble statue at Musée de la Sculpture En Plein Air, posed in front of the Seine

Most museums keep their treasures locked behind doors, but this one spills them right onto the banks of the Seine. The Musée de la Sculpture En Plein Air is exactly what it sounds like — an open-air museum showcasing modern and contemporary sculptures, scattered along the river in the 5th arrondissement.

It's part art exhibit, part scenic walk. Stroll past abstract stone pieces, pause by geometric steel installations, and let the ever-changing light transform each sculpture throughout the day. There are no walls, no crowds, and no entry fee — just art, fresh air, and a perfectly Parisian view. If you like your culture served with a side of tranquility, this is the museum for you.

Romantic Paris Museums

A visitor pauses in front of framed portraits of 19th-century women, photo by Mark Craft

"Romantic" doesn't mean love, at least not in the case of these museums. It means charming, small-scale, and often evocative of the Romantic Period of the early 19th century. In fact, one of our favorite small museums in Paris is called the Musée de la Vie Romantique — Museum of the Romantic Life — located on an unassuming street in the 9th Arrondissement.

Here are our reviews of museums that are both intimate and charming, and that often feature a garden or a fascinating family history.

10 More Unusual Museums in Paris

The laboratory of Louise Pasteur at his namesake museum, photo Institut Pasteur

Think Paris museums are all about stiff portraits and dusty relics? Oh, no. There are collections appealing to all interests. Join us to take a look at ten more unusual museums in Paris dedicated to water, outdoor sculpture, minerals, Louis Pasteur, opera costumes, and even comics. You may not have heard of most of these, but we think you'll find them interesting.

Family Museums in Paris – Where Learning Feels Like Play

A mother and your daughter examine a modern sculpture, photo MAM

Keeping kids entertained in Paris doesn't have to mean chasing them through the Tuileries while they pester pigeons. The city is packed with family-friendly museums that turn learning into a hands-on adventure. Science addicts will love the interactive exhibits at Palais de la Découverte, while future astronauts (or kids who like pushing buttons) can explore the giant geodome at Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie in northeast Paris.

But that's just the beginning. There's also the Musée de la Musique, where instruments from across the ages take center stage, and the Natural History Museum, home to dinosaur skeletons and a parade of taxidermy animals that look suspiciously lifelike. Even the Grevin Wax Museum makes the list — because where else can your kids take a selfie with a frozen-in-time version of their favorite celebrity? Grab your coats, grab the kids, and get ready to make some surprisingly educational memories.

Paris Photography Museums – Where the Big Shots Live

Two visitors look a photograph of men looking at a woman, photo by Mark Craft

Paris has been a muse to photographers for over a century, so it's only fitting that the city has some top-tier museums dedicated to the art of capturing a moment. If you love photography — whether as an avid shutterbug or someone who appreciates a well-framed shot — these museums should be on your list.

The Maison Européenne de la Photographie in the Marais (AKA La MEP) is a temple to contemporary photography, featuring everything from haunting black-and-white portraits to edgy fashion editorials. Over in the Tuileries, the Jeu de Paume brings photography and video art together in exhibitions that range from thought-provoking to downright surreal. Both museums prove that in a city this photogenic, even the museums are picture-perfect.

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