Petit Palais

Petit Palais

The Petit Palais (Small Palace) is a beautiful building featuring several art collections dating from Antiquity to 1920. The Petit Palais is also known as the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts.

The Palace

Located between Champs-Elysées and Les Invalides, the Petit Palais was built for the Exposition Universelle (Universal Exhibition) in 1900 and has a magnificent courtyard and garden. It is very similar to the Grand Palais, located just across the street.  

The hallways and grand porch of the Palace are beautifully decorated. It took over twenty years to complete the decoration.

Exhibitions

The various exhibitions are arranged chronologically, featuring paintings, sculptures and decorative elements from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance period, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

An Impressive Building

Although the Petit Palais (Musée des beaux-arts de la ville de Paris) contains interesting art collections, the most impressive part of the museum is the actual building with beautiful decoration. The garden is also worthwhile visiting; a peaceful haven where visitors can stop and have a drink.  

Schedule

Tuesday - Sunday: 10 am - 6 pm (Friday and Saturday until 8 pm)
Monday: closed
Closed: 1st January, 1st May, 11th November and 25th December

Price

Free admission to the permanent exhibition

Transport

Metro: Champs-Elysées Clémenceau, lines 1 and 13. Franklin D. Roosevelt, line 9
RER: Invalides, line C
Bus: lines 28, 42, 72, 73, 80, 83 and 93