Musée Carnavalet

The Musée Carnavalet is a history and art museum in the 3rd arrondissement, housed in two neighboring townhouses from the 16th and 17th centuries. The collections hold around 600,000 objects tracing the city's development from the Neolithic period to the present, displayed across more than a hundred exhibition rooms.

The city council acquired Hôtel Carnavalet in 1866 following Baron Haussmann's initiative to document the history of the rapidly modernizing capital. The second building, Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau, was added in 1989 to accommodate the growing collections.

The name comes from the Breton noble family Kernevenoy, who lived in one of the two townhouses during the 16th century. Visitors can walk through original interiors from different centuries, including complete salons and rooms moved here from demolished Parisian houses.

The museum opens Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is fully accessible to wheelchair users. Entry to the permanent collection is free, while special exhibitions may require separate admission.

A wooden dugout canoe dating from 4600 BC ranks among the oldest exhibits and was found within the Paris city limits. The museum also preserves the original shop sign from the former Bijouterie Fouquet, whose Art Nouveau interior was designed by Alphonse Mucha.

Location: 3rd arrondissement of Paris

Inception: December 1880

Official opening: 1880

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible

Fee: No

Operator: Ville de Paris

Part of: Paris Musées

Address: 23 rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris, France

Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10:00-18:00 "Final admission 17:15"

Phone: +33144595858

Website: http://carnavalet.paris.fr

GPS coordinates: 48.85737,2.36274

Latest update: December 12, 2025 18:26