Musée Carnavalet, History museum in Marais district, France
The Musée Carnavalet occupies the Hôtel Carnavalet, built 1548–1560 for Jacques de Ligneris and later decorated with Renaissance sculpture by Jean Goujon, and the Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau, linked by a first-floor gallery. Its 3,900 m² route covers about 1.5 km and displays 3,800 works, including 34 period 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.
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