Musée de la Vie romantique

The Musée de la Vie romantique is an art and literary museum in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, housed in a two-story residence from the early 1800s. The building sits at the end of a narrow street opening onto a courtyard with a garden, and its rooms display paintings, furniture, and decorative objects tied to the French Romantic movement.

Painter Ary Scheffer moved into this residence in 1830 and hosted gatherings of writers, composers, and artists throughout the following decades. The building opened as a public museum in 1987, dedicated to preserving the memory of the French Romantic era.

The residence preserves furniture and personal objects that once belonged to writer George Sand, offering a sense of how literary figures lived during the 1800s. Visitors walk through rooms arranged much as they were when writers and composers gathered here for conversation and music.

The museum is currently closed for renovations until March 2026, though it typically welcomes visitors from Tuesday through Sunday without advance booking. The courtyard garden provides a quiet outdoor space during warmer months, and all exhibition rooms are on ground and first floors.

The garden behind the residence grows many of the same plant species that were present during Scheffer's lifetime, and neighborhood cats often wander through the pathways. A small outdoor tearoom opens in summer, where visitors can sit beneath the trees after viewing the collections.

Location: 9th arrondissement of Paris

Inception: 1987

Official opening: 1987

Accessibility: Wheelchair limited access

Fee: No

Operator: Ville de Paris

Part of: Paris Musées

Address: 16, rue Chaptal

Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10:00-18:00, Monday off

Phone: +33148749538

Website: http://paris.fr/portail/Culture/Portal.lut?page_id=5851

GPS coordinates: 48.88112,2.33352

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:29