Musée des Arts et Métiers

Overview

The Musée des Arts et Métiers is Europe's oldest and most spectacularly atmospheric science and technology museum. Located in the Marais, it houses its astonishing collection of world-changing inventions inside the soaring Gothic architecture of a former medieval priory.

Highlights

• Foucault's Pendulum: The original 1851 pendulum used to dramatically prove the rotation of the Earth, swinging mesmerizingly inside the vaulted abbey church.
• The Original Liberty: Look for the original, smaller-scale plaster model of the Statue of Liberty crafted by Bartholdi.
• Clément Ader's Avion No. 3: An incredible, bat-winged early flying machine suspended dramatically from the church ceiling.

History

Founded in 1794 during the French Revolution, the museum was created to preserve scientific instruments and inspire French engineering dominance. It was deliberately housed in the confiscated, deconsecrated church of Saint-Martin-des-Champs, creating an incredible visual contrast between medieval religion and the Age of Enlightenment.

Visitor Tips

• Metro: Ensure you arrive or depart via the 'Arts et Métiers' Metro station on Line 11—it is completely designed in gleaming copper to look like the inside of Jules Verne's submarine.
• Families: Highly recommended for older children and teenagers interested in engineering and mechanics.
• Duration: 2–3 hours.