Petit Palais

Overview

Sitting gracefully across from the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais is a stunning, often-overlooked architectural gem housing the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts. It offers an incredible, diverse collection in an exquisitely decorated, highly ornate setting.

Highlights

• The Inner Garden: The breathtaking, semi-circular inner courtyard featuring a lush, exotic garden surrounded by painted colonnades and a beautiful terrace café.
• The Art Collection: An eclectic, highly impressive fine arts collection spanning from classical antiquity and the Renaissance right up to 1920s Paris.
• The Architecture: Astonishing decorative details throughout, including magnificent wrought-iron entrance gates, mosaic floors, and sweeping, naturally lit galleries.

History

Constructed specifically for the 1900 Universal Exhibition by architect Charles Girault. It was designed to showcase the absolute pinnacle of Belle Époque French grandeur and craftsmanship. After the exhibition, it became the permanent municipal museum of the city.

Visitor Tips

• Cost: Entrance to the permanent collection is entirely free, making it one of the best cultural bargains in the city.
• Crowds: Because tourists naturally gravitate toward the Louvre or Orsay, the Petit Palais remains wonderfully, peacefully uncrowded most days.
• Duration: 1.5–2 hours.