Europe has a great history and lots of different museums, and France is no exception where they are dotted all over the country, but there are an incredible amount of museums in Paris itself that you can visit.

Probably one of the most well known French Museums in Paris is The Louvre, which is famous for the Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinchi and this place can take at least a day or more to get round to see all the exhibits and you need a pair of walking shoes for this one!  But the popular Musee d’Orsay situated in the former Paris railway station on the left bank of the River Seine picks up where The Louvre leaves off and features mainly French art.

The Palais de Tokyo is another popular museum especially with the younger generation and situated in an art-deco palace holding only temporary exhibitions, it is open until midnight and has become known as the most creative and fun museum in Paris.

But you can also get to visit a traditional home of one of the famous artists or authors, like the home of Victor Hugo who wrote The Hunchback of Notre dame, or seeing Honor Balzac’s house where he made it a place of refuge and it even had an escape hatch to get away from the debtors that he owed money to, which is now part of the Musee du Vin wine museum.

Or for a completely different scene, why not visit the Musée Cernuschi with its collection of Asian art, or the more modern Fondation Le Corbusier who became a pioneer in modern design and dedicated time to plans for providing better living conditions for people living in crowded cities.

There are lots of museums that are dedicated to famous artists and sculptors such as Musee Rodin and the Picasso Museum, but to step back in time and get a feel for how some of them lived and worked a visit to the Musee Bourdelle or the Gustave Moureau museum is well worth the time.

However, just in the city of Paris there are lots of museums dedicated to specific topics, such as the Musée des Egouts or Paris Sewers Museum, where you go beneath the city to discover their history and how they work, or you have the catacombs, which are again underground.

But keeping above ground, there are other museums in Paris dedicated to specific themes like the Musée de la Musique, dedicated to music and musical instruments that even has a Stradivarius violin and the Musee de la Poste, dedicated to the French Postal Service.  Or perhaps you have an interest in dolls, as the Musée de la Poupée is all about dolls and their history, plus they even do valuations and repairs to antique dolls and teddy bears.  The Musee du Vin is dedicated to the French past-time of wine and wine making and here you can even have wine tasting sessions and enjoy a meal in their restaurant.

Paris has such a wide variety of museums for all the family to enjoy like going inside a decommissioned submarine, visiting the air and space museum and going inside a Boeing 747 or Concorde or going up the tower at the Notre Dame Cathedral to see the gargoyles.

There is so much more on offer than just the traditional art scene and you could spend months just visiting museums, without even contemplating any other monuments and landmarks in Paris, which is another major part of the French History that this incredible city is so proud of.

Yet we would like to point out that all the museums are closed for at least one day of the week and this is usually on a Monday or Tuesday, for instance The Louvre is closed on a Tuesday and therefore other popular museums get exceedingly busy on this day.

Also at certain state run museums you can gain free entry on the first Sunday of every month, however, if you do decide to choose this option, be prepared for the large crowds and long queues, especially at some of the more well known and famous museums!  But one option for jumping the queues is to purchase a Paris Pass that gains you entry into more than sixty different museums and attractions.

But we have found that you really do need to plan in advance exactly where you wish to go, otherwise you will definitely run out of time, mind you, this could be a good excuse for returning to Paris on another holiday in France!

Watch the video related to museum

Dinosaur interacts with children in the Los Angeles Natural History Museum. Pretty cool. “Living Dinosaurs” was created by: www.erth.com.au – Check them out. See more videos – www.youtube.com www.youtube.com

Help answer the question about museum

What are four good examples of buildings that would help in choosing a deisgn for a museum?
You are a member of and advisory board who answers to a public figure; someone who is in control of, and makes decisions concerning the architectural development of the city where you reside. It has been established that there is a need for a new museum to house the historic art and artifacts of the city and surrounding region. You have been given the responsibility to begin the search for the appropriate architect as well as inform the said public figure of the reasons why a particular architect/architecture is suitable for the charge of the museum. Your research begins with understanding historical models for museums and similar institutions.

In your paper you must select four examples that programmatically fit your idea of “museum” and explain why you have chosen these buildings (note that the chosen buildings do not necessarily need to be museums). You must then present your findings to the board for review. It is your responsibility to explain why these models are good precedents, and then you must explain why, even though these where suitable at the time, they may not be suitable now. Also, you must reference four contemporary museums that you feel are appropriate in order to foster a connective historical understanding of your choices to your audience: the board.

Essentially, you will be selecting buildings that can perform as a museum “type.” You will explain the positive, and potentially negative, attributes of the building as an historic model. The selection of the contemporary – modern – buildings is to reinforce both positive and negative elements. Remember, in the end, you are not selecting a “building.” You are educating a group of people in order for them to make the appropriate decisions on hiring an architect. You will not suggest an architect.

The ideas in your paper are general. You should use thoughts discussed in the lectures as well as your individual research. Remember that notions of program, formal design, materials, structure and contemporary ideas are all constituents that should be used in your paper.

Any suggestions?

About Author

http://www.placesinfrance.com

Martyn Davis European Traveller, Author, Photographer and Business Development Manager, For all your French holiday needs and travel guide to France, with tourist information, landmarks and attractions – http://www.placesinfrance.com/museums_france.html

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