Top 5 Off-the-Path Museums in Paris

The underground catacombs—piled high with human bones—are quite popular among visitors to Paris, but did you know that the city also has a sewers museum? A post office museum? One dedicated to eroticism? And another called the Musée de la Vie Romantique?

As a world culture capital, Paris attracts legions of international culture vultures to its museums every year. You could spend days in the Louvre’s galleries alone (here’s a tried-and-true tip from the art expert behind THATLou). And the Grand Palais wows with its blockbuster exhibits, like the current retrospective on Georges Braque. But there’s a lot more in Paris than the check-list triumvirate of Pompidou, Orsay, and Louvre. There’s literally a museum for every taste and subject in the City of Light, and even the most cultured of Parisians hasn’t seen them all. Here’s a look at some of our favourite small museums in Paris.

Musée des Plans-Reliefs: Housed in the Hôtel des Invalides (where Napoléon’s tomb is located), this tiny museum showcases a collection of historic relief-maps. Designed in painstaking detail for strategic military purposes, the maps are 3D models of towns used by commanders starting in 1668, when Louis XIV first commissioned a relief map of a French fortress. A fascinating look at centuries of French military history.

Musée National de la Marine: Perched on the Trocadéro facing the Eiffel Tower, the national marine museum has one of the world’s oldest maritime collections, with prized ship models from the 17th century, naval paintings, and artifacts like carved figureheads from the prows of famous ships. Earlier this year, the museum staged a dazzling exhibit on Bréton artist Mathurin Méheut.

Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson: A lovely gallery near Montparnasse in the 14th arrondissement is dedicated to the famous French photographer, and also hosts contemporary exhibits.

Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature: The “hunting and nature” museum is housed in two adjoining hôtel particuliers in the Marais, complete with original 17th century paneled ceilings and a lovely courtyard. An eccentric collection includes taxidermy from all over the world, hunting weapons, and paintings.

Pavillon de l’Arsenal: Located near the Seine in the 4th arrondissement, this free museum explores urban planning and architecture in Paris and other global metropolises. The permant exhibit, examining the evolution of Parisian architecture, has a treasure trove of maps, photos, and even a giant interactive satellite map where you can zoom in to various landmarks.