7 Lesser-Known Paris Museums That Locals Visit

There are dozens of museums of Paris, but once you’ve done the Louvre and d’Orsay, what’s next?

Locals tend to avoid the big crowds and head to smaller, quieter spots. These places don’t always make the tourist lists but they offer rich experiences without the chaos.

1. Musée Bourdelle

18 Rue Antoine Bourdelle, 75015 Paris

Tucked behind a nondescript gate in the 15th arrondissement, the Musée Bourdelle is a sculptor’s workshop turned museum.

Antoine Bourdelle was a student of Rodin, and his monumental works are scattered across the gardens and studio spaces.

The museum is free, rarely packed, and has a raw, industrial atmosphere that makes it feel alive.

Locals nearby stop in regularly, especially for the rotating exhibits in the upper halls.

It’s just minutes from the Montparnasse tower but feels like a different world.

2. Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature

62 Rue des Archives, 75003 Paris (Le Marais)

You’re not likely to stumble across this one unless someone tells you about it. Hidden in a pair of historic mansions near Arts et Métiers, this museum mixes antique hunting weapons with contemporary art in surreal, theatrical rooms.

You’ll walk past taxidermied boars, walk into velvet-walled salons, and maybe find a video installation tucked behind a tapestry.

It’s strange and oddly beautiful. Parisians appreciate its sense of humor and the way it reinvents itself with every new exhibit.

3. Musée Zadkine

100bis Rue d’Assas, 75006 Paris

Just off Rue d’Assas, near the Jardins du Luxembourg, this small sculpture museum is easy to miss.

This was the home and studio of Russian-born sculptor Ossip Zadkine, known for his cubist works in wood and stone.

The museum is small and free, with a lovely garden where you’ll usually find someone reading or sketching.

Locals in the 6th treat it like a retreat, especially in spring. It rarely feels like a museum visit, more like walking into someone’s creative space left untouched.

4. Musée de Montmartre

12 Rue Cortot, 75018 Paris (near the vineyard)

Most visitors stop at Sacré-Cœur and head back down the hill. Few walk the extra blocks to the Musée de Montmartre, even though it holds the full story of the neighborhood’s bohemian past.

Renoir once lived here, and the garden still has his swing. The rooms inside trace Montmartre’s transformation from a rural village to a cultural epicenter.

Locals come for the tranquility and to revisit the district’s rebellious spirit without the postcard version.

5. Musée Curie

1 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris

Marie Curie’s former lab is now a free museum, open a few afternoons per week. It’s attached to the Institut du Radium, near the Panthéon.

It hasn’t been overpolished or turned into a science theme park, it’s a simple, respectful space that preserves her original instruments, journals, and personal objects.

The visit doesn’t take long, but it stays with you. Parisians often bring curious friends or kids here for a dose of real scientific history in the middle of the Quartier Latin.

6. Musée des Arts Forains

53 Avenue des Terroirs de France, 75012 Paris

In a tucked-away courtyard in Bercy Village sits the city’s most unusual museum. It’s filled with antique fairground games, mechanical theaters, and 19th-century carnival décor.

The Musée des Arts Forains only opens for guided visits (tickets), which makes it feel exclusive even to locals. Parisians often book it for private events or family outings.

The tour is interactive, and you’ll actually get to try some of the rides. It’s fun, offbeat, and nothing like a traditional museum experience.

7. Musée Jean-Jacques Henner

43 Avenue de Villiers, 75017 Paris

Close to Parc Monceau, this small museum is set in a 19th-century hôtel particulier with a glass-roofed winter garden and red-carpeted staircases.

It showcases the life and work of Jean-Jacques Henner, a painter whose soft, dreamlike portraits once filled the salons of Paris.

The house itself is the main draw. It feels untouched, with creaky floors and velvet curtains.

Locals in the 17th sometimes drop in for a moment of calm or to see the temporary shows hosted upstairs.

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Cover photo: Pavillons de Bercy · Musée des Arts Forains (CC BY-SA 4.0)