Musée Carnavalet

Museum Museum of Paris history with city artifacts

Housed in two historic hôtels particuliers in the Marais, Musée Carnavalet documents Paris’s history through period rooms, portraits, maps and everyday objects that trace the city’s development.

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Musée Carnavalet is Paris’s museum of the city’s history, housed in two adjoining historic mansions in the Le Marais quarter and presenting artefacts, artworks and period interiors that trace Paris from antiquity to modern times. The institution uses the preserved salons and courtyards of the two hôtels particuliers to display civic history and decorative arts.

Collections include paintings, sculptures, historical objects, urban models and furniture that document major events, personalities and urban development in Paris. The museum underwent an extensive restoration and reinstallation project and reopened in 2021 with expanded galleries and renewed visitor facilities.

Located in the 3rd arrondissement, the museum is a short walk from Place des Vosges and other Le Marais sites, and is commonly visited alongside neighbouring cultural attractions and walking routes through the historic district.

  • Focus and reopening: The museum is dedicated to the history of Paris and occupies historic private mansions in the Le Marais district; it reopened to the public after a major renovation in 2021.

What to See #

  • Hôtel Carnavalet and Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau: Hôtel Carnavalet and the adjacent Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau, the two historic mansions that contain the museum's rooms and period interiors.
  • Permanent galleries: Permanent displays and rooms presenting Parisian history from antiquity to the present, including civic artifacts, decorative arts and urban models.
Musée Carnavalet
23 Rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris, France
48.8574, 2.3627
Tue-Sun 10am-6pm, closed Mondays (check website for updates)
Free (permanent collections); temporary/special exhibitions may be ticketed

How to Get to Musée Carnavalet #

Musée Carnavalet is in Le Marais (Paris city center). The quickest public transit is Paris Métro Line 1 to Saint‑Paul (Le Marais) or Line 1/11 to Hôtel de Ville; the museum is a short walk from either station.

Tips for Visiting Musée Carnavalet #

  • Go in a weekday morning to enjoy the Hôtel Carnavalet's period rooms and courtyards before Marais foot traffic builds up.
  • Enter from rue de Sévigné to reach the main museum courtyards quickly and then work through the chronological galleries-this layout helps you see the reconstructed interiors many visitors miss.
  • Combine the visit with a short walk around the surrounding Marais streets (Place des Vosges nearby) to spread out crowds and experience complementary historic sites.

Best Time to Visit Musée Carnavalet #

Best visited on weekday mornings to avoid weekend and school-holiday crowds at this central Paris museum.

Weekday mornings
Mon-Fri (mornings) · N/A (indoor)
Quieter for viewing the museum's collections and the building itself without large groups.
Weekends and school holidays
Sat-Sun and school holiday periods · N/A (indoor)
Higher visitor numbers, especially when temporary exhibitions are on display.

Weather & Climate near Musée Carnavalet #

Climate

Musée Carnavalet's climate is classified as Oceanic - Oceanic climate with warm summers (peaking in July) and cold winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from 2°C to 25°C. Moderate rainfall (677 mm/year), distributed fairly evenly throughout the year.

Air Quality: AQI 51 Moderate
Best Time to Visit
AugustJuneJuly
Temperature & Rainfall
Temperature Range
40°
Warmest Month
-12°
Coldest Month
Monthly Conditions

January

January is the coolest month with highs of 7°C and lows of 2°C. Moderate rainfall (54 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

48 Poor

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
92%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

54 mm
Rainfall
4.4 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze
0.1
UV Index
Low
8.6h daylight

February

February is cold with highs of 8°C and lows of 2°C. Moderate rainfall (49 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

48 Poor

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
87%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

49 mm
Rainfall
4.2 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze
0.2
UV Index
Low
10.0h daylight

March

March is cold with highs of 12°C and lows of 4°C. Moderate rainfall (62 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

58 Acceptable

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
12°
82%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

62 mm
Rainfall
4.4 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze
0.5
UV Index
Low
11.7h daylight

April

April is cool with highs of 15°C and lows of 6°C. Moderate rainfall (57 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

62 Good

Comfort

11°
Feels Like Cool
11°C
Temperature
15°
77%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

57 mm
Rainfall
4.3 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze
0.9
UV Index
Moderate
13.5h daylight

May

May is cool with highs of 20°C and lows of 10°C. The wettest month with 64 mm of rain and mostly overcast skies.

64 Good

Comfort

15°
Feels Like Cool
15°C
Temperature
10° 20°
76%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

64 mm
Rainfall
3.9 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze
1.2
UV Index
High
15.0h daylight

June

June is cool with highs of 22°C and lows of 13°C. Moderate rainfall (56 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

80 Excellent

Comfort

18°
Feels Like Cool
18°C
Temperature
13° 22°
75%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

56 mm
Rainfall
3.8 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze
1.5
UV Index
High
15.8h daylight

July

July is the warmest month with highs of 25°C and lows of 15°C. Moderate rainfall (62 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

78 Very Good

Comfort

20°
Feels Like Mild
20°C
Temperature
15° 25°
72%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

62 mm
Rainfall
3.5 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze
1.5
UV Index
High
15.5h daylight

August

August is the warmest month with highs of 25°C and lows of 15°C. Moderate rainfall (44 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

82 Excellent

Comfort

20°
Feels Like Mild
20°C
Temperature
15° 25°
72%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

44 mm
Rainfall
3.3 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze
1.2
UV Index
High
14.1h daylight

September

September is cool with highs of 21°C and lows of 12°C. Moderate rainfall (55 mm) and partly cloudy skies.

72 Very Good

Comfort

17°
Feels Like Cool
17°C
Temperature
12° 21°
76%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

55 mm
Rainfall
3.5 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze
0.8
UV Index
Moderate
12.4h daylight

October

October is cool with highs of 16°C and lows of 9°C. Moderate rainfall (62 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

64 Good

Comfort

12°
Feels Like Cool
12°C
Temperature
16°
84%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

62 mm
Rainfall
3.7 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze
0.4
UV Index
Low
10.7h daylight

November

November is cold with highs of 11°C and lows of 5°C. Moderate rainfall (55 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

56 Acceptable

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
11°
91%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

55 mm
Rainfall
3.9 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze
0.1
UV Index
Low
9.1h daylight

December

December is cold with highs of 8°C and lows of 3°C. Moderate rainfall (57 mm) and mostly overcast skies.

48 Poor

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
93%
Humidity
Very Humid

Weather

57 mm
Rainfall
4.3 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze
0.1
UV Index
Low
8.2h daylight

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