Musée de la Musique Museum

Music museum presenting instruments and audio exhibits

Part of Paris's Philharmonie complex, the Musée de la Musique displays historical instruments, score manuscripts and audio exhibits tracing Western and global music traditions. Musicians and general audiences attend instrument demonstrations and themed displays.

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Musée de la Musique at a Glance#

Address: Musée de la Musique, Philharmonie de Paris, 221 Avenue Jean Jaurès, 75019 Paris, France

Website: https://philharmoniedeparis.fr/en/musee-de-la-musique

Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00am-6:00pm, closed Mondays (verify special closures)

Admission: Adults €9-12 (approx.); reduced rates for students and under-26s; free for children under a certain age

About Musée de la Musique#

The Musée de la Musique is a national museum of musical instruments and sound located in the Parc de la Villette in Paris. It is part of the larger Philharmonie/Cité de la Musique cultural complex that groups exhibition spaces with concert halls and education facilities.

Exhibition galleries present historic instruments, sound displays and temporary exhibitions that trace instrument construction, musical genres and performance practice. Galleries include listening stations and object labels in French and often English; the site is commonly visited together with nearby concert programs.

The museum was created in the late 20th century to house and display France’s public collection of musical instruments and related artifacts. Over time the displays and interpretation have been modernized to include audio-visual presentation and rotating thematic shows.

Sited in the Parc de la Villette in Paris’s 19th arrondissement, the museum sits within a large cultural park in northeastern Paris, well served by public transport and close to the Porte de Pantin and Porte de la Villette metro stations.

  • Setting: Located inside the Parc de la Villette complex in northeastern Paris, adjacent to concert halls and music education facilities.
  • Collections and displays: Houses a broad collection of historic instruments with listening stations and rotating exhibitions focusing on instrument history and performance practice.

How to Get to Musée de la Musique#

Located in Parc de la Villette in Paris’s 19th arrondissement. Metro line 5 to Porte de Pantin or tramway T3b; La Villette/Cité des Sciences is a short walk. Several bus routes serve the Philharmonie.

Tips for Visiting Musée de la Musique#

  • Book concerts in the museum's auditorium in advance; acoustics are excellent and performances often tie into exhibits.
  • Time a visit for quieter mid-week afternoons to better absorb the instrument displays.
  • Look for the interactive listening stations-these let visitors hear historical instruments as they were meant to sound.

Best Time to Visit Musée de la Musique#

Visit during concert season for the full musical ecosystem; weekdays in shoulder seasons are quieter for exhibits.

Winter (Dec-Feb)
December-February · 3-8°C
Concert season in Paris; museum is good for a warm cultural day indoors.
Spring/Autumn (Apr-Jun, Sep-Nov)
April-June, September-November · 7-18°C
Milder weather and a full calendar of performances at the Philharmonie.

Weather & Climate near Musée de la Musique#

Climate

Musée de la Musique's climate is classified as Oceanic - Oceanic climate with mild summers (peaking in July) and cold winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from 2°C to 25°C. Moderate rainfall (650 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
Month Comfort Temp Feels Rain Sky Humidity Wind UV Daylight
January Poor 2° - 7° 1° 53 mm overcast 92% 4.5 m/s 0.1 low 8.6h
February Poor 2° - 8° 2° 46 mm overcast 87% 4.3 m/s 0.2 low 10.0h
March Good 4° - 12° 5° 50 mm partly cloudy 82% 4.5 m/s 0.5 low 11.7h
April Good 6° - 15° 10° 53 mm partly cloudy 77% 4.4 m/s 0.9 moderate 13.5h
May Good 10° - 19° 14° 65 mm overcast 76% 3.9 m/s 1.2 high 15.0h
June Excellent 13° - 22° 17° 57 mm partly cloudy 75% 3.8 m/s 1.5 high 15.8h
July Very Good 15° - 25° 20° 60 mm partly cloudy 72% 3.5 m/s 1.5 high 15.5h
August Excellent 14° - 25° 20° 44 mm partly cloudy 72% 3.3 m/s 1.2 high 14.1h
September Very Good 11° - 21° 16° 54 mm partly cloudy 76% 3.5 m/s 0.8 moderate 12.4h
October Good 8° - 16° 12° 58 mm overcast 84% 3.8 m/s 0.4 low 10.7h
November Acceptable 5° - 10° 5° 52 mm overcast 91% 4.0 m/s 0.1 low 9.1h
December Poor 3° - 8° 2° 58 mm overcast 93% 4.4 m/s 0.1 low 8.2h

Nearby Attractions to Musée de la Musique#