Musee des Arts Decoratifs museum in Paris
This museum is located within the Louvre Palace and offers the most comprehensive and vast panorama of decorative arts in all of France, which boasts over 150,000 different objects from the Middle Ages through to the present day.
About Musee des Arts Decoratifs
Les Arts Decoratifs is an organisation that runs the the Musee des Arts Decoratifs known as MAD for short, the Musee de la Publicite and the Musee de la Mode et du Textile. Not forgetting that they are also linked with the Musee Nissim de Camondo.
There is also the restaurant in Paris located between the Rue de Rivoli museums, which opens up onto a terrace within the Jardin du Carrousel section of the Tuileries Gardens, formerly called Le Saut du Loup and now named LouLou, plus they organise the Ateliers du Carrousel artist workshops.
But getting back to the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, you will be able to discover a privileged and unique collection of decorative arts that are a testament to the art of French living, and this collection now totals over 150,000 different objects, although not all of these are on display permanently.
Incredibly, there is probably not a single technique, material or type of object you will not find at this museum, as you can discover stained glass, scenic wallpaper, enamels, and much, much more from the Middle Ages through to the present day.
There are approximately 6,000 different objects within the permanent display, and it is the only museum in France that can offer such a vast diversity of decorative arts from these periods.
A complete section has been organised chronologically with the 19th century collection space having been recently doubled in size, making the visitor experience even better and easier to experience this incredible, yet little known museum in Paris.
The other part to the Musee des Arts Decoratifs is portrayed like a journey through time, which is structured around themes such as presentations focusing on technical or style. Here you can also discover authentic period rooms that were created from numerous different acquisitions, with the collaboration of Francois Joseph Graf, who is an interior designer.
Temporary exhibitions on specific themes are also held at different times throughout the year, which showcase many of the objects that are not on permanent display. So no matter what time of year you decide to visit this museum, there is always something to fascinate everyone from clocks to vases and chairs to tableware, etc, just to name a few objects on display.
Visiting Musee des Arts Decoratifs
Located within The Louvre Palace in the wing called the Aile de Rohan-Rivoli with its entrance on the Rue de Rivoli, you may be pleased to know that the Decorative Arts Museum is accessible to the disabled via a lift at 105 Rue de Rivoli.
Situated in the 1st Arrondissement, you will find this museum open from 11am on a Tuesday through to a Sunday and it closes at 6pm, except for on a Thursday when there is late night opening until 9pm to discover temporary exhibitions. However, it is always closed on a Monday and on National French holidays such as 1st May.
As of 2020, a combined ticket to visit the Musee de la Mode et du textile, the Musee des Arts Decoratifs and the Musee de la Publicite is a cost of €14, which includes the temporary exhibitions and an audio guide.
Alternatively you can also opt for the MAD ticket or Common Ticket, which incorporates you being able to visit the Musee Nissim de Camondo in the 8th Arrondissement as well, for only €20 for the permanent collections, with audio guides for both museums and valid for one or other museum is accessible for up to 4 days from the date of your ticket.
However, for those that are disabled with a carer, and persons under the age of 26, can gain free entry upon proof of eligibility, as can students of the Ateliers du Carrousel and benefactors of the museum, who can also gain free entry.
Access to Musee des Arts Decoratifs
When it comes to getting to the Musee des Arts Decoratifs and its extra museum sections located within a wing of the Palais du Louvre, which is also home to probably the most famous museum in the world called the Musee du Louvre, there are numerous different forms of public transport available.
To start with, you have the Metro station called the Palais Royal - Musee du Louvre accessed via lines 1 or 7, which is the nearest to the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, then there is the Tuileries stop or the Louvre-Rivoli stop, both serving line 1. A little further walk away and you have the Metro stations called the Pyramides stop that serves lines 7 and 14 or there is the Concorde stop serving lines 1, 8 and 12.
Alternatively, if you are travelling by bus then you would need one of the bus lines 21, 27, 39, 42, 45, 58, 67, 68, 69, 70, 72, 73, 74, 84, 85, 87, 94, 95 and 96 along with the Noctilien Night Bus Service via lines N01, N11, N12, N13, N15, N16, N21, N24 and N122 that will get you within walking distance of these museums and numerous other tourist attractions in Paris.
In addition to these options there is also the Batobus, which is the water bus that travels up and down the River Seine and has a docking station right in from of the Louvre Museum, not forgetting the bus tours in Paris like the open topped double decker l’OpenTour buses that stop right by the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.
At Chatelet - Les Halles you also have the RER A, B and D trains plus the Musee d'Orsay stop serves the RER C train line, not forgetting the Chatelet Metro station where you could access Metro Lines 4 and 11 in addition to the lines mentioned earlier.
However if you are travelling into Paris with your own vehicle, then you may be pleased to know that there is a public car park located at the Carrousel du Louvre on the Rue des Pyramides, although we would like to point out that there are height restrictions and the cost varies depending upon how long you utilise the car park.
