8 Essential Stops for Your Paris Trip if You Adore Art or History

Before the Olympics excitement took over the City of Light, visitors were more likely to dive into the realms of Monet and Louis XIV rather than Ledecky and Biles. The good news this summer: You can enjoy both! The following exhibitions and activities will satisfy your artistic and historical cravings.

Matisse, The Red Studio and Ellsworth Kelly, Shapes and Colors, 1949–2015

• Where: Fondation Louis Vuitton
• Dates: May 4–September 9, 2024
• Hours: 11 a.m.–p.m. on Wednesday; 11 a.m.–8 p.m. on Thursday; 11 a.m.–9 p.m. on Friday; 10 a.m.–8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday; 11 a.m.–8 p.m. on Monday
• Admission: €16

In a wonderfully meta twist, part of this exhibition brings together the 10 artworks featured in Matisse’s renowned The Red Studio—alongside the painting itself, on loan from MoMA—for the first time since leaving Matisse’s studio in Issy-les-Moulineaux, a suburb just outside Paris. The pieces, created between 1898 and 1911, encompass paintings, sculptures, and ceramics.

In honor of American abstract artist Ellsworth Kelly, around 100 of his often monochromatic pieces are showcased at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, including a permanent, site-specific installation completed in 2014 in collaboration with architect Frank Gehry.

History Tours at the American Library in Paris

• Where: The American Library in Paris
• Dates: Fridays through August 30, 2024
• Hours: 11 a.m.
• Admission: Free, but preregistration is necessary

Learn about the origins of Paris’s only American library through a free tour celebrating the community’s 104th anniversary (hint: it involves World War I). Situated on the Left Bank, not far from the Eiffel Tower, this newly renovated private library is filled with fascinating stories that go beyond the books on its shelves.

We Are Here

• Where: The Petit Palais
• Dates: June 12–November 17, 2024
• Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Tuesday–Sunday
• Admission: Free

For the first time in its 124-year history, this smaller of the two grand monuments in central Paris welcomes artists whose creations are typically found on the streets. Featured artists include American Shepard Fairey, known as Obey—famous for his iconic “Hope” poster of Obama from the 2008 election—French mosaic artist Invader, and Seth, whose vibrant, childlike figures adorn various locations in the city, particularly in the street art-rich 13th arrondissement. More than 200 works from over 60 international artists will fill these revered halls.

The Birth of Department Stores: Fashion, Design, Toys, Advertising, 1852–1925

• Where: Musée des Arts et Décoratifs
• Dates: April 10–October 13, 2024
• Hours: 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Tuesday–Sunday
• Admission: €15

Shopper's paradise! In the first part of a two-part exhibition, this display invites visitors beyond the racks and fitting rooms into the essence of Parisian glamour, tracing the history of its fashion landmarks, starting with Le Bon Marché on the Left Bank and continuing with Printemps, La Samaritaine, and Galeries Lafayette on the Right. With over 700 curated pieces, from posters to apparel, the exhibition highlights the significance of this new retail style and its role in fostering female consumerism.

Fashion on the Move #2

• Where: Palais Galliera
• Dates: April 25, 2024–January 5, 2025
• Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Thursdays
• Admission: €12

The city's fashion museum has curated 300 items from its permanent collection that are related to movement, coinciding with the summer's sporting events. Garments designed for activities like horse riding, tennis, golf, and cycling will be displayed alongside everyday attire. A dedicated section showcases swimsuits, beachwear, and accessories, celebrating the bikini's debut at Paris's Piscine Molitor in 1946.

Surrealism: The Centenary Exhibition

• Where: Centre Pompidou
• Dates: September 4, 2024–January 13, 2025
• Hours: 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday; 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Thursdays
• Admission: €15

The city’s most avant-garde museum will present a homage to an avant-garde style: surrealism. In honor of the movement's 100th anniversary, the Pompidou will explore the genre's evolution through a labyrinthine exhibition that will engage all your senses. Kicking off with André Breton’s Manifesto, on loan from the National Library of France, Surrealism will highlight the poetic visions and creativity of influential figures like Dali, Magritte, and Miro, as well as artists such as Japan's Tasuo Ikeda and Mexico's Rufino Tamayo.

Egyptian Pharaohs ranging from Cheops to Ramesses II

• Where: Atelier des Lumières
• Dates: February 9, 2024–January 5, 2025
• Hours: 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Monday–Thursday; 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Sunday
• Admission: €17

When the canicule (heat wave) arrives—and it surely will!—there’s no better refuge than the immersive, digitally innovative Atelier des Lumières. This venue combines music and laser lights in the 11th arrondissement, and for its latest exhibition, it transforms the dark space into projections of ancient Egypt, showcasing colossal sphinxes, pyramids, temples, and more. It’s an opportunity for visitors to travel back in time through the marvels of technology.

Eva Jospin–Versailles Exhibition

• Where: Palace of Versailles, L’Orangerie
• Dates: June 18–September 29, 2024
• Hours: 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m., Tuesday–Sunday
• Admission: €24 (valid for the entire estate)

The Palace of Versailles welcomes contemporary exhibitions back with a stunning embroidery piece stretching over 1,000 feet, crafted by French artist Eva Jospin. Housed in the Orangerie, this artwork illustrates a natural landscape inspired by elements from Rome’s Palazzo Colonna and Virginia Woolf’s novel A Room of One’s Own. Created by artisans in Mumbai, this piece was also showcased during Dior’s Autumn–Winter 2021–2022 haute couture presentation, led by creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri.