Paris's Hidden Art Museums That Are All Over Instagram

Paris is the romantic capital that haunts countless dreams, the dreamy stop one yearns for. It’s the rain-drenched romantic encounter in Woody Allen’s *Midnight in Paris*, the golden age in Ernest Hemingway’s *A Moveable Feast*. The allure of Paris is not only captured on film or in books, but also vividly sketched by generations of painters with unhurried brushstrokes, painting vibrant portraits of the city.

Think Paris museums and you only know the Louvre and the Orsay? Today, Little Travel City takes you to discover three off-the-beaten-path Paris art museums that are blowing up on Instagram! With the Go Paris Pass, you get free entry to over 60 popular Paris attractions, including the museums introduced today, plus hop-on hop-off bus rides—transportation is free too!

01 Rodin Museum (original price: €13, free with Go Paris Pass)

The Rodin Museum, located in the area around the former Hôtel Biron, opened to the public in 1919. It showcases works by the renowned French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), including his timeless masterpieces.

Inside the museum, there is a spiral staircase with alternating black and white tiles, a favorite photo spot for many bloggers, earning the Rodin Museum the nickname 'the most Instagrammable museum'.

Rodin’s marble sculptures have long been widely recognized and highly esteemed as important artworks. The museum’s design is very airy and transparent, treating the natural space as a treasure trove for displaying sculptures. Under the sunlight, the contours of the sculptures develop natural markings, which aligns perfectly with Rodin’s philosophy: 'Nature and antiquities are a wonderful source of inspiration for an artist.'

The Rodin Museum is located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, a quiet retreat in a bustling area, and was Rodin’s residence in his later years. His timeless masterpieces *The Gates of Hell* and *The Thinker* are also housed here. 'To be or not to be, that is the question.'

02 Gustave Moreau Museum (original price: €7, free with Go Paris Pass)

Hailed as a forgotten gem in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, the Gustave Moreau Museum (Musée Gustave Moreau) has its own unique and mysterious charm. The museum was Moreau's studio and residence during his lifetime, housing 850 oil paintings, 350 watercolors, and over 14,000 drawings. Upstairs, besides the studio, Moreau's carefully chosen furniture, objects, and family portraits are on display, along with works by his master painter friends from the same period, including Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863) and Edgar Degas (1834–1917).

Moreau was a master of Symbolism, both a painter and a sculptor. Symbolism, a branch of Romanticism, leans toward a mystical revival, using fictional myths and dream imagery with a very strong personal touch. The wooden spiral staircase in the museum is extremely elegant, mysterious, and artistic—a highly personal work by Moreau himself, breathtakingly beautiful from every angle!

With plum-pink walls and lofty ceilings, you can admire Italianate paintings, Symbolist and Fauvist chimeras, centaurs, Orpheus’s enchanting creatures, Jupiter and Semele, the bloody Christ, unicorns, mysterious flowers, Galatea, and Pasiphaë. Moreau’s works are ornate, intricate, and filled with exquisite details, making the whole museum feel cozy yet dreamlike.

03 Centre Pompidou (original price: €15, free with Go Paris Pass)

The Centre Pompidou is a concentrated showcase of 20th-century French culture and art. It is a modern art museum located on Rue Beaubourg, on the right bank of the Seine, north of the Latin Quarter. Locals often call it simply 'Beaubourg.' Because the avant-garde building’s exterior resembles a factory, it is also nicknamed the 'refinery' or 'cultural factory.'

The architectural style is highly distinctive: all functional structures are placed on the outside, reducing interior columns to maximize exhibition space and curatorial flexibility. The two young architects, then newcomers, both later received the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honor. The Shard in London and the HSBC Building in Hong Kong are also their works.

The Centre Pompidou boasts the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe, and together with the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, it forms the trio of top art museums in Paris. The entire venue brims with creativity, displaying works by renowned artists such as Picasso, Chagall, Duchamp, Matisse, Kandinsky, Giacometti, and Bonnard.

The world's most expensive painting is Picasso’s *Les Femmes d'Alger*, sold for $179 million, and the world's most expensive sculpture is Alberto Giacometti’s *L'Homme au doigt (The Pointing Man)*, at $141 million. Both works are part of the Centre Pompidou’s collection.

On the seventh floor, there is an observation deck where you can overlook the panorama of Paris, with a distant view of Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur. Additionally, the museum’s top-floor restaurant, Le Georges, is a popular Instagram hotspot. The restaurant’s design takes inspiration from jet airplanes, making you feel as if you’ve stepped onto the set of Kubrick’s *2001: A Space Odyssey*.

04 Paris sightseeing bus (original price: €35.10, free with Go Paris Pass)

With so many attractions in Paris, worried about planning your transportation? The sightseeing bus is your best choice! Buses run every 10 minutes, with multiple themed routes covering sights, museums, and shopping. Hop on and off as you please, with audio guides available in Chinese. With the Go Paris Pass, you can board for free!

If you are lucky enough to have visited Paris when you were young, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it will stay with you. Paris is a moveable feast. Go City accompanies you to enjoy a moment of bliss along the Seine.

Some images courtesy of blogger @_阿波哥_