FRENCH LESSON
New museums in Paris explore its history, both old and recent
MOSCOW and Paris have been battling for the title of “most museums per capita” for years — now, Paris has added five new destinations for the culturally curious, preserving its title as the browsing capital of the world.
City palace
With the help of a $158 million renovation, Hôtel de la Marine, dating from 1774 and once the HQ of the French Navy, is now a cultural institution. With its mirror room and extensive collection of royal-owned artwork, furniture and other crown jewels, it’s like a miniVersailles in a far more convenient location. 2 Pl. de la Concorde; Hotel-De-La-Marine.Paris/en
Against the grain
The new Bourse de Commerce museum comes courtesy of Salma Hayek’s husband François-Henri Pinault, and was two decades in the making. With the help of Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the billionaire’s personal contemporary art collection can now be viewed. Housed in an 18th-century grain exchange, it’s just a five-minute walk from the Louvre, and has 10,000 pieces of post-1960s art. Or just admire the re-envisioned rotunda with glass domed roof and cylindrical concrete installation. 2 Rue de Viarmes; PinaultCollection.com
Time travel
Musée Carnavalet is back in business after a five-year restoration. Opened in 1880 as the first museum dedicated to the history of the city, today, it’s comprised of two adjacent mansions with 42,000 square feet of space. Travel back 5,000 years via oak canoes paddled by the first settlers along the Seine, or revisit 2019’s burning of Notre Dame. 23 Rue de Sévigné; Carnavalet.Paris.fr
Victor’s spoils
Maison de Victor Hugo is for those who think Hugo was just a writer. The exiled Frenchman’s side hustles included sketching, photography and building furniture from repurposed materials. He was also an early fan of the standing desk, on display along with his death bed (1885). Fans of “Les Misérables” can view the quills Hugo used to write his acclaimed novel. 6 Pl. des Vosges; MaisonsVictorHugo. Paris.fr
Smokin’ hot
Serge Gainsbourg wreaked havoc on the music industry in 1960s France. Maison de Serge Gainsbourg is in the pop icon’s former town home, which daughter, actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, has kept like a time capsule, including cigarette butts in an ashtray. The museum will also boast a cafe and piano bar. Due to open early 2022. 5 bis Rue de Verneuil; MaisonGainsbourg.fr/en