Corkscrews & Canes: The five best museums in the 16th arrondissement of Paris

Some people might say that the 16th arrondissement of Paris is too residential to be worth visiting. WRONG! There’s a lot going on out here, as we discovered during our 24-hour visit (read more about it here).

And during this visit, we managed to fly through some museums. Some of these museums deserve a dedicated investigation, others you can just zip through. Here’s a look at five that are worth your time.

1. Palais de Tokyo

Palais de Tokyo: There are regularly changing exhibits at this museum of contemporary art – and it’s sometimes open to midnight for all you late night culture vultures. While the museum is between exhibits, the two restaurants and bookstore are usually open. And note: If you head a little uphill from the main entry, you’ll find a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower between two buildings. Address: 13 Av. du Président Wilson, 75116 @palaisdetokyo

2. Musée Marmottan Monet

Musée Marmottan Monet: This is one of the world’s best places to see Monet’s work. It features over 300 Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings by Claude Monet, the most famous of which is his 1872 Impression, Sunrise. Note: while we have visited this museum in the past, we didn’t make it during this week’s 24-hour visit, so you won’t see it in the YouTube video below. @museemarmottanmonet_

Address: 2 Rue Louis Boilly, 75016 Paris

3. Maison de Balzac

Maison de Balzac: The extremely rare combination of garden and a home-turned-museum in Paris. Bonus: Eiffel Tower views and a cute cafe on site. This museum is cool even if you don’t know anything about French writer Honoré de Balzac. Don’t miss his jewelled cane and the sketches from Picasso. Address: 47 Rue Raynouard, 75016

4. Musée du Vin

Musée du Vin: One for the wine aficionados out there – this place offers a few cool treasures, like its corkscrew collection. The winding tunnels will make you feel like you’re in the catacombs! Cap off your visit with a little wine tasting and a visit to the museum’s restaurant. Address: 5 Sq. Charles Dickens, 75016

5. Musée Clemenceau

Musée Clemenceau: Featuring perhaps the best wooden desk you’ll find in Europe, this museum is the former home of Georges Clemenceau, a man who was the French prime minister, a writer, and a huge fan of the arts. Tastefully curated museum, and likely to be much emptier than Palais de Tokyo, for example. Address: 8 Rue Benjamin Franklin, 75116

The Earful Tower podcast episode

You can hear more about these museums, and the 16th arrondissement in general, in the podcast episode below. Listen to the end to hear our final ranking on the district out of 100.

Tour the 16th arrondissement in our YouTube video

Here is our visit the to 16th arrondissement in video format, from our YouTube channel, where we share our insights to the different museums in the 16th throughout. Be sure to subscribe, you can do it in one click via this link.

And that’s it! A big thanks to Charlotte Pleasants for the additional reporting and to the Patreon members who make all this possible and get bonus content. Join them here.

As for us, you can find all our tips for the 16th district’s best restaurants, cafes, and attractions here. Otherwise check out the rest of our guides in the Paris Countdown season here.

And you can also support our work by buying one of our children’s books, or our PDF guide to Paris, below. Merci!