Musée de Montmartre: a neighborhood history museum

I’ve never been one for the massive art museums Paris is known for.

In fact, I’ve still never even been to Musée d’Orsay in all the many months I’ve spent in Paris. The last time I went to the Louvre was over 10 years ago.

I’m a small museum kind of girl. I prefer museums like the Musée de Montmartre that offer an incredible look into the Paris of centuries past. You wouldn’t be surrounded by tourists from every continent on earth here. In fact, if you go during the week, there may not be many people there at all. It’s truly a hidden gem for art lovers in Paris.

Montmartre is a small Parisian neighborhood known for its very artistic past. The Musée de Montmartre offers a unique perspective into the past of this fascinating neighborhood. You can really see what life was like here in the 19th or 20th century by looking at the museum’s collection of paintings. 

I love the fact that we can see art in context at this museum, too. The museum has preserved the apartment and atelier of Suzanne Valadon, an artist who lived in the building, so we can see with our own eyes what it was like to live in Montmartre in the early 20th century. 

In 1894, Valadon was the first female painter admitted to the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. She was born in 1865 and died in 1938. Peeking into her artist’s workshop was such a surreal treat for me. It’s not something you can do very often! 

12 Rue Cortot
75018 Paris, France