Celebrate the Nuit Européenne des Musées!

Visit the Louvre for free this Saturday evening!

This coming Saturday, May 17th, 2014, will see the unmissable 10th edition of the European Night of Museums in Paris. This unique evening of culture allows the public to experience museums and galleries in a different and exciting way, and the best thing about it is that entry is completely free!

In addition to free entrance, Saturday night from 6pm until midnight you can also enjoy more special events, temporary installations and dramatic performances than already available in this incredibly cultural city and country. With a gallery on nearly every corner, naturally Paris has a lot to offer on this special evening.

A jazz band plays at Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, 2007

The European Museum Night was created in 2005 by the french Ministry of Culture and Communication and is celebrated in more than 30 countries across Europe, with over 1,200 French museums alone taking part in the event. It’s no surprise that this event will certainly draw large numbers so make sure you plan your evening accordingly here. You really shouldn’t miss this opportunity to experience culture in a new light!

Listed below are just a few of the options for the evening that are our top picks:

Palace of Versailles
For this 10th European Night of Museums, the Palace of Versailles will be open for a free visit to the most sumptuous apartments in the Palace after those of the sovereign, the Apartments of Mesdames.

7.30pm – 12.30am
Admission is Free
Self-guided visits of the Apartments of Mesdames, the Grand Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors. Only the Palace will be open for the 2014 Night of Museums; the gardens will be closed.

Carnavalet Museum – History of Paris
The Carnavalet museum in the Marais is dedicated to the history of Paris and its inhabitants. It holds collections that illustrate the evolution of the city from antiquity to the present day.

7pm – 12am
Paris in the 18th Century
Furniture and lifestyle in the aristocratic and bourgeois Paris of the eighteenth century, a guided tour in the collections of the Hotel Carnavalet and lounges Conflans Breteuil, recently reopened to the public.  Last access is 11pm.

Musée Carnavalet
16 rue des Francs-Bourgeois
75003 Paris

Musée de la Vie Romantique
The Musée de la Vie romantique stands at the foot of Montmartre Hill in an 1830 hôtel particulier facing two twin-studios, a greenhouse, a small garden, and a paved courtyard. Founded in a 19th century the museum was at first home to Dutch painter Ary Scheffer, who organized several evening parties during her life there. Other artists and writers of the Romantic era such as George Sand, Frederic Chopin and even Charles Dickens, attended these salons regularly. The museum provides a valuable backdrop to the paintings of Scheffer and his contemporaries, such as the memorabilia of George Sand (furniture, paintings, art objects and jewelry).

8pm – 10pm
Musical Evening
Romantic musical anthology:
SCHUBERT, The Shepherd on the Rock  Chopin, Polonaise Fantaisie
SCHUMANN, Fantaisiestücke
BERLIOZ, Melody Young Breton shepherd With the participation of students in the class of Chamber Music Philippe Ferro, singing Fusako Kondo and piano Billy Eidi and Hugues Leclere.

Reservation within the limits of available seats.

Scheffer-Renan Hotel
16, rue Chaptal
75009 Paris
7pm – 11pm Free visit

(Image Credits: LuizFelipe, JasonWhitaker)