Montmartre Museum: Dive into Art and History

With Parisi Tour, enjoy a guided tour of the gardens and museum to discover this charming place nestled in the heart of Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement of Paris.

The Montmartre Museum provides a glimpse into what life in Montmartre was like in the 19th century, and perhaps even earlier. A whimsical museum filled with little treasures, as well as a reconstructed artist's studio, the Montmartre Museum may not be the most glamorous of Parisian museums... but it is certainly the most nostalgic.

The original house was built at some point during the 17th century. It has remained in place ever since, witnessing revolutions, major political movements, and numerous changes in the art world. Founded in 1960 as a museum, it was officially recognized as a Museum of France in 2003.

A secret place in Montmartre

The museum is one of those well-kept secrets of Montmartre, which has remained so for decades (and hopefully for years to come). Today, this cultural space is one of the best small museums in Paris.

The Montmartre Museum was established in 1960 in the oldest building in Montmartre, built in the 17th century, and houses a collection of paintings, posters, and drawings by Toulouse-Lautrec, Modigliani, Kupka, Steinlen, Valadon, Utrillo, etc.

The workshops at 12-14 rue Cortot were once meeting places and hosted many artists, including Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Charles Camoin, Émile-Othon Friesz, Raoul Dufy, Émile Bernard, Suzanne Valadon, and Maurice Utrillo.

As you stroll through the museum, you'll relive the history of the neighborhood, the vibrant artistic scene of its studios, and the atmosphere of its famous cabarets. The Hôtel Demarne, a beautiful mansion from the Directoire era, has been completely reinvented to host temporary exhibitions as well as the Café Renoir.

Just a stone's throw from Place du Tertre, the three Renoir gardens surround the Montmartre Museum and overlook the local vineyards, offering an exceptional view of the Montmartre Vineyard and, even further, the vast plains to the north of Paris.

The collections of the museum

The museum's collections belong to the association Le Vieux Montmartre, created in 1886, and include paintings, photographs, posters, and manuscripts that trace the history of the neighborhood, its vibrancy, bohemian life, and cabarets of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The collection includes Steinlen's "Le Cabaret du Chat Noir," Toulouse-Lautrec's "Bruant au Mirliton," "Le Divan Japonais," or "Le Moulin Rouge," Maurice Utrillo's "La Place Pigalle," Suzanne Valadon's self-portrait, Willette's "Parce Domine," "L’enseigne du Lapin Agile," and Henri Rivière's magnificent "Théâtre d’ombres."

While visiting the Montmartre Museum with Parisi Tour, discover below the main places you will be able to explore.

The paint splatters the studio. Oil-stained clothes are draped over various pieces of furniture, and canvases are stacked in every available nook and cranny. With this imaginative recreation of Renoir's studio, it's easy to picture Renoir stepping out for lunch, or perhaps for a breath of fresh air between brushstrokes.

The small landscaped garden is named in tribute to the most famous resident of the house. From here, in this quiet little corner, you can see the green hills outside the Paris ring road (a rarity within Paris itself), as well as one of the very last vineyards in the city.

There's a water lily pond, a terrace courtyard, and numerous landscaped borders. In the summer, flowers fill the air, and the place is never too crowded. Sit down and linger for a while in this little haven of peace right in the middle of a bustling neighborhood.

The entire museum and the Renoir gardens overlook the Clos Montmartre, one of the last vineyards in the city. Few people know of its existence; it's a unique place that you definitely shouldn't miss!

Access to the vineyards is only possible for connoisseurs or when it opens its doors one day a year (during the Montmartre Harvest Festival).

However, a visit to the Renoir Gardens, at the back of the Montmartre Museum, will allow you to get as close as possible to the vineyards.

You got it, the Montmartre Museum and its surroundings are a true paradise, right in the heart of the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood. Still relatively unknown to the general public, it has retained its charm over the years and will not leave you indifferent.

You want to organize an event in a magnificent setting? With Parisi Tour, you have the possibility to privatize the museum for a day or an evening. Contact us for more information.