Paris · 5th arrondissement · Museum

Musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen Âge: What to See and Do

Paris's museum of the Middle Ages: the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, Roman baths hidden inside a flamboyant Gothic mansion, and 1,000 years of medieval art in the Latin Quarter.

By the AllTrips Editorial Team · September 28, 2026

Musée de Cluny at a glance

Area: 5th arrondissement, at the edge of the Latin Quarter on Boulevard Saint-Michel. Allow: 1.5–2 hours. Entry: paid ticket; the full-price ticket was listed at €14 in 2026, with reduced and free categories. Nearby: Panthéon, Luxembourg Garden, Shakespeare and Company.

The Musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen Âge is the national museum of the Middle Ages in Paris, and the name in its title answers a common question: the museum and the Hôtel de Cluny are one institution. Its collections span roughly 1,000 years of medieval creation, displayed across Roman ruins, a Gothic town mansion and a modern entrance wing added in the museum's 2022 renovation.

What is there to see?

The museum's best-known treasure is the Lady and the Unicorn series: six large 15th-century tapestries woven in Flanders, five of them illustrating the senses and a sixth whose motto À mon seul désir still divides scholars. They hang in a dedicated circular gallery and are the single most photographed room in the museum.

The building itself is a two-part monument. The frigidarium — the cold room of the Roman baths (Thermes de Cluny) that stood here around the 2nd–3rd century — survives with its high vaulted ceiling and now displays large medieval sculptures on deep red panels. Among them are fragments associated with Notre-Dame de Paris, carved figures rescued or removed from the cathedral over the centuries.

Elsewhere look for the Pillar of the Boatmen, a carved Gallo-Roman pillar considered the oldest standing monument found in Paris; the Gothic chapel of the Hôtel de Cluny with its stained glass; a rich collection of medieval stained glass, ivories and goldwork; and the flamboyant Gothic exterior detail — turrets, dormers and carved balconies — that makes the courtyard one of the most photogenic in the Latin Quarter.

A short history

The site's story runs in layers. Roman Paris built its public baths here; after the baths fell into ruin, the abbots of Cluny — heads of one of medieval Europe's greatest monastic networks — acquired the land, and in the late 15th century Abbot Jacques d'Amboise rebuilt the mansion that gives the museum its name. Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, lived here briefly in 1515 after the death of Louis XII.

The mansion survived the French Revolution as private property and became a museum in the 19th century, when Alexandre du Sommerard filled it with medieval and Renaissance objects; the state bought the collection after his death and opened the museum in 1843. A major renovation completed in 2022 added a modern entrance building and a new, more accessible route through the collections.

Planning your visit

The entrance is at 28 rue du Sommerard, a few steps from the Cluny–La Sorbonne metro stop (line 10). The museum traditionally closes on Tuesdays, and exact opening hours and closure notices vary — check the official site on the day you travel. Tickets can be bought at the museum or online in advance; timed advice is the same as for most Paris museums: aim for weekday mornings to avoid the busiest periods around the Lady and the Unicorn gallery.

The visit route moves from the Roman baths through the Hôtel de Cluny's chapel and period rooms to the tapestry gallery. Most labels are in French and English, and the museum offers a virtual tour and visitor routes on its website if you want to prepare. The small garden outside — laid out around the Roman ruins — is free to enter and a pleasant pause in summer.

The Tiqets link is an affiliate link: AllTrips may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. You can also buy directly from the museum's official site.

The Musée de Cluny in photos

What is nearby?

The Panthéon is a ten-minute walk up Rue Soufflot, and the Luxembourg Garden is about the same distance in the opposite direction. The bookshop Shakespeare and Company sits across the river near Notre-Dame, and the Saint-Germain-des-Prés cafés begin one boulevard west. See their locations on our Paris attractions map.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Musée de Cluny the same as the Musée national du Moyen Âge?

Yes — they are one museum. Its full official name is Musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen Âge, and its own website is musee-moyenage.fr. Locals and signage often shorten it to the Musée de Cluny after the 15th-century Hôtel de Cluny that houses it.

How much do Musée de Cluny tickets cost?

The full-price ticket was listed at €14 on the museum's official site in 2026. Reduced rates and free-entry categories apply; check the official site for the current price list before travelling.

What is the Musée de Cluny famous for?

The six 15th-century Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, the Roman frigidarium (cold bath) of the Thermes de Cluny, medieval stained glass and sculpture — including statues from Notre-Dame de Paris — and the Pillar of the Boatmen, the oldest monument found in Paris.

When is the Musée de Cluny closed?

The museum traditionally closes on Tuesdays. Opening hours and closure notices change, so confirm both on the museum's official site before your visit.

How much time should I spend in the Musée de Cluny?

Allow 1.5–2 hours for the main route: the Roman baths, the Hôtel de Cluny's chapel and rooms, and the Lady and the Unicorn gallery. Art lovers can easily spend half a day.

How do I get to the Musée de Cluny?

The museum sits at 28 rue du Sommerard in the 5th arrondissement, on the corner of Boulevard Saint-Michel and Boulevard Saint-Germain. Metro line 10 stops at Cluny–La Sorbonne next door; Saint-Michel (line 4) and the RER B and C at Saint-Michel Notre-Dame are a short walk away.

Official sources

• Musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen Âge: official site — tickets, hours and collections

Reviewed September 2026. Ticket prices, hours and closures change; check the museum's official site before travel.