Paris · Le Marais, 3rd arrondissement · Ticket required
Musée Picasso Paris: The World's Largest Picasso Collection
More than 5,000 works by Pablo Picasso — paintings, sculptures, drawings and ceramics — inside the Hôtel Salé, one of the grandest mansions in the Marais.
By the AllTrips Editorial Team ·
Musée Picasso at a glance
Area: Le Marais, 3rd arrondissement (5 Rue de Thorigny). Allow: 1.5–2.5 hours. Entry: ticketed; free on the first Sunday of each month. Nearby: Musée Carnavalet and Place des Vosges.
The Musée national Picasso-Paris is the single best place in the world to follow Picasso's career from beginning to end. Because the collection came from the artist's own holdings, it covers every period — Blue and Rose, Cubism, the classical years, the wartime portraits and the playful late ceramics — rather than just the famous moments.
What is there to see?
The full sweep of Picasso's work. Galleries are arranged chronologically, so you walk through his life: early academic studies, the Blue and Rose periods, the Cubist experiments with Braque, the surreal 1930s portraits of Marie-Thérèse and Dora Maar, and the exuberant late works.
Sculptures and ceramics. The museum is especially strong in three-dimensional work — sheet-metal constructions, assemblages and painted ceramics that most general museums only show in ones and twos.
Picasso's personal collection. Works Picasso kept for himself by artists he admired — Matisse, Cézanne, Rousseau, Degas — are displayed alongside his own, which is a rare window into what he valued.
The mansion itself. The Hôtel Salé's carved staircase, panelled rooms and courtyard are part of the experience, and the rooftop rooms look out over the Marais roofscape.
The Hôtel Salé and the collection
The Hôtel Salé was built in the 1650s for a salt-tax farmer — hence its name, the "salted" mansion. After centuries of different uses, the City of Paris restored it and the museum opened here in 1985.
The collection exists because of a French law called the dation: after Picasso died in 1973, his heirs settled inheritance tax by handing works directly to the state. That is why the museum holds such a complete, personal cross-section rather than a selection of market-bought masterpieces. A major renovation doubled the exhibition space, and the museum reopened in 2014.
Tickets and booking
Entry is ticketed. The full-price ticket is around €14, with concessions and free entry for under-18s and EU residents aged 18–25. Admission is free for everyone on the first Sunday of each month — reserve a free slot in advance, as those days are popular.
Timed tickets are sold on the museum's official site, and you can also book through Tiqets below — useful if you want a flexible or combined option; check what each offer includes before booking.
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Musée Picasso tickets on Tiqets
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Musée national Picasso-Paris
Book at the official price, reserve free first-Sunday slots, and check current exhibitions and hours.
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Planning your visit
The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays; typical hours are 10:30–18:00 on weekdays and 9:30–18:00 on weekends. The entrance is at 5 Rue de Thorigny, and bags go through a security check.
The nearest metro stations are Saint-Sébastien-Froissart and Chemin Vert (line 8) and Saint-Paul (line 1), all within a five-to-ten-minute walk. Weekday mornings are the quietest time to visit.
The Musée Picasso in photos
What is nearby?
The Musée Carnavalet (free) is a three-minute walk south, and the Place des Vosges is just beyond it — the three together make an easy half-day in the Marais. See the whole neighbourhood on our Paris attractions map.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Musée Picasso free?
No — entry is ticketed. The main exception is the first Sunday of each month, when admission is free for everyone (booking a free slot in advance is strongly recommended). Under-18s and EU residents aged 18–25 are also admitted free.
Do I need to book Musée Picasso tickets in advance?
Booking ahead is recommended, especially on weekends and during school holidays, as timed slots can sell out. You can book on the museum's official site or through a reseller such as Tiqets.
What are the Musée Picasso opening hours?
The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays. Typical hours are 10:30–18:00 on weekdays and 9:30–18:00 on weekends, but check the official site before visiting as hours can change.
What is the Musée Picasso famous for?
It holds the world's largest public collection of Picasso's works — more than 5,000 pieces including paintings, sculptures, drawings, ceramics and his personal archives — displayed inside the grand 17th-century Hôtel Salé mansion.
How long should I spend at the Musée Picasso?
Allow 1.5–2.5 hours for the main collection. The museum is compact enough to combine with the Place des Vosges or the Musée Carnavalet on the same day.
Official sources
Reviewed September 2026. Hours and prices change; check the official site before travel.