Museum Musings

The Museum and Monument Pass was well worth it. We bought a five-day pass and were glad we did. It minimized waiting in lines by a lot. They did stamp the date the first time we used it and they did check the date each time thereafter. We entered the Louvre once through the metro station with no line for pass holders and the second time via the Richilieu entrance, again no line despite tons of people inside and many other lines waiting to enter. Same queue experience elsewhere.

Crowds in the Louvre, Versailles and D%26#39;Orsay definitely increased as the days wore on, so I recommend planning to do those three as early in the day as possible and leave the mid-afternoons to the tour groups. Other museums weren%26#39;t nearly so crowded so timing didn%26#39;t matter as much - with minimal crowding, we very much enjoyed the Cluny, the Picasso, the Rodin, the Marmottan, the Carnavalet, and most especially the Jacquemart Andre. The Archeological Crypt just west of Notre Dame was fascinating for early Paris history.

Although it%26#39;s not on the Museum Pass, our hands-down favorite was the Jacquemart - for the wonderful art collection, and also for the excellent audioguides, the fascinating architecture, the overall sense of art and social history and the lovely cafe. And no crowds. Least favorite was the Pompidou; only one floor was open and it had only a handful of rooms filled with 1960s-to-present pieces -- it compared very poorly with similar museums in London, San Francisco and New York.

Although not technically a museum, Saint Chapelle was on the pass and the stained glass art there was stunning. We were absolutely amazed and delighted by it.

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Although not on the museum pass, a temporary exihibition worth seeing is the Matisse show at the Musee du Luxembourg, next to the Senate, at the entrance to the Luxembourg gardens. And it%26#39;s not crowded, unless you go in the evening or on weekends, when many French people who work go. I believe this show runs until sometime in July. Going there also gives you an opportunity to spend some time in the gardens and a generally nice area of the Left Bank.

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I second your enthusiasm on the Jacquemart Andre Museum, as well as its little restaurant. We found the architecture of the home to be fascinating, especially the foyer with its beautiful winding marble staircases. The audioguide brought everything to life, and the artwork and frescoes were immensely enjoyable.

The restaurant was nice because my wife could order a nice salad without having to get an entree to accompany it.

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The restaurant at the jacquemarc andre is also No Smoking... thanks to the precious artwork that adorns the walls.