Museums and galleries
Musée d'Orsay
Housed in a former Beaux-Arts railway station completed in 1900 for the Exposition Universelle, later saved from demolition and converted to its present use, the rambling, open-plan museum is home to the works of the great artists of the 19th century 1848-1914 - Impressionists, post-Impressionists, and the rest - that were formerly displayed in the Louvre. This is perhaps the most spectacular collection of European impressionism in the world-- breath-taking rooms full of Manet, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, and many others. Impressionist represent the biggest draw, but there is much more to explore.
Musée du quai Branly
Opened in 2006, this is the newest and the most modern of Paris' great museums, housing an outstanding collection of tribal art, with a particular emphasis on France's former and present territories in Oceania and Africa. The museum is huge and you can easily spend half a day wandering out, especially if you pause to explore the multimedia presentations.
Musée Rodin
A museum dedicated to the life and work of the great sculptor. The house contains an extensive collection, which is unusually well presented in a spacious building with big windows that are open in nice weather, which makes this museum double pleasant.