Focusing on all forms of mechanical and electronic imagery (photography, cinema, video, online media, etc.) from the 20th and 21st centuries, this prestigious museum holds an ever-changing roster of dynamic photography exhibitions, film screenings, video installations, symposiums, and seminars. Enjoy the museum, then take a stroll in the regal garden.
Jeu de Paume is located in the Tuileries Garden next to Place de la Concorde in Paris’s 8th arrondissement. Take Métro line 1, 8, or 12 to Concorde and walk toward the northwest corner of the garden to find the museum.
Jeu de Paume is open everyday except Monday. On Tuesdays, the museum usually stays open until about 9pm. Beat the crowds by going during the week or on weekend mornings. Throughout the year, the museum hosts special exhibitions. Check their calendar before going.
After exhausting its use as place for the nobility to bond over a game of “palm ball,” the building became a storage facility for thousands of artworks confiscated from museums and Jewish households during the Nazi occupation of France, 1940 - 1944. (The curator at the time was secretly a member of the Resistance and kept a list that allowed most artworks to be returned to their rightful owners.) After the war, it showcased an extensive collection of impressionist-era art, which was eventually transferred to Musée d’Orsay.
