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History and civilisations exhibitions in Paris

30 exhibitions on show in Paris — 13 of them free (43%), median entry price €14.50 and 6 closing within two weeks. Listings updated on .

History is exhibited in Paris in places that are themselves documents. The Panthéon and the Sainte-Chapelle host hangs inside listed monuments; the Mémorial de la Shoah, in Paris and at Drancy, carries out continuous documentary work; Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme and Musée national des arts asiatiques — Guimet treat civilisations over the long term. Heritage libraries add to that — Bibliothèque Forney, Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand — showing holdings that rarely come out, almost always with no admission charge.

These are exhibitions to read as much as to look at, and that changes how you visit them. Allow an hour and a half rather than forty minutes, and plan to come back rather than sweep through in one go. Memorials in particular offer free guided visits at fixed times that are well worth taking over an unguided one: the programme is on the venue’s own site. One last practical point, specific to national monuments: the temporary exhibition is usually included in the monument ticket rather than sold separately.

This page gathers the history and civilisations exhibitions open or announced in Paris, with the venue, the run, the lowest entry price found and a link to the official ticket page. The ranking puts what closes soonest first. Prices vary sharply: frequently nothing at memorials and libraries, ten to twenty euros at national museums and monuments, where the ticket covers the whole site and not only the temporary hang.

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30 exhibitions · closing soonest first

Frequently asked questions

Are exhibitions inside Paris monuments included in the ticket?

At national monuments, usually yes — the temporary exhibition is covered by the monument ticket rather than sold separately. The official page linked from each listing confirms it.

Are these exhibitions available in English?

Major museums and monuments provide English wall texts or audio guides; smaller heritage libraries usually do not. The venue page states what is offered.

How long should I allow?

An hour and a half rather than forty minutes: these are exhibitions to read as much as to look at. Memorials also run free guided visits at fixed times.