Stories
3rd: Temple
Paris - 3rd Arrondissement
When people talk about wanting to live in the Marais, it's generally the quieter 3rd arrondissement they’re talking about, but it is not without its must-sees. Museum lovers will often choose Musée Picasso after the Louvre and d'Orsay, and Musée Carnavalet follows as a close fourth. Most don't even think about visiting the très-interesting Conservatoire des Arts et Métier, which has all sorts of inventions on display, including Foucault's Pendulum and some of the original planning of the Statue of Liberty. Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme and Les Archives Nationales, along with sweet little parks and yummy eateries also help to make this arrondissement one of the better places to live and visit in Paris.
Destinations in the 3rd: Temple
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Gaite Lyrique Cultural Center
One of the city's newest museums, La Gaîté Lyrique investigates all forms of digital culture. Its mission is to be “The daily meeting place for technology, art and people.”
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Musee Carnavalet
Visiting a city is certainly not as complete as it could be without understanding its history and the Musée Carnavalet is dedicated to this purpose. The city of light, so rich in architecture, literature and ideas, definitely deserves a museum telling its own stories. Visitors will be pleasantly surprised to find that the museum not only gives a detailed account of Paris history, but it is also an exquisite art gallery.
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Musee Cognacq-Jay
Musée Cognacq-Jay houses an impressive collection of mainly 18th century art owned by Edgar Cognacq and Marie-Louise Jay, founders of Samaritaine, once the world's largest department store. Located in the heart of the Marais in the 16th-century Hôtel du Donon, this lesser-known museum is worth a visit. -
Musée de la Poupée
While Musée de la Poupée (The Doll Museum) might seem more for adults, it also has activities for children such as educational tours, storytelling, and workshops.
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Musée des Arts et Métiers
(Museum of the Arts and Invention)
This museum is a must for those who want to know how things work. Its exhibitions range from the first calculator, to the evolution of clocks, and to transportation.
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Picasso Museum
(Musée Picasso)
The Picasso Museum is closed for renovation until spring 2013.
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The National Archives of France
(Archives nationales de France)
The entire history of France in boxes.
The National Archives spans three locations: Paris, Fontainebleau, Pierrefitte-sur-Seine. The Paris site, which is in the Marais, keeps all public documents produced by the State of France since the seventh century AD - C. through 1958, as well as the papers of the Heads of State of the Fifth Republic and minutes of notaries in Paris.
