Jeu de Paume

About the museum

The building was constructed in 1861–1862 by the architect Melchior Viraut in the north-west corner of the Tuileries garden, with the approval of Napoleon III, to house a jeu de paume club, the ancestor of tennis. In 1900 the terrace served as the venue for the fencing events of the Paris Olympic Games.

The room later became an annex of the Musée du Luxembourg, devoted to contemporary foreign schools, and then a museum in its own right. During the Occupation, the Germans used it as a transit point for looted artworks; Rose Valland, who worked there as a curatorial assistant, played a decisive role in saving more than 60,000 works, which were returned after the war thanks to the inventory she had compiled. From 1947 to 1986 the Musée du Jeu de Paume displayed the Impressionist collection, before it was transferred to the Musée d’Orsay.

After an interior reconstruction, the building became the Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume in 1991, a venue for modern and contemporary art. Since 2004, the Jeu de Paume has been an art centre focused on the image in all its forms: photography, cinema, video and digital imaging. It presents solo and group exhibitions, screens films in a 90-seat auditorium turned into a cinema, and offers courses, lectures and a bookshop.

Highlights

• Exhibitions of photography, video and contemporary imagery
• 90-seat art-house cinema
• Location in the Tuileries garden, on the Place de la Concorde
• A distinctive history: real tennis club, Impressionist museum, art centre
• Rose Bakery café terrace with a view of the garden

Founded

2004

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Last Tuesday of the month

Prices for the exhibitions. Free entry with proof for recipients of minimum social benefits, job seekers in France, asylum seekers and refugees, members of the Amis du Jeu de Paume, and holders of cards from the Ministry of Culture, ICOM, ICOMOS, CIMAM or press cards.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

Ramps, an adapted entrance and a lift serving all levels. Two wheelchairs and folding seats can be borrowed at the front desk; battery charging is possible on request. Four wheelchair spaces in the auditorium. Portable sound amplifier at the front desk and an induction loop in the auditorium. Tactile warning strips on the stairs. Two booklets in easy-to-read language are available. The free Souffleurs d’Images service accompanies blind and visually impaired visitors (booking 15 days in advance). An accessible parking space is on rue de Rivoli near rue Castiglione; vehicles must be registered 48 hours in advance.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly

Ping-Pong programme: family film workshops, creative workshops from age 3, cyanotype workshops for ages 7 to 11, storytelling tours. Activity booklet and colouring sheet at the front desk. Strollers are admitted; children’s scooters can be left at the cloakroom.

Getting there & parking

Access through the Tuileries garden. Bicycle racks on rue Saint-Florentin and rue de Mondovi; Vélib’ stations on rue Cambon and place de la Madeleine.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check

Rose Bakery café with a summer terrace overlooking the Tuileries garden, accessible without an exhibition ticket. Bookshop open access. Cloakroom for bags up to 55 x 35 x 25 cm; large luggage is refused.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 250 guests.

Large hall with a glass roof, terrace (April to September, 250 people maximum), 90-seat auditorium and the whole building between two exhibitions (1,000 m²). Filming and photo shoots possible.

Plan your visit