Maison de Victor Hugo

About the museum

The museum occupies the Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée, at 6 Place des Vosges, where Victor Hugo lived from 1832 to 1848. In 1901, ahead of the centenary of the poet’s birth, Paul Meurice proposed to the City of Paris that it create a museum modelled on the houses dedicated to Dante, Shakespeare and Goethe, together with Hugo’s grandchildren and their mother, Alice Lockroy. Meurice gave his own collection, had Juliette Drouet’s collection purchased and commissioned new works; in 1902 he gave the whole to the City.

The museum opened on 30 June 1903. The family later donated important pieces, including portraits from Hauteville House and the furniture from the room where Hugo died. The manuscripts, initially excluded by the poet’s will, were deposited in 1950 and later donated; Jean Hugo continued to give until 1980, and the 1976 gift from Georges Ravault added more than a thousand items.

Today, Hugo’s apartment occupies the third floor, and temporary exhibitions are held on the second floor. The City of Paris also manages Hauteville House, Hugo’s house of exile on Guernsey, given by the heirs of Georges Hugo in 1927 and currently closed for works.

Highlights

• Victor Hugo’s apartment on the third floor
• Drawings by Hugo, including “Le Burg à la croix”
• Furniture from the room where Hugo died
• Collections of manuscripts and books
• Garden and café on the ground floor
• Visit app in several languages and in French Sign Language

Permanent exhibitions

• L’appartement de Victor Hugo – Apartment on the third floor, where Hugo lived from 1832 to 1848, presented with furniture, drawings and mementoes.
• La bibliothèque patrimoniale – Collection of books, manuscripts and archives relating to Victor Hugo, available for consultation under the museum’s conditions.

Founded

1903

Operated by

Paris Musées (Ville de Paris)

Admission & discounts

Exceptionally, admission is charged, including the permanent collections, from 11 June to 13 December 2026, during the exhibition “Hugo et l’architecture”; the amounts are not stated on the pages consulted. Also free for job seekers, recipients of minimum social benefits, youth leaders at City of Paris leisure centres and certain art and history students. The Paris Musées card gives unlimited access to temporary exhibitions at the City of Paris museums.

Accessibility

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

The museum has received the Tourisme et Handicap label for motor, hearing, intellectual and visual disabilities. Two accessible parking spaces. An easy-read visit booklet and a printed version of the visitor guide are available as PDFs.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

Family route in the app, in French, from age 8; family workshops such as “Boîtes à secrets”.

Getting there & parking

Vélib’ stations: 27 boulevard Beaumarchais and rue Saint-Antoine. For taxi drop-off, the Saint-Paul metro station is indicated.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check

Café Papapa on the ground floor, with a garden, open since 1 September 2026. Free cloakroom reserved for visitors; bags must be deposited (no larger than 40 × 30 × 20 cm); clothing and valuables are not accepted.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 150 guests.

Hire of the apartment (about 280 m²) and the garden (about 300 m²) for private evening visits, receptions, cocktails, dinners, seminars, lectures and filming. Evening events take place after 18:00; seminars and filming take place on Mondays.

Plan your visit