Musée de la Vie romantique
Former home and studio of the painter Ary Scheffer in the Nouvelle Athènes district: memorabilia of George Sand and Romantic artistic life; the collections are free.
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About the museum
The Hôtel Scheffer-Renan at 16 rue Chaptal was built in 1830 as a house and studio for the painter Ary Scheffer in the Nouvelle Athènes district. Scheffer had two north-facing studios with glass roofs installed there. From 1831 to 1858, the smaller studio hosted Friday gatherings where artists and writers met, among them Delacroix, Liszt, Chopin, Turgenev and Dickens.
George Sand settled in the neighborhood in 1839, and Chopin joined her in 1841. After Scheffer's death in 1858, his daughter Cornélia Scheffer-Marjolin bought the house and converted the studios into exhibition spaces. The site is also linked to the historian Ernest Renan, who met Scheffer's niece Cornélie at one of these evenings in 1856 and later married her. The property passed to the State in 1956, and the City of Paris has managed it since 1981.
The museum took its current name, Musée de la Vie romantique, in 1987. The rooms devoted to George Sand were redesigned in 1989. The collections come in part from loans by partner institutions, a bequest from the Scheffer and Renan families, and regular acquisitions. The museum is run by Paris Musées and also includes a courtyard and a garden with a tearoom.
Highlights
- House and studios of the painter Ary Scheffer
- Rooms devoted to George Sand
- Memories of the Friday artistic gatherings
- Paintings and objects from the Romantic period
- Courtyard, garden and tearoom
- Founded
- 1987
- Operated by
- Ville de Paris (Paris Musées)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 154,663
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission with proof for visitors with disabilities to the collections and exhibitions, with one companion. |
|---|---|
| Groups | –Reservation is required for groups: a fee of €15 for 1 to 12 people and €30 for 13 to 30 people. School groups, leisure center groups, groups of people with disabilities and social-sector groups are exempt. |
The permanent collections are free, open access and without reservation, subject to capacity. Temporary exhibitions are paid; their rates, discounts and free admissions are listed on the Paris Musées ticketing site.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The house is a listed historic monument and is not wheelchair accessible; the stairs make access very difficult for visitors with reduced mobility. The temporary exhibition spaces (the atelier-salon and the large studio), the courtyard and the garden are fully accessible. Wheelchairs and folding seats are lent free of charge at the reception desk, without reservation. Guide dogs are welcome.
Kids & families
- Stroller-friendly: not available
- Baby changing facilities
Strollers are not allowed in the galleries. A baby-changing table is available in the restrooms.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Saint-Georges
Metro: Saint-Georges (line 12), Pigalle (lines 2 and 12) or Blanche (line 2). Bus: line 68 (Blanche-Calais stop) and line 74 (Pigalle-Chaptal stop).
Amenities & dining
- Café
- Coat check
- Lockers
Tearoom in the garden. Self-service lockers near the cash desk (21 small and 7 large), to be emptied the same day. Bags over 40 cm, umbrellas that are not closed, tripods, poles, and strollers or baby carriers must be left at the cloakroom.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Audio guide | yes |
|---|---|
| Photography | Private photography is allowed in the collections and the garden, without flash, tripod, pole or large or professional equipment; any organized photo shoot must be authorized in advance. |
| Good to know | An audio guide to the permanent collections runs in the browser of your phone, without a download; please bring headphones. Bicycles and scooters are not allowed. Smoking and vaping are prohibited throughout the site. |
