Next up in my series ‘Paris in Winter with Kids’ is a personal favorite activity, visiting the Petit Palais. Often overshadowed by its big brother, the Grand Palais, this art collection in the heart of Paris has a couple things going for it as far as visits with kids go.
1/ Location, location, location! It is central in the truest sense, right next to the Seine river. With kids, it’s always nice not to have to go tooo far out of the way to arrive somewhere - who hasn’t taken a long commute only to have everyone already tired and cranky, or hungry, or have an impending naptime.
2/ Next - the size of the collection is quite manageable! Start on the main floor with the sculptures... find an action packed sculpture and make up a gripping story about it to get children excited! This trick has really made my 4 year old look forward to museums, and has made him ask a lot of inquisitive questions. What more could you want from a cultural visit with kids?
3/ There is a beautiful enclosed garden in the courtyard, complete with a great little café for lunch or snacks (closed for renovations until May 16th, 2020). If it’s sunny and warm enough, take kids out to let off some steam, and then head back into continue exploring!
4/ Last but not least – entrance to the permanent collection is free! Like for everyone, all the time! While I love supporting the arts, sometimes it’s hard to stomach paying a full price ticket for a visit that could deteriorate at any given moment:) This relieves some of the pressure of ‘getting your money’s worth,’ since if you only stay 45 minutes and look at 3 works, it’s OK!
The Petit Palais
Avenue Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Closed Mondays and public holidays. Tickets offices close at 5pm.
Free entrance to the Permanent Collection