Location

History of the site 

After the World’s Fair, the architects kept part of the former Palais by extending the wings overlooking the River Seine with an impressive gallery, featuring another floor on top. The central rotunda made way for a sweeping esplanade, with views across to the Tour Eiffel and Military School. Beneath this esplanade, a new theater was built. 

The Palais de Chaillot is graced with clean, symmetrical lines, its façades shaped by columns and tall windows. Representative of the Art Deco style, it was one of the showcases of figurative art in the 1930s, along with the Palais de Tokyo. Its decoration was the handiwork of 22 sculptors, 58 painters and 2 ornamental ironworkers.

Today, this monumental site is home to the Parvis des Droits de l'Homme (Human Rights Esplanade). The Passy wing houses the two museums, Musée de l'Homme (exploring the evolution of humans and human societies) and Musée de la Marine (devoted to maritime themes). The Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine is located in the Paris wing. The Théâtre national de la danse, meanwhile, can be found beneath the esplanade.
 

History of the museum

Through its collections and the chronological breadth of its visitor trail, the Museum of French Monuments is one of the leading, and oldest, museums dedicated to architecture and heritage. Starting out as the Museum of Comparative Sculpture in 1882, it was named the Museum of French Monuments in 1937 before becoming part of the new cultural venue, the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine, in 2004.

Today, it plays a key role in disseminating architectural culture, whether in terms of imparting knowledge, supporting architectural quality, helping to protect our built heritage or enabling creativity and innovation. This thought-provoking site seeks to inspire and spark critical thinking, encouraging citizens to actively embrace architecture and their urban environment for the future. 

The museum largely accomplishes these missions by being a respected authority on the art of building and its challenges. It is committed to enhancing public appreciation of architecture and heritage, by tailoring its outreach as much to visitors who are new to these concepts as to those looking to further their professional or scientific knowledge. The museum charts the history of architecture, from the Middle Ages to the present day, in narrative form.
 

The Colline des Arts network 

Colline des Arts is the name given to the network of 11 cultural venues located within the perimeter of the Chaillot hill, encompassing the Trocadéro-Iéna-Alma sites. They are all within easy walking distance of each other. Steeped in a shared history, the buildings in question stand as an enduring testament to the World’s Fairs at the turn of the twentieth century and exhibit strong architectural parallels. Museums, theaters, art centers and institutions, contemporary art, dance, music, the Asian arts, fashion, architecture, history of humankind, maritime themes: nowhere else in France can such a wide range of cultural sites, designed with an equally wide range of visitors in mind, be found within such a small area.

Théâtre des Champs-Elysées ; Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris ; Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris ; Palais de Tokyo ; Palais Galliera ; musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris ; Musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet ; Palais d’Iéna, siège du Conseil économique, social et environnemental ; Cité de l’architecture & du patrimoine ; Chaillot – Théâtre national de la Danse ; Musée de l’Homme ; Musée national de la Marine.