Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art
2 Place du Palais-Royal, 75001 Paris
Access: Metro lines 1 and 7
Website – Tel: 01 70 65 47 00
Full/ reduced price €15 / €10
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday. Tuesday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Wednesday to Sunday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed on Monday.
Accessibility: Baby carriers, wheelchairs, folding seats, walking aids, and other assistance equipment are available upon request.
On-site: Bookshop, restaurant (opening spring 2026), creative bar (opening spring 2026), and the Petit Café.
Guided Tours
Lightning Visits
These short introductory tours are offered free of charge to all visitors. At every floor, on the hour, a guide gives a brief introduction to the artworks on display. Meeting points are clearly indicated in each exhibition space.
The Grand Tour
Every day at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. (in French – duration 1h30).
English tour on Fridays at 6 p.m. (duration 1h30).
This in-depth visit explores the full exhibition, allowing visitors to discover all its main chapters and a selection of key artworks.
Architectural Tour
Sundays at 11 a.m. in French, except the last Sunday of the month (duration 1h30).
Last Sunday of the month at 11 a.m. in English (duration 1h30).
This tour explores the remarkable perspectives and views offered by Jean Nouvel’s architecture within the historical 19th-century setting. It’s a journey through time – linking Parisian history, modern and contemporary architecture, and the ideas that shape Nouvel’s work.
Unusual Tour
Tuesdays at 7 p.m. (duration 1h30). In French only.
A different way to experience the exhibition from a fresh and original perspective. These “Unusual Tours” offer a playful, offbeat approach to contemporary art.
For Families Discovery
Booklet
Children aged 6–12 can explore the Exposition Générale through a playful route filled with submarines, huts, kites, and ballrooms! Artworks on this route are marked with child-height labels, and a discovery booklet turns them into fun games and activities – a colorful and joyful way to experience art.
The Micro-Factory
Sundays at 11:30 a.m. for ages 3–5 (duration 1 h).
Young visitors and their parents discover the exhibition through a short guided tour followed by a creative workshop inspired by the shapes, colors, and techniques seen in the artworks.
Family Visit
Wednesdays and Saturdays at 4 p.m. (duration 1 h).
A playful tour designed for children and accompanying adults, discovering surprising artworks that reflect today’s world and introducing them gently to the Foundation’s collection.
Storytelling
Visit During school holidays, on Saturdays.
Fee: €5 in addition to exhibition ticket. Duration 1 h.
A first step into art through a magical tale: imagine a Belle Époque department store transformed into a world of curious creatures, strange objects, fantastic huts, and colorful ballrooms! Children and adults journey through an imaginary world featuring artworks from the Amazon, Oceania, Mali, Europe, and Japan.
Discover the Foundation
Founded in 1984 by Alain Dominique Perrin, the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain was first located in Jouy-en-Josas before moving to Paris in 1994, into a glass building designed by Jean Nouvel on Boulevard Raspail. In 2025, it opens a new venue at the Palais-Royal, facing the Louvre, to welcome larger audiences and exhibitions.
As one of the first corporate foundations dedicated to contemporary art, it supports both emerging and established artists.
Its architecture blends Haussmann heritage and modern technology, featuring flexible, light-filled spaces.
Visitors can enjoy multidisciplinary exhibitions combining art, design, science, photography, and performance.
Perfectly located in central Paris, the foundation is part of a must-see cultural itinerary, steps away from the Palais-Royal Garden and the Louvre Museum.
A vibrant venue where art, architecture, and society meet.
Explore the Spaces
La Manufacture
True to its pioneering spirit, the Fondation Cartier has created La Manufacture, a 300 m² educational space dedicated to cultural mediation, artistic practice, and the promotion of craftsmanship and applied arts.
The Marie-Claude Beaud Studio
With the Marie-Claude Beaud Studio, the Fondation Cartier adds an intimate performance space where exhibitions and live events come together in dialogue.
