Musée Cognacq-Jay

Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville


This museum inside the Hôtel de Donon displays oil paintings, pastels, sculpture, objets d’art, jewellery, porcelain and furniture from the 18th century, assembled by Ernest Cognacq (1839–1928), founder of La Samaritaine department store, and his wife Louise Jay. Although Cognacq appreciated little of his collection, boasting that he had never visited the Louvre and was only acquiring collections for the status, the artwork and objets d’art give a good idea of upper-class tastes during the Age of Enlightenment.

Temporary exhibitions incur an admission fee.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville attractions

1. Musée Carnavalet

0.1 MILES

Paris' history museum, spanning Gallo-Roman times onwards, rambles over a pair of remarkable hôtels particuliers (private mansions), the 1560-built Hôtel…

2. Musée National Picasso

0.11 MILES

One of Paris’ most treasured art collections is showcased inside the mid-17th-century Hôtel Salé, an exquisite private mansion owned by the city since…

3. Le Mur du Marais

0.13 MILES

Wall murals by a succession of different street artists plaster one wall of a building, a two-minute walk from the Musée National Picasso, on the corner…

4. Art Nouveau Synagogue

0.16 MILES

At the heart of the Jewish quarter of Pletzl lies this art nouveau synagogue, designed in 1913 by Hector Guimard, who was also responsible for the city's…

5. Place du Marché Ste-Catherine

0.21 MILES

Clad with benches and shaded by trees, this pretty pedestrian square is framed on three sides by atmospheric cafe pavement terraces that are perfect for…

6. Musée des Archives Nationales

0.24 MILES

France's National Archives and small museum are set in a stunning pair of hôtels particuliers (mansions) amid beautiful gardens. Dating from the early…

7. Maison Européenne de la Photographie

0.25 MILES

The European House of Photography, housed in the overly renovated Hôtel Hénault de Cantobre (dating – believe it or not – from the early 18th century),…

8. Place des Vosges

0.26 MILES

Inaugurated in 1612 as place Royale and thus Paris' oldest square, place des Vosges is a strikingly elegant ensemble of 36 symmetrical houses with ground…