# Musée de Cluny, Paris > The Musée de Cluny is the National Museum of the Middle Ages in the Latin Quarter, one of the most atmospheric collections in Paris. It occupies 1st–3rd-century Roman baths with a vast cold room and the late-15th-century Gothic mansion of the abbots of Cluny. Of its 23,000 objects some 2,300 are on show: the famous Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, stained glass from the Sainte-Chapelle, Visigothic royal crowns, enamels and carved ivory. The museum is compact, an hour and a half to two is enough, and entry is ticketed. Web page: https://yesgo.io/france/paris/musee-de-cluny - City: [Paris](https://yesgo.io/france/paris), France - YesGo score: 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 45 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Ticketed, free under 18 - Hours: By day, closed Monday - Highlights: The Lady and the Unicorn, Roman baths - Collection: ≈ 23,000 objects, 2,300 on show - Duration: ≈ 1.5–2 hours - Location: 5th arrondissement, metro Cluny – La Sorbonne - Coordinates: 48.85056, 2.34333 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1843** — the museum opened (source: English Wikipedia) - **23,000** — objects in the collection (source: English Wikipedia) - **6** — Lady and the Unicorn tapestries (source: English Wikipedia) - **230** — stained-glass panels, 12th–14th c. (source: English Wikipedia) ## About the Musée de Cluny The Musée de Cluny, officially the **National Museum of the Middle Ages**, stands in the 5th arrondissement where Boulevard Saint-Michel meets Boulevard Saint-Germain, in the heart of the [Latin Quarter](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/latin-quarter). Its building is unique, combining the **Roman baths** of Gallo-Roman Lutetia with the late-15th-century **mansion of the abbots of Cluny**, one of the rare surviving civic buildings of medieval Paris. The mansion was rebuilt under Abbot Jacques d'Amboise in 1485–1510 in Gothic style with early Renaissance touches; in 1515 Mary Tudor, sister of England's Henry VIII, lived here. In 1832 the collector Alexandre Du Sommerard bought it to house his collection of medieval art. After his death the state acquired the collection, and the museum opened in **1843**. ## What to see - **The Lady and the Unicorn** — six 15th-century tapestries in a round room. - **The Roman baths** — a high-vaulted frigidarium. - **The Pillar of the Boatmen** — a 1st-century monument by Paris boatmen. - **Stained glass** — including panels from the Sainte-Chapelle. - **Visigothic crowns** — gold from the Guarrazar treasure. - **Limoges enamels and ivories** — masterpieces of decorative art. ## The Lady and the Unicorn The museum's treasure is the cycle of **six Lady and the Unicorn tapestries**, woven around 1500. On a red ground strewn with flowers and little animals, a noblewoman appears with a lion and a unicorn. Five tapestries are generally read as the five senses, touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight, while the sixth, inscribed 'To my only desire', remains a mystery. They hang in their own dim, round room to protect the colours from light. Benches sit in the centre, so linger to study the details: rabbits, dogs, birds and flowers woven with astonishing finesse. The tapestries have inspired writers, artists and filmmakers. > **When to come** The museum is usually closed on Mondays. Buy tickets ahead on the official website, as weekends can bring queues. Mornings are calmer, especially at the Lady and the Unicorn. Entry is usually free for under-18s and EU residents under 26. If you love the Sainte-Chapelle and Notre-Dame, this museum is the perfect follow-on. ## The Roman baths Beneath the mansion survive **Roman baths** built when Paris was still Lutetia. Best preserved is the **frigidarium**, the cold bath hall with high stone vaults, one of the most impressive Roman interiors north of the Alps, where ancient finds are displayed. Here stands the **Pillar of the Boatmen**, a 1st-century monument dedicated to Emperor Tiberius by the boatmen of Paris. It shows both Roman and Celtic gods and is one of the city's oldest monuments. From outside, the remains of the baths can be seen from Boulevard Saint-Michel. ## Treasures of the Middle Ages The collection includes crowns and crosses from the famous **Guarrazar treasure** of Spain's Visigothic kings, 4th–5th-century rock-crystal lion heads probably made for an imperial throne, and Byzantine **ivories** such as the 6th-century 'Ariadne' and a plaque showing the coronation of Emperor Otto II. Separate rooms are devoted to **Limoges enamels**, gleaming copper reliquaries and altar plaques of the 12th–13th centuries, and to Romanesque and Gothic sculpture, including capitals from Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Saint-Denis. It also holds one of France's largest collections of **stained glass**, 230 panels from the 12th–14th centuries, among them pieces from the [Sainte-Chapelle](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/sainte-chapelle), as well as apostle statues from its upper chapel. ## The mansion and the renewed museum The **Hôtel de Cluny** itself is an exhibit: a turret with a spiral staircase, stone-mullioned windows, carved dormers and a small Gothic **chapel** with delicate palm-like vaults. A little medieval garden surrounds it. In 2011–2022 the museum underwent a major renovation: the baths and chapel were cleaned, a new entrance building by the architect Bernard Desmoulin was added, and the displays were arranged chronologically from Gallo-Roman times to the 16th century. It's now easier to visit, with lifts and ramps. ## How to get there 1. Metro line 10 to **Cluny – La Sorbonne**, a 2-minute walk. 2. Metro line 4 and RER B, C to **Saint-Michel**, 5 minutes. 3. From Notre-Dame, a 10-minute walk across the bridge. 4. The entrance is on Rue du Sommerard. ## Tips for your visit Start in the Roman baths and follow the chronology to the Lady and the Unicorn, so the story of the Middle Ages unfolds in order. An hour and a half to two hours is enough to see everything calmly. An audio guide helps decode the tapestries and stained glass. The museum pairs well with a walk round the Latin Quarter, the Sorbonne and [Notre-Dame](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/notre-dame-de-paris). Children usually love the unicorns, knightly scenes and Roman baths. Photos without flash are allowed. Large bags and backpacks must go in the cloakroom. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Book a ticket ahead - [ ] Make sure it's not Monday - [ ] See the Roman frigidarium - [ ] Sit with the Lady and the Unicorn - [ ] Find the Sainte-Chapelle glass ## Places in Paris: compare and choose Places in Paris rated by YesGo. - [The Louvre](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/louvre) — YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h 30 min · Timed ticket, online - [Musée d'Orsay](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/musee-dorsay) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h 30 min · Timed ticket, online - [Musée de l'Orangerie](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/musee-de-lorangerie) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Ticketed, free under 18 - [Musée de Cluny](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/musee-de-cluny) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Ticketed, free under 18 - [Musée Rodin](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/musee-rodin) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Museum and garden ticket, free under 18 - [Fondation Louis Vuitton](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/fondation-louis-vuitton) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Timed ticket, book ahead - [Parc de la Villette](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/parc-de-la-villette) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Park free, museums ticketed - [Giverny](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/giverny) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Ticket for the house and gardens ## Don't mix it up The Musée de Cluny is the Paris museum of the Middle Ages; Cluny is a town in Burgundy with the ancient abbey after which the mansion is named. ## Tips - Closed Mondays. - Book ahead. - Free under 18. - Quieter mornings. ## Questions ### What is there to see at the Musée de Cluny? The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, Roman baths, stained glass and medieval treasures. ### How long do I need at the museum? About an hour and a half to two hours. ### Which day is the Musée de Cluny closed? Usually Monday; check the official website. ### Is entry ever free? Usually for under-18s and EU residents under 26. ### How do I get to the Musée de Cluny? By metro line 10 to Cluny – La Sorbonne. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. Prices, hours and the closing day weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Musée de Cluny - Museum official website, musee-moyenage.fr --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.