Visit the Centre Pompidou in Paris: tickets, prices, schedules

Why visit the Centre Pompidou, what to do and what to see in this emblematic monument of the City of Light? We're telling you everything.

The Centre Pompidou is a gigantic cultural complex that includes, among other things, the National Museum of Modern Art (MNAM). This Parisian building, recognisable between a thousand, welcomes more than 3 million visitors per year. It must be said that it houses one of the two most important collections of modern and contemporary art in the world and the first in Europe. More than 110,000 works of 6 thousand different artists are preserved there. The rich (and enlivened) history of this colossal building with a spectacular look is worth a visit by itself.

Wanderlix gives you the keys to offer you a ticket to the Centre Pompidou in the best conditions. Follow the guide!

History of the Centre Pompidou

The Pompidou Centre is named after the President of the Republic. In 1969, Georges Pompidou, passionate about modern and contemporary art, decided to erect a gigantic futuristic multidisciplinary cultural centre in the heart of Paris. He himself chose the site of construction: the Beaubourg plateau between the Marais district and the Halles district.

An architectural competition launched in 1971 was won by young architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers in 681 projects. The sketch recalls an irrigated heart of arteries of four different vivid colours, covering its facades. Blue for air circulation, yellow for electric traffic, green for water circulation. Red is dedicated to the traffic of people: it houses the escalators and lifts. The daring and even iconoclasting style of the building will be nicknamed by its detractors “Our Lady of Piping”... which will not prevent its inauguration in January 1977.

The building covers 10 levels of 7,500 m2 each. 12,210 sqm are dedicated to MNAM and 5,900 sqm to temporary exhibitions. It also includes two cinemas, a large showroom and a conference room. A multi-disciplinary complex, visiting the centre of Pompidou allows you to enjoy a large media library. The Public Information Library is indeed 10,400 m2 for 2,200 simultaneous readers!

The researchers have a large dedicated documentation and research centre, the Kandinsky Library. It extends over a surface of 2,600 m2. One can of course eat on site as it includes a café-snack and a popular restaurant, “Le Georges”. For the short story, President Georges Pompidou was never able to admire this phenomenal complex. He was taken by cancer in 1974...

The permanent collection of the Centre Pompidou

MNAM has one of the richest contemporary art collections in the world with MOMA in New York and Tate Modern in London. The permanent collections are located at levels 4 and 5 of the building. Particularity of the place, the monographic rooms (consecrated to an artist) alternate with thematic rooms. Closing is renewed every year, which contributes to the changing side of the place desired by its designers.

Visiting the Centre Pompidou allows to admire iconic works from the early 1900s. Fauvism (the great Matisse) and cubism (the illustrious Picasso) are here well represented as Marcel Duchamp’s Dadaism. Later, Kandinsky exhibited his abstract works with Kupka and Klee. A gallery among the most appreciated highlights the surrealists: Miro, Dali and Magritte, are you talking about?

Wow, these colors! No doubt, you arrive in the "Pop Art" style section dominated by his spearhead Andy Warhol. Go on again: the Bauhaus movement composes with the works of Mondrian, O’Keefe and the abstract expressionism of a Pollock. "Great blue anthropophagy" by Klein and "Requiem for a dead leaf" by Tingerly leave room for the famous "Black Square on white background" by Malevitch.

Continue your visit to level 1 with “The Brancusi Workshop”. The Romanian artist created a large part of his work in Paris and gave him his workshop. The most beautiful pieces of his collection are still there. Finally, you should know that getting a ticket for the Pompidou Centre is also going out! The terraces (with stunning views of Paris) welcome magnificent sculptures. Miro, Ernst or Takis have all their talent here.

Temporary exhibitions

Visit the Centre Pompidou provides visitors with a unique experience throughout the year. The Beaubourg cultural complex honours various artists and themes at various temporary exhibitions in the museum. From September 8 to December 6, 2021, for example, American modernist Georgia O’Keeffe exhibited at level 6. Jean-Charles de Castelbajac invests the "Child Gallery" at level 1. His educational exhibition-workshop (until May 2022) is perfectly adapted to the awakening of their artistic sensibility. Gallery 1 of level 6 will be hosting a retrospective dedicated to Baselitz until March 7, 2022. It is no less than six decades of figurative, abstract and conceptual creation that can be contemplated.

Below, level 4 makes a great part of the atypical creations of Saul Steinber or Paul Nelson. Let’s go down: Gallery 3 of Level 1 will present the work of the Italian artist Ettore Sottsass until January 2022. 400 of his works, photographs and documents of exciting archives are made available to the public. Let’s go down again: at the level-1 forum and until December 2021, place in the photo. A collective exhibition brings together some 60 works from the Pompidou Centre collection. There are the greatest names of the reproduction cliché: Pierre Boucher, Man Ray, Constantin Brancusi, Berenice Abbott... but also Hirofumi Isoya, Timm Ulrichs, Paolo Gioli, Sara Cwynar or Kanji Wakae.

There is no mention of all temporary exhibits as long as there are. However, you can find the full program of the center by going directly to this link .

The shows

Your ticket to the Pompidou Centre opens access to the forum at level 0 and to the large room at level -1. Throughout the year there are plays, theatre works and live shows on multiple themes. To give you an idea, the year 2022 is likely to start strong with the creations of Sylvia Costa and Gurshad Shaheman. Let us also stress the cycle "emancipations" hated by Aurélie Charon. His team of young artists of more than thirty different nationalities brings an innovative look at this complex concept... so well anchored in the air of time.

Cinema

Level -1 accommodates two cinemas of 326 and 150 seats. Both screens display throughout the retrospective year, thematic cycles, masterclasses filmmakers, documentaries and artist films. Forget about them blockbusters mainstream and drastic comedies. Here, culture prevails. We admire unique cinema works reserved for connoisseurs of the 7th art. The very high quality of the audio-visual system is to be credited to a cultural centre which, decidedly, is just as much.

Are there guided or private tours?

Guided tour

Offering a ticket to the Pompidou Centre is already very good. But a guided tour with a seasoned host is even better. You will find the latter in front of the coffee " La Station Rambuteau » to 20, rue Beaubourg . He will have you explore the galleries of the Centre Beaubourg for two good hours. They will be sufficient to provide you with new lighting and welcome feedback on the many works presented. Your visit will end with an exit at level 6 and a splendid panorama on the roofs of Paris. Undeniable advantage? This cut-file ticket makes you avoid waiting queues often endless. Don’t hesitate!

Private visit

This time it’s at Stravinsky fountain located Saint-Merri street you will join your private guide. He or she will make the queues disappear as by magic and guide you through the building. After you have invited the story, you will discover his mirific works and will be able to understand the artists who reside there. A private visit is a cultural event to be reserved for authentic contemporary art lovers. They will certainly not lose a hand.

Schedules and rates

Visit the Centre Pompidou is possible every day from 11am to 10pm except Tuesdays and May 1st . Access to the building itself is completely free, as is access to the Public Information Library. Entry to MNAM remains very affordable: 14€ at full rate, 11€ at a reduced rate.

He is free for job seekers, people with reduced mobility, 18 to 25 years old and teachers. Better: everyone enjoys free on the first Sunday of each month.

Access to cinema costs 5€ or 3€ at a reduced rate. The “Space and concert” tickets are billed differently depending on the proposed work.

How do I go to the Pompidou Centre?

To visit the Centre Pompidou you can stop at the stop “Châtelet”, “Rambuteau” or “City Hotel”. The metro the desserts via the lines 1 , 4 , 7 or 11 For example. Châtelet, a genuine Parisian circulation core, is also served by the RER A , B and D .

Slightly. bus ? ♪ lines 29 , 38 , 47 , 75 will lead you there without difficulty. More like a car? The parking Pompidou Centre is located at the 31 rue Beaubourg . Slightly. Vélib ? Stations are scattered around.

Know that today we enter the Centre by only two doors: the piazza or the library. Before, there were four, which significantly reduced the tails... Opt for one ticket cut-file It's definitely worth it.

What to do around the Pompidou Centre?

Picasso National Museum

The collection of the National Picasso Museum has over 5,000 works and 200,000 archival pieces. It is simply the largest collection of Picasso’s work in the world. The National Picasso Museum allows a complete apprehension of the artist’s artistic approach.

Museum of Arts and Crafts

The MAM retraces the history of science and technology since the sixteenth century in seven distinct areas. Scientific instruments, materials, construction, communication, energy, mechanics and transport are presented here in the former abbey of Saint-Martin-des-Champs. We will see the uncontourable Foucault Pendule and fabulous automatons.

Westfield Halles Forum

The Forum des Halles is located close to the Pompidou Centre. Ideal for a rainy afternoon, it includes cinema, shops, bars, restaurants, beauty centers... An immanquable fun, tourist and commercial to visit without moderation.

Where to eat around the Pompidou Centre?

The Hangar

The Hangar combines well-kept and copied bistro food in a garden from Beaubourg Street. Fresh dishes, melting desserts: nothing industrial here except the name of the establishment. Our opinion? A reference.

The Comptoir Gourmet

A small Italian restaurant offering a simple menu and high-quality dishes. To complete your cultural visit to the Centre Pompidou, know that the decoration of the place is due to the artist Piero Fornasetti.

The Colimaçon

A small old house in which a traditional French cuisine was built southwest. Duck, garlic snails, calf ris and wine map provided for a very reasonable note. Miam!

Where to sleep around the Pompidou Centre?

Hotel de Lutèce

Lutèce Hotel is a magnificent 17th-century building just a 10-minute walk from the Georges Pompidou Centre. This very quiet hotel offers a neat service and pretty rooms including some with exposed beams.

Le Relais des Halles

Hotel Le Relais des Halles welcomes you in a pedestrian street 500 metres from the Centre Pompidou. Its rooms have a retro-modern look and will offer you a well-deserved rest.

The Presbytery

In the heart of the Marais, this former presbytery of the church of Saint-Merry is just a short walk from the Quais de Seine. Its eleven fully renovated rooms in 2019 offer a view of the roofs of Paris or the Saint-Jacques tower. Coquet and efficient.

FAQ

What is the duration of the visit?

Plan between 1h30 and 2h visit to permanent collections... and one or two more hour for temporary.

What is the best time to visit the Pompidou Centre?

The most frequented days are Saturdays and especially Sundays and holidays. If you come over the weekend, prefer late afternoon . In general, avoid mornings and rainy days.

Why should he book his ticket online?

Book your ticket online avoid interminable tails in front of the entrance. In addition, a ticket purchased on the official website is dated with a schedule which is not the case if you book on an online platform like GetYourGuide. You thus benefit from greater flexibility to visit the Pompidou Centre.

What is the waiting time to visit the Pompidou Centre?

Without a cut-file ticket, it is not uncommon to wait several dozen minutes or even a few hours to return.

Are the photos allowed?

Photos without flash are allowed except express mention.

Are there dressing rooms at the Pompidou Centre?

Yes, and they're open 11am to 10pm .

Is the Centre Pompidou accessible to people with reduced mobility?

Yes, in full. At the Level 0 pushchairs and wheelchairs Forum are at your disposal. Siege canes are also available at the museum's levels 4 and 5. Access to the Museum and exhibitions is free for visitors with disabilities as well as a companion. A priority entry (left) is dedicated to these on the piazza Beaubourg. They can also access the museum by the entrance of the staff at the corner of Rue du Renard.

Are pets allowed at the Pompidou Centre?

Animals are not welcome to visit the Pompidou Centre. Only the guide dogs of the blind are tolerated in the compound.

Can I visit the Centre Pompidou virtually?

Yes, you can access virtual exhibitions just here .