Musée des Arts Décoratifs: the Camondo’s open sister museum
When the Camondo closed, this is where I started sending people, with a warning attached. The two museums share an owner, a director and a point of view about French decorative arts, and the MAD holds period rooms and 18th-century furniture and décor that speak the same language as the Grand Salon on rue de Monceau. But the MAD is a big institution in a palace wing, with fashion, jewellery, graphic design and temporary shows on the same ticket, and it does not feel like a house. If you can hold both of those thoughts at once, it is the best afternoon a Camondo-minded visitor can have in Paris right now.
What it is, and what it is not
The address is 107 rue de Rivoli, the Pavillon de Marsan, at the western end of the Louvre palace towards the Tuileries. People walk past it every day on their way to the pyramid without realising it is a separate museum with a separate door and a separate ticket. Your Louvre ticket will not get you in, and this ticket will not get you into the Louvre. The collections run from the Middle Ages to contemporary design; the part a Camondo visitor comes for is the 18th-century material and the period rooms, and it is there, but you will pass a great deal else on the way.
Les Arts Décoratifs runs the MAD and the Camondo together. Christine Macel was announced as the new director of the museums, joining in October 2026, so she will oversee the end of the Camondo works from an office on rue de Rivoli. The next MAD exhibition I have seen announced is by Marion Delarue, from 6 October 2026 to 10 January 2027. Current shows are listed on madparis.fr.
Why a Camondo visitor should go
Three reasons, in the order I would give them to a friend. First, the institution: the Camondo bequest of 1935 went to Les Arts Décoratifs, and this is that institution’s main house. The curatorial care you would have met on rue de Monceau is the same care here. Second, the objects: Moïse de Camondo collected Louis XV and Louis XVI furniture, Sèvres porcelain and tapestry, and the MAD’s 18th-century rooms show the same world, with the difference that here it is arranged as a museum rather than lived in as a home. If you have read what is inside the Camondo, you will recognise the vocabulary. Third, the building: the upper floors look out over the Tuileries, and reviewers who came for the furniture often leave talking about the view. Sylvia from Germany listed the Ferris wheel, the Olympic flame and the pyramid from the top floor.
About the 3.7 rating
The listing is rated 3.7 from 225 reviews, and I would rather explain that than hide it. Reading the reviews, the low scores come from expectation. Roger from Canada wrote that there was “less furniture than expected and more jewellery, but a wonderful array”, which is the whole thing in one sentence. Irina from Kyrgyzstan called it “a great place if you appreciate design, craftsmanship and history”. Oksana from Germany used the listing to get in the next day when tickets were sold out elsewhere. Nobody I have read says the museum is bad. They say it is not the museum they pictured. If you arrive knowing it is a decorative arts and design museum with a strong 18th-century section rather than a second Camondo, the rating stops being a warning.
What works
- Same institution as the Camondo, open throughout the works
- Period rooms and 18th-century furniture and décor on show now
- Ticket covers all current exhibitions on the day
- Upper-floor views over the Tuileries that reviewers keep mentioning
- Useful when other Paris museums are sold out for the next day
Worth knowing
- A big museum, not a house; it does not feel like the Camondo
- More fashion and jewellery than many furniture-minded visitors expect
- Audio guide runs on your own phone, so bring headphones and charge
- Separate from the Louvre; one ticket does not cover the other
- 3.7 rating reflects that expectation gap
What the GetYourGuide listing includes
Included
- Entry ticket to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 107 rue de Rivoli
- Access to all current exhibitions
- Audio guide for the museum, on your own phone, in six languages
- A separate Paris-landmarks audio tour app for the city
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Not included
- Headphones (bring your own)
- Entry to the Louvre museum next door
- A live guide
- Anything at the Camondo, which is closed
The listed duration is two hours, which matches what I see. The ticket is valid on the day you book. The audio guide covers the museum; the second app is a city walk you can use anywhere in Paris afterwards, including the Monceau quarter if you head there. The full write-up, with reviewer names and my verdict, is the decorative arts ticket review.
Do the 18th-century rooms first, while you are fresh and before the fashion galleries pull you sideways, then go up for the view. If you are under 26 you get in free at the desk under the same rules as the Camondo; see free admission before you buy anything.
Pairing it with the Camondo quarter
Rue de Rivoli and rue de Monceau are in different parts of town, but the two fit into one day. Morning at the MAD, then Métro to Villiers or Monceau on line 2, lunch, and the afternoon in Parc Monceau and the streets around the house. Or take the Haussmann private walk in the afternoon and let the guide bring you to the park. Either way you will have seen the institution and the address in a single day, which is about as close to a Camondo visit as 2026 allows.
Check availability for the MAD ticket
Live dates below. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before; the GetYourGuide page is the authority on the terms.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Musée des Arts Décoratifs part of the Louvre?
No. It is in the Pavillon de Marsan, the west wing of the Louvre palace at 107 rue de Rivoli, but it is a separate museum run by Les Arts Décoratifs with its own entrance and ticket. A Louvre ticket does not admit you, and this ticket does not admit you to the Louvre.
Is it open while the Camondo is closed?
Yes. The MAD stays open throughout the Camondo restoration, which is expected to run to the end of 2029. The closure itself is explained on the closure page.
Will I see the Camondo collection there?
No. Moïse de Camondo asked that his collection stay in the house, and it does, in store or under protection during the works. What the MAD offers is the same institution’s 18th-century furniture, porcelain and period rooms. What to see at the Camondo describes what is waiting on rue de Monceau.
Why is the ticket rated only 3.7?
Expectation. Reviewers who wanted a furniture museum found a design museum with a lot of fashion and jewellery. Those who came for design, craftsmanship and the Tuileries views rate it well. The ticket review quotes them.
Do I need headphones for the audio guide?
Yes. The audio guide runs on your own phone and the listing tells you to bring your own headphones. It is available in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Chinese. A separate city audio tour app is included and works anywhere in Paris.
Is entry free for under-26s here too?
Yes. Both museums run by Les Arts Décoratifs admit under-18s and 18-to-25-year-olds free, along with disabled visitors and one companion and the other categories on the free admission page. If you qualify, go to the desk rather than buying the listing.