The Georges Pompidou Center is the strangest building in the center of Paris. It has the shape of a box, tied with colored wires, that is actually a Center of Contemporary Art. More than 3 million people visit it every year. You will find real gems inside this box. Let’s take a look.

In order not to waste time in a huge queue, buy tickets to the Center Pompidou at this link.

How to visit the Center Pompidou

Place Georges-Pompidou, Paris, France

The nearest metro stations are Rambuteau, Hotel de Ville (line 11) and Les Halles (line 4).

Official website: centrepompidou.fr

From 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily, except Tuesdays and May 1.

On Thursdays, temporary exhibitions are open until 11:00 p.m.

The cost of visiting the Center Pompidou depends on age:

  • Adults need to pay €15 (museum and exhibitions)
  • People aged 18–25 y.o. pay €12
  • Entrance to the viewpoint costs €5
  • Juniors don’t need to buy a ticket
  • With Paris Museum Card entrance is free
  • On the firsts Sunday of the month the entrance is free for everyone

Please remember that you can’t buy a ticket one hour before closing. To avoid standing in line at the box office, you can buy tickets in advance here or select the date of your visit in the calendar:

If you want to not only look at the expositions, but also learn more about contemporary art in general, then we recommend ordering an author's tour, a walk around the Center will become even more pleasant and exciting.

The Center Pompidou is located in a great place in the center of Paris, between Les Halles and Marais. You can easily reach all the sights if you choose a hotel nearby.

Book a hotel near the Center Pompidou

» READ MOREParis in one day: route and map

Who built the Center Pompidou?

Former French President Georges Pompidou in the 60s believed that Paris, as a highly developed city, lacked a multifunctional cultural center aimed specifically at contemporary arts. And the current attendance of the center proves that he was right.

The building of the National Center of Arts and Culture named after Georges Pompidou (center full name) is located on rue Beaubourg, 9. No wonder it is so «modern». There were more than six hundred projects, and this one, according to critics, turned out to be the most interesting and appropriate in meaning.

An extremely unusual creation of architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers was erected in 1977 in defiance of all classicists and lovers of antiquity. The concept of the building is intended to emphasize that it is the center of contemporary art here: the communications turned outwards will remind you about it all the time.

In fact, this layout of the building also had practical significance. The premises of the center turned out to be spacious and capacious.

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What to see in the Center Pompidou?

The museum has permanent exhibitions of pioneers of the 20th century, like Kandinsky, Modigliani, Matisse and Picasso. Also there you can find Pollock, Chagall, and Magritte. Totally 59 thousand amazing artifacts.

Part of the central squares is used for temporary exhibitions. They bring to the Center Pompidou both acknowledged masters, such as Boltanski, Chirico and Klein. And quite young artists in terms of the history of creators, our contemporaries. Everything new and advanced that appears in the field of fine arts necessarily passes through these halls.

Modern art, though not considered for everyone, attracts great interest among the audience. Among the sights of Paris, this center is second in terms of attendance only after the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.

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Entertainment in the Center

One of the reasons for such an appeal is the variety of pastimes available in the center. There are two cinemas on the second floor of the building, where retrospectives of film classics are shown. Visitors have the opportunity not only to immerse themselves in the cinema art, but also to rest their tired legs to be able to continue the tour after the session.

The extravagant Atelier Brancusi theater is located in the basement and introduces the audience to new trends in acting and scenography. For children there are workshops where professionals work with young creators.

For those who are hungry, catering points of three price categories are open: a budget snack bar on the second floor, a slightly more expensive cafe on the mezzanine (the right escalator from the main entrance), and for gourmets, there is Georges restaurant, where you need to book a table.

Shop for art, art books, design books, souvenirs and keepsake posters on the ground floor at Printemps Design Boutique or upstairs at Flammarion Arts Bookstores (these are 4th and 6th floors).

The square in front of the museum is filled with joy all year round. There are street musicians performing, artists selling their paintings, and crowds of souvenir vendors do their best for you to get some nice trinkets.

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Library

The main treasure of the Center is its Public Library, which occupies three floors and contains, in addition to books and periodicals, thousands of audio CDs and documentaries. Entrance to the library is from the courtyard and it is free.

However you can’t climb the escalator to the observation deck for free. Only ticket holders can view the nearby beauties of Paris and the famous Marais and Beaubourg quarters.


Have a great time!

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