Apr 24th, 2019, 01:15 PM

Check Out Some Art Before Skipping Town

By Kristina Kuznetcova
Petit Palais, Winston Churchill Avenue, 75008 Paris. Photo Credit: Kristina Kuznetcova
Several famous museums in Paris welcome students on a budget.

With final exams approaching, summer vacation will be here before we know it. Many international students stay in Paris for some time before they head back to their home countries, but sitting on Champ-de-Mars every day eventually gets boring. So, what else is there to do in Paris without breaking your bank?  A vast amount of Parisian expositions in museums and galleries are either free or have huge discounts for people under 26. This guide offers a variety of Parisian museums that should be explored this summer. 



Gallery Petit Palais, Avenue Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris. Photo Credit: Kristina Kuznetcova

The first, and of course the wisest step, is to simply ask the worker at the front desk about benefits you can have according to your age and residency status. These are several types of museums, galleries, shows, and exhibitions that may have hidden discounts. Some places of interest will definitely require some investment, but they must be visited by all means. For example, the famous Parisian catacombs will cost you less than a fifty percent of the original ticket's price ( €11 instead of €29)  if you show your titer-de-sejour to the cashier, which states that are younger than twenty-five. A courageous way to escape the summer heat and plunge into the mysterious "graveyard" composed of over six million sculls and bones.

If you want to experience the coexistence of art and media, then L'Atelier des Lumières might just be the place.  The workshop of lights consists of 140 video projectors and a spatial sound system, the highly unique multimedia equipment covers a total surface area of 3,300 m², extending from the floors to the ceilings and over walls up to 10 m high. The surrounding creates an effect of the illusionary world and literally turns the visitors into the live participants of the show. For students, the price is reduced from €14.50 to €11.50; for students under twenty-five, up to €9.50. A pleasant way to spend some cash on an hour-lasting light show.



L'Atelier des Lumières, 38 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris. Photo Credit: Kristina Kuznetcova

More interested in the Parisian sculpture heritage? Musée Rodin is perfect for you. Unlike the majority of museums, it is not just a banal concentration of sculptures with a short description. This place tells the life path of a great sculptor: from the hotel Biron, the building of the 18th-century that served as a workshop and house to Auguste Rodin, to the three-hectare garden, where his best sculptures are exhibited. Entrance is free if you hold a Titre-de-Sejour and are under the age twenty-six. The regular price of the ticket is €12. After visiting the sculptures, it is recommended to have a picnic in the beautiful garden in the heart of Paris. 



77 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris. Photo Credit: Kristina Kuznetcova

There are also a few museums that are free for all ages at any time of the year. For example, Petit-Palais with its large collection of French impressionists, Musée Carnavalet that carries the secrets about French history, Maison de Balzac that tells the narrative of the 19th-century French novelist, and many others. A lot of them have hidden terraces, cafes, gardens, the existence of which is not known even for the native French citizens. The quest of discovering these treasure will add a sparkle to the ordinary summer day that will create marvelous memories during the time of your vacation. 



Garden Petit Palais, Avenue Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris. Photo Credit: Kristina Kuznetcova