The Grand Palais (translated as “Grand Palace”) is a Parisian architectural monument located on the banks of the Seine on the edge. Prestigious exhibitions and salons are regularly held here.

The “Grand Palais des Beaux-Arts” was built in Paris for the Universal Exhibition of 1900 on the site and instead of the spacious but inconvenient Palace of Industry of 1855. Now its main purpose is art exhibitions.

The palace building is classified as a historical monument.

A competition was organized for the architectural design for the palace, as a result of which it was not possible to reach a consensus and give preference to any one author. It was decided to entrust the project to four architects, each of whom was responsible for his own area of ​​​​work: Henri Deglan, Albert Louvet, Albert-Felix-Théophile Thomas and Charles Giraud.

The main nave, almost 240 m long, forms a majestic building with a high glass roof. The construction of the palace took 9,057 tons of metal (for comparison, at the Orsay station - 12,000, at the Orsay station - 7,300).

The building is designed in the eclecticism typical of the Beaux-Arts style. The Grand Palais, as it were, sums up the tastes of the Belle Epoque, but at the same time expresses the end of some concepts in architecture, when the architect is both a creative person and an engineer and plays the most significant role. This palace is one of the last examples of the era preceding the era of electricity. Great importance here is given to structures that transmit light.

There are sculptural compositions in front of the two entrances to the palace.

The inside of the palace is decorated with mosaics.

In winter (from mid-December to early January), the Grand Palais has the largest indoor ice skating rink in the world.

Opening hours of the Grand Palais

The exhibitions are open from 10.00 to 20.00 every day, except Tuesdays.

On Wednesdays - until 22.00.

Ticket price for the exhibition at the Grand Palais

Ticket prices vary depending on the exhibition.

The standard ticket price at full fare is 11 euros, with discounts (16-25 years old, have a document with you) - 7 euros.

There is a special offer for groups of 4 people, 2 of which are youth 16-25 years old - 35 euros.

Persons under 16 years of age, disabled people and accompanying persons have free admission.

How to get to the Grand Palais

The Grand Palace is located at 3, avenue du Général Eisenhower.

Lines 1, 9 Franklin D. Roosevelt Station; lines 1, 13 station Champs-Elysées - Clémenceau

Line C station Invalides

In the center of Petit Palais there is a beautiful, cozy cafe “Le Jardin Du Petit Palais”, where it is pleasant to sit in silence away from the bustle of the big city. The exquisite furnishings are conducive to relaxation - exotic plants, columns, and mosaic patterns are even present on the dishes. The cost of the daily dish with dessert is 15.90 euros.

The establishment is open daily 10:00-17:00, on Friday until 19:00. Monday is a day off.

The Grand Palais has its own restaurant, which offers tastings of honey collected directly on the palace grounds. It is open during Palais opening hours.

Opening hours and cost of visiting the Palaces

Although the Grand and Small Palaces stand side by side, facing each other, their opening hours are different.

Opening hours of the Grand Palace:

• The Grand Palace welcomes guests daily: 9:00-22:00.
• Tuesday is a day off.

Opening hours of the Small Palace:

• The Small Palace is open: daily 10:00-18:00.
• Monday is a day off.

Tickets to the Big and Small Palace

• Temporary and permanent exhibitions at the Grand Palais will cost 6-12 euros.
• The permanent exhibitions of the Petit Palais are open to everyone free of charge, which is very pleasing, although unusual.
• Temporary ones cost 4-11 euros.

For reference: in Paris there is a wonderful tradition of declaring a “night of museums”. This means that any museum in the capital is open for free after 18:00 until midnight.

The queues are long, but is this really an obstacle to the opportunity to see the best masterpieces of world art?

Location and how to get to the Big and Small Palaces

Whether strolling through the expensive boutiques of the Champs-Élysées, visiting the legendary bars, admiring the sights or strolling along the Pont Alexandre III, it is difficult not to notice two magnificent buildings that resemble boxes where the most valuable treasures are usually kept.

The Grand Palais in Paris and its permanent neighbor, the Petit Palais, took pride of place south of Chance-Elise, located between the main street of the capital and the Place de la Concorde, where the Luxor obelisk of Pharaoh Ramses II, donated to the city by the Egyptian ruler Mehmet Ali in 1831, proudly stands.

You can get to the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Discovery by taking a taxi and travel comfortably from anywhere in the city.

If you prefer to make your own route, you will have to resort to the services of.

Big and Small Palace on the map

Contact Information

Grand Palais address: 3 Avenue du Eisenhower 75008 Paris, France
Contact phone: +33 1 44 13 17 17
Official website of the Grand Palais: www.grandpalais.fr
Petit Palais address: Avenue Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris, France
Contact phone: +33 1 53 43 40 00
Official website of the Petit Palais: www.petitpalais.paris.fr

Grand Palais in Paris (Video)

Big and Small Palace (Photo)

Photo gallery of the Grand Palais in Paris

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Grand and Petit Palais in Paris

It is almost impossible not to notice the Grand Palais des Beaux-Arts of Paris. A gigantic building with a fancy glass roof, copper quadrigas on the pediments and a high spire topped with a tricolor attracts the gaze of any traveler, no matter where he is - on board an excursion boat sailing along the Seine, on the second floor of a tourist bus crossing the Pont Alexandre III, on observation decks of the Arc de Triomphe or the Eiffel Tower. The Grand Palace was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900 and marks the end of the era of the great redevelopment of Paris - together with the Petit Palais, it completes the line stretching from the esplanade of the Invalides to the Champs-Elysees.

Story

The architects of the future pavilion faced a very difficult task: to create a majestic, beautiful and at the same time original building (it was necessary to take into account that the structure would probably be compared to the Eiffel Tower). As a result, the Parisian authorities preferred the project of the “three musketeers” - Henri Deglan, Albert Louvet, Albert Thomas. Charles Giraud, the creator of the Small Palace, was called upon to coordinate the external architectural appearance of the Grand Palace. The authors chose to move away from the modernism of Gustave Eiffel and carried out the construction in the Beaux Arts style, which involves a combination of various artistic and engineering trends - therefore, antique bronze quadrigas on the pediments, baroque wall decor and the advanced design of the glazed roof, with the steel weaving of the frame reminiscent of Eiffel Tower.

The production of the main vault of the Grand Palace took 6,000 tons of steel - more than the construction of the “First Lady of Paris”. Its glazing area is 13,500 sq. m - even today the roof of the palace is considered the largest glass roof in Europe.

Construction was difficult: the weak riverine soil could not support the weight of the grandiose building, the foundation had to be urgently strengthened - pretty soon the budget was exceeded, and due to insufficient payment for overtime work, the builders staged mass strikes. Nevertheless, by some miracle they met the deadline: “The building dedicated by the Republic to the glory of French art” (this inscription can still be read on the pediment) was opened exactly at the beginning of the World Exhibition of 1900.

Grand Palace today

Nowadays, the monumental structure is divided into two unequal parts: the smaller one is occupied by the “Museum of Discoveries and Inventions” (a favorite place for excursions of French schoolchildren), and the larger one is occupied by the Art Gallery. It does not have a permanent exhibition, but temporary exhibitions are invariably of the highest quality - they attract up to 2 million visitors to the Grand Palace every year.

Practical information

Address: Paris, Avenue Eisenhower, 3. Website

How to get there: the most convenient way is by metro (Champs-Elysees - Clemenceau or Franklin D. Roosvelt stations) or RER (Invalides station).

Opening hours and ticket prices: As a rule, the Grand Palace is open every day except Tuesday, from 10:00 to 22:00. Opening hours may vary on individual exhibition days. Ticket prices also vary depending on the events.

The Grand Palace in Paris is incredibly popular - a majestic architectural structure has stood on this site since 1892. Most often, the building is used as an exhibition hall, telling visitors about the rich culture of France.

Paris Grand and Petit Palaces what's in them

The Grand Palace in Paris is not only a cultural monument that can tell about the architecture of those difficult times. Now its premises are occupied by two interesting museums, telling about the capital and the country in all its colors.

On one side of the building there is the Museum of Inventions and Innovative Findings, and on the other there is an art gallery. Both there and there constantly host original exhibitions on various topics.

The south of the room will appeal to our compatriots: the Russian-language department of the Sorbonne with its own history of formation is located there. The university also happily welcomes tourists, so the Grand Palais is always full of people.

What is the Grand Palace in Paris

The Grand Palais in Paris owes its appearance to the World Exhibition held in 1990, dedicated to the great meeting of the new twentieth century, full of possible discoveries and innovative solutions.

Expert opinion

Knyazeva Victoria

Guide to Paris and France

A huge number of architects fought for the right to build it, but only three, recognized as the best of the best, won. The future building was divided into zones, entrusting each of the architects with a part. Thanks to this decision, the project turned out to be harmonious, but at the same time original and interesting.

Since then, practically nothing has changed - the Grand Palais is considered the largest exhibition hall in the world.

Exhibitions at the Grand Palais in Paris

Here you can see a huge number of interesting presentations related to history, science and the arts, as well as fashion, cars and even animals. It is the Grand Palais in Paris that hosts Chanel's annual fashion show.

Picasso Museum

Grand Palace opening hours

To visit the palaces of Paris at the right time, you need to know when they are open. No tourist wants to stand in front of a closed door or get caught in rush hour, especially if his time is limited.

You can visit the attraction from Wednesday to Friday, between 9 am and 10 pm. But please note: The Grand and Petit Palais in Paris operate only in local time.

Sometimes this schedule changes. This usually happens during special exhibitions. In this case, the opening hours should be checked individually with the organizer.

Grand Palais in Paris official website

To find out how the palaces of Paris work and understand what exhibitions are being held there in the near future, just visit the official website of the building (www.grandpalais.fr).

It talks about how to find a building without traveling all over Paris, what is planned in the near future and how much it costs to visit a particular exhibition.

Petit Palais Museum of Paris

The Grand and Petit Palais in Paris were built almost simultaneously, so the small brother of the main building also has its own rich history. It’s worth a visit just for the beautiful design - the façade of the building looks original and unusual.

Catacombs of Paris

Like other buildings, the Petit Palais is also rich in interesting exhibitions. The entire history of art can be found here.

Petit Palais in Paris exposition

Now there are no permanent exhibitions there, like in the big one, but in the petit palais there is still something to see. It is rich in fashion and paintings painted by great painters at different times.

The Grand Palais of Paris was built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. The building immediately became famous for its huge glass roof. Now this building houses a science museum. In 1900, Paris solemnly hosted the World Exhibition. Due to the high importance of the event, the city planned a large construction project, including the construction of the Alexander III Bridge, the Grand Palace and the similar Small Palace.

Thanks to its domed glass roof, the Grand Palais is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Paris. Three different architects worked on the project, but the key role was played by the famous Frenchman Charles Giraud, who received carte blanche to create the Petit Palace. The building is a magnificent combination of a classic stone facade, glass and iron in the Art Nouveau style.


The Grand Palais of Paris is to this day the largest building made of glass and iron. Its closest competitor was London's Crystal Palace, which was destroyed by a terrible fire. The Grand Palace in the Belle Epoque style has a steel frame weighing 9,400 tons, 15,000 square meters of glass, and a zinc galvanized iron roof covering an area of ​​about 5,000 square meters. The stone interior is decorated with magnificent colorful mosaics and intricate sculptures.


When one of the cells of the glass ceiling of the Grand Palais collapsed in 1993, the building was closed for a ten-year reconstruction. The first phase of renovations was completed in 2004, and the remainder opened in 2007. The renovations included metal frame repairs, glass replacement, and roof restoration. Some of the art masterpieces have also been updated, including Georges Recipon's horse sculptures that crown the corners of the palace. The mosaics have also been completely restored and restored.


For a century, the Grand Palais was a public exhibition hall and the venue for many important events. And although the main gallery is now entirely dedicated to contemporary art, the palace hosts many interesting exhibitions - from displays of vintage cars to fashion shows from leading Parisian designers.





The Grand Palais is divided into three different areas, each with its own entrance: the Museum of Science and Technology is on Franklin Roosevelt Avenue, the National Gallery of the Grand Palais (the main exhibition hall) is accessible from the Place Clemenceau, and the entrance to the Nave of the Grand Palais is open from the avenue Winston Churchill is directly opposite the Small Palace.