Musee du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac (Jacques Chirac Museum of Branly Quay), Paris

Musee du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac (Jacques Chirac Museum of Branly Quay), Paris

The Jacques Chirac Museum of Branly Quay is the newest major museum in Paris, opened in 2006. Designed by the renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, it is considered an architectural attraction in its own right. The museum is dedicated to the indigenous arts and cultures of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas, and as such showcases a staggering collection of over one million items, including ethnographic objects, photographs, and documents. Of these, 3,500 items are displayed at any given time through both permanent and temporary thematic exhibits.

Situated near the Eiffel Tower and the Alma Bridge, the museum serves as both a vibrant showcase of non-European cultures and a center for scholarly research. Realized during Jacques Chirac's presidency, it reflects a longstanding tradition of French presidents endorsing significant cultural projects.

The building itself, designed to foster an inclusive viewing experience, stretches 210 meters and covers an area of 4,750 square meters. It features a vast roof terrace and a main gallery that leads visitors through a winding, darkened ramp ideal for viewing displays. The museum complex also includes classrooms, an auditorium, and a multimedia library, among other facilities.

Upon entering the main building, visitors are greeted by an enormous Moai ancestor carving from Easter Island. The African collection includes masks, tapestries, and textiles. The Asian collection features the back of a seat of honor from Sumatra, figurines and masks from India, and textiles from China.

The Americas collection showcases Mayan artifacts from 600 AD, Aztec sculptures, and Canadian totem poles. Meanwhile, the Oceania collection comprises figurines from Papua New Guinea, masks from Vanuatu, and Māori sculptures from New Zealand.

The museum's library complements its rich collection, offering vast resources including a significant archive of photographs, documents, and numerous books accessible through its dual-structured reading rooms.

Externally, the museum's gardens are an innovative departure from traditional French formal gardens, featuring a blend of native and Paris-acclimated plants spread across 17,500 square meters of streams, hills, and groves, protected from street noise by a high wall of plate glass. The exterior wall is covered by a green carpet of living plants that spans over 800 square meters.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Paris. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Musee du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac (Jacques Chirac Museum of Branly Quay) on Map

Sight Name: Musee du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac (Jacques Chirac Museum of Branly Quay)
Sight Location: Paris, France (See walking tours in Paris)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Paris, France

Create Your Own Walk in Paris

Create Your Own Walk in Paris

Creating your own self-guided walk in Paris is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Le Marais Walking Tour

Le Marais Walking Tour

Once a bourgeois area and still a major center of the Paris Jewish community, the Le Marais district is one of the hippest neighborhoods in the city. Boasting a wealth of narrow medieval streets, unique boutiques, and quirky establishments, it represents an eclectic blend of historical sites and the bustling energy of today.

Start your acquaintance with the area at Paris's City Hall – a...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
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Eiffel Tower Walking Tour

Eiffel Tower Walking Tour

The 7th administrative district of Paris, a beacon of affluence and prestige, hosts an elite residential community and numerous national institutions of France, government offices, and diplomatic missions. This historical neighborhood is famed for its quintessentially Parisian architecture, vibrant cafés, restaurants, and gourmet shops that attract food enthusiasts from around the world.

...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles
Paris Introduction Walking Tour II

Paris Introduction Walking Tour II

As you continue your acquaintance with Paris driven by its timeless allure, the city's heart reveals itself with an array of places capturing its profound history and artistic legacy. The evolution of Paris is visible on the banks of the river Seine, the linking thread winding its way through the capital as if keeping a watchful eye on its architectural marvels.

The second part of our...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.4 Km or 2.7 Miles
St-Germain-des-Pres Walking Tour

St-Germain-des-Pres Walking Tour

This self-guided walk takes you to explore the 6th arrondissement, covering the quarter of St-Germain-des-Prés, the riverside districts and the areas nearby the Luxembourg Garden. It is one of the most expensive districts of Paris, home to posh boutiques, eateries and iconic cafes once favored by philosophers and legendary writers, the likes of Hemingway and Camus. The area is likewise renowned...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
The French Revolution Landmarks Walking Tour

The French Revolution Landmarks Walking Tour

The French Revolution had a huge impact on France's history as it gave rise to a radical democratic republic and resulted in quite a bit of violence during the infamous "Reign of Terror". Even though many of Paris’ buildings were damaged in the course of the bloody conflicts, the sites they occupied – which you can find on this self-guided tour – are of a great historical...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 7.3 Km or 4.5 Miles
Champs-Elysees Walking Tour

Champs-Elysees Walking Tour

On this self-guided walk you will witness the grandeur of the 8th arrondissement of the French capital – one of its busiest and chic neighborhoods, thanks to the presence of Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Arc de Triomphe, and Place de la Concorde.

Your best plan would be to start with the Triumphal Arch and walk up to its viewing area for great sights down the Champs-Élysées – a lovely...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.7 Km or 2.9 Miles

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