The Grand Palais is the vast glass-roofed exhibition hall between the Champs-Élysées and the Seine, built for the 1900 World's Fair in Paris. Its great nave, under a roof of glass and green-painted steel, is one of the most spectacular interiors in the city, used for art fairs, fashion shows, sports events and large exhibitions. After a long renovation, the Grand Palais reopened to the public in 2025, and it is once again one of the main stages of Parisian cultural life.
Why visit the Grand Palais
The building is a monument to the confidence of Paris at the turn of the 20th century. Its stone facades are lined with columns and sculpture, while the inside shows off the engineering of the age with a huge open nave of iron and glass. Bronze horse-drawn chariots crown the corners of the roof. Unlike a museum with a fixed collection, the Grand Palais is a venue, so what you see depends on what is on: major art exhibitions, design fairs, contemporary installations or events in the nave. The renovation opened up new public spaces and routes through the building.
Even if no exhibition appeals to you, the building is worth seeing from outside. The best overall view is from the Pont Alexandre III or from the gardens of the Champs-Élysées, where you can take in the length of the facade and the curve of the glass roof. In the evening the building is often lit, and the view from the bridge at dusk is one of the finest in this part of Paris.
The renovated building also served as a venue during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, before the full reopening.
Getting to the Grand Palais by metro
The nearest station is Champs-Élysées-Clemenceau, served by metro lines 1 and 13. It comes up on the Champs-Élysées gardens, and the Grand Palais is a two or three minute walk south along Avenue Winston-Churchill, facing the Petit Palais.
Other options include Franklin D. Roosevelt on lines 1 and 9, a few minutes west, and Invalides on line 8, line 13 and RER C, across the Pont Alexandre III on the Left Bank. Walking over the bridge from Invalides gives a fine first view of the building.
Grand Palais tickets and opening hours
There is no single ticket for the building. Each exhibition or event has its own tickets, prices and opening hours, and popular exhibitions often use timed entry slots that sell out, especially at weekends. Some spaces and events may be free. The official website, grandpalais.fr, lists what is on, current prices and how to book, and it is worth checking before you go, because parts of the building can be closed while exhibitions are being installed.
The Palais de la Découverte, a science museum housed in the west wing of the building, has been closed for its own renovation; check its official website for the latest on reopening.
Best time to visit and how long to allow
For a major exhibition, plan on about two hours. Weekday mornings and late openings, where offered, are usually less crowded than weekend afternoons. The building is beautiful in any light, but a sunny day shows off the glass roof best. If you just want to see the outside, it combines easily with a walk along the Champs-Élysées or the river.
Highlights of the Grand Palais
The nave
The central hall under the glass roof is the heart of the building and one of the largest spaces of its kind in Europe. When it hosts an event, it is the place to be.
The facades and roof sculptures
Walk around the outside to see the colonnades, mosaics and the bronze quadrigas on the corners of the roof.
The galleries
The exhibition galleries host major shows of painting, photography and design, often in partnership with other national museums.
Nearby on the same metro stop
- Petit Palais: the city's fine arts museum directly opposite, with a lovely garden courtyard. Its permanent collections are free.
- Pont Alexandre III: the ornate bridge built for the same 1900 fair, with gilded statues and views of the Invalides.
- Champs-Élysées: the avenue runs right past the station.
- Place de la Concorde: a short walk east along the gardens.
To see more around the station, open the Grand Palais on Around the Metro, or explore other stops on the Paris metro map.