Grand Palais

Updated on September 13, 2026

The Grand Palais in Paris is an imposing steel-and-glass structure built at the same time as the Pont Alexandre III for the 1900 World's Fair. The structure features a majestic façade adorned with Ionic columns. Large bronze statues stand at each of the building's four corners. The complex is located in the Champs-Élysées area and was designed by architects Henri Deglane, Albert Louvet, Albert Thomas, and Charles Girault, each of whom worked on a different section. It's in the north wing of this building that you'll find the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais. These galleries were created in 1964 by Reynold Arnould at the request of the then Minister of Culture, André Malraux, with the aim of hosting major temporary exhibitions. It was in these Galeries Nationales that, in 1966, a retrospective of the painter Pablo Picasso and a major exhibition of African art were presented.

Highlights

The Grand Palais Nave

The nave of the Grand Palais lies at its very heart. It draws the eye of every visitor thanks to its glass roof, the tallest in Europe. Since 1900, the nave has hosted art exhibitions and grand events. In 1993, the Galeries Nationales closed for restoration work on the foundations, framework, and façades. Since reopening in 2005, the Grand Palais has once again been hosting events, trade shows, and temporary exhibitions in its nave, on a scale worthy of its vast space.

FIAC: the International Contemporary Art Fair

This major contemporary art event has taken place every year since 1974, over several days each October. In recent years, it has been held at the Grand Palais in Paris and has become an international meeting point for gallery owners, collectors, curators, museum directors, and figures from the world of contemporary art.

Infos pratiques

Tips

When visiting the Galeries Nationales, avoid the first two or three weeks and the last two or three weeks of an exhibition, as crowds are noticeably heavier during those periods. Evening openings tend to be the least crowded times. For exhibition lovers, the Sésame card gives you skip-the-line, unlimited access to Galeries Nationales exhibitions for a full year. On weekends, afternoons are a better bet, as crowds tend to be a little lighter. There's generally more people on Sundays than on Saturdays. Wheelchairs and elevators are available for visitors with reduced mobility, subject to accessibility in the exhibition rooms. It's also a good idea to book your tickets online in advance. This lets you enter within a half-hour window of your chosen time slot.

How to get there

The Grand Palais is located at 3 Avenue du Général-Eisenhower, 75008 Paris. To get there, you can take metro lines 1, 9, or 13 to the "Franklin D. Roosevelt" (lines 1 and 9) or "Champs-Élysées Clemenceau" (lines 1 and 13) stations. You can also take RER C to the Invalides station. It's also possible to get there by bus via lines 28, 42, 52, 72, 73, 80, 83, or 93.