Cognacq-Jay Museum

Updated on September 30, 2026

In the Marais, the Cognacq-Jay Museum displays the collections assembled by Ernest Cognacq and Marie-Louise Jay. Paintings, sculptures, porcelain and furniture evoke eighteenth-century art and life. Housed in the Hôtel Donon since 1990, the museum combines this route with a historic mansion in the third arrondissement.

Highlights

The Hôtel Donon

The paved courtyard offers a view of the façades and high roofs of this mansion built from 1575. Its main building, between courtyard and garden, retains the structure of a Renaissance house in the Marais.

Furniture and decorative arts

Chests of drawers, writing tables, porcelain and precious objects shed light on eighteenth-century practices. Look at the furniture’s decoration and techniques alongside the portraits and painted scenes.

Infos pratiques

Tips

The collections are free outside temporary exhibition periods, with no booking available. During exhibitions, the combined exhibition and collection ticket costs €11, or €9 reduced, and is free for under-18s (prices checked in September 2026). Book a time slot then, including for free admission. The museum is not accessible to people with reduced mobility.

How to get there

Metro Saint-Paul, line 1; Chemin Vert, line 8; Rambuteau, line 11. Bus 29, Turenne–Saint-Gilles or Payenne stops; buses 69, 76 and 96, Saint-Paul stop. Address: 8 rue Elzévir, 75003 Paris.