Paris's Royal Tennis Court Turned Photography Museum

At a Glance

Jeu de Paume at the north end of the Tuileries opened as a royal tennis court in 1861 under Napoleon III. It served as the Impressionist Museum (1947–1986) and, since 2004, has been France's flagship photography and moving-image museum.

From Tennis to Photography

Anatole Ray's iron-and-glass building later housed looted art under the Nazis. After the Impressionists moved to Orsay in 1986, the site eventually re-specialised in photography.

Highlights

• Major retrospectives — Cartier-Bresson, Arbus, Shore, Mapplethorpe.
• Prix Elysée emerging-artist shows.
• Upstairs black-box video galleries.
• PhotoParis fair each November.
• First-floor café view of the Tuileries and Concorde.

Visiting Tips

Concorde metro. €12. 1.5 hours. Closed Mondays; Tuesday nights until 21:00. Pair with Musée de l'Orangerie across the park.