Following years of renovation, Paris’ Carnavalet Museum, which is dedicated to the history of the French capital, finally opened its doors to visitors Saturday.
Located in the central Marais district of Paris, the museum takes visitors on a journey in the past of Paris, from its origins dating back over 2,000 years ago to the present day.
Founded in 1880, it's also the oldest museum in the city and is reopening after extensive renovations totaling more than 58 million euros ($70.72 million).
In the same month, France's newest museum, a palace of art housing the collection of French billionaire Francois Pinault, has also opened between the Paris landmarks of the Louvre and the Centre Pompidou.
The Carnavalet Museum is meanwhile set to also become a major Paris attraction, adding new exhibition rooms and 3,800 restored objects from its unique collection that tell the story of the capital.
Visitors can expect to see archaeological remains, impressions of what the city used to look like, everyday objects over the centuries and memories of famous personalities.
The bedroom of the poet Marcel Proust and magnificent decorations of former townhouses from the 17th to the 20th century can be viewed.
Among the museum's special features are the collection of clocks that chime simultaneously on the hour, spread over several rooms, and the "Art Deco" ballroom from the Hotel de Wendel.
The museum is housed in a Renaissance-style town palace built in the mid-16th century. In 1989 it was extended to include the magnificent 17th-century townhouse Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau.
More than 94% of the costs of the conversion and renovation work were financed by the City of Paris, which owns the Musee Carnavalet.
