Department
Museums, galleries and heritage in Hauts-de-Seine
57 places to discover across Hauts-de-Seine.
Including Domaine de Sceaux, Château de Malmaison and Musée Rodin de Meudon.
Towns to explore
Antony · Asnières-sur-Seine · Bagneux · Bois-Colombes · Boulogne-Billancourt · Bourg-la-Reine · Châtenay-Malabry · Châtillon · Chaville · Clamart · Clichy · Colombes · Courbevoie · Fontenay-aux-Roses · Gennevilliers · Issy-les-Moulineaux · La Garenne-Colombes · Le Plessis-Robinson · Levallois-Perret
A department shaped by artists and history
Hauts-de-Seine, part of the Île-de-France region, sits directly against the western edge of Paris, which explains why so many artists and industrialists settled here from the late 19th century onward. The department's museums reflect this proximity: studios, riverside villas and former factories have been converted into some of the region's most distinctive cultural venues.
The towns of Boulogne-Billancourt and Meudon alone concentrate a remarkable number of sites dedicated to sculpture and the decorative arts, while Rueil-Malmaison and Saint-Cloud preserve the memory of the imperial and pre-revolutionary courts. Contemporary art galleries, meanwhile, cluster mainly around Boulogne-Billancourt, Colombes and Clichy, offering a counterpoint to the department's historical collections.
Key towns to explore
Boulogne-Billancourt, once France's automobile manufacturing capital, now hosts a cluster of art institutions including the Musée Belmondo et de la sculpture figurative du XXe siècle, the Musée départemental Albert-Kahn with its landscaped gardens, the Musée des années trente, and the Musée-jardin Paul Landowski, the sculptor best known for the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.
Meudon, perched above the Seine, is inseparable from the memory of Auguste Rodin, who spent his last two decades at the Musée Rodin de Meudon, the Villa des Brillants. The town's open-air Musée d'art et d'histoire de Meudon complements this legacy across the same hillside.
Rueil-Malmaison and Saint-Cloud form the department's heritage core: the Musée national des châteaux de Malmaison et de Bois Préau
Artists and sculptors linked to the department
Beyond Rodin, Hans Arp is honored at the Fondation Arp in Clamart, the house and studio where the sculptor lived and worked. In Courbevoie, the painter Consuelo Fould's former villa-studio now houses the Musée Roybet Fould, dedicated to her work and that of Ferdinand Roybet.
Contemporary practice is represented through the department's galleries, notably Galerie Mondapart and Voz' Galerie in Boulogne-Billancourt, and Galerie Icare in Saint-Cloud, all showing rotating exhibitions of living artists.
Frequently asked questions
How much time should I plan for a visit to the Musée Rodin de Meudon?
Around one to two hours; the villa and garden are modest in scale but dense in works and personal artifacts from Rodin's final years.
Are the museums in Hauts-de-Seine easily reachable from Paris?
Yes, most sites are within 20-30 minutes of central Paris via RER, tramway or metro, notably Boulogne-Billancourt, Rueil-Malmaison and Saint-Cloud.
Is the Château de Sceaux worth visiting even without going inside the museum?
Yes, the park itself is classified as a remarkable garden and is free to enter, making it a worthwhile stop even for a walk alone.
Which museum is best for families with children?
The Musée départemental Albert-Kahn in Boulogne-Billancourt combines gardens from different world cultures with historic photography, appealing to both adults and children.
Where can I see contemporary art galleries in Hauts-de-Seine?
Boulogne-Billancourt has the highest concentration of galleries, including Galerie Mondapart and Voz' Galerie, with additional venues in Colombes and Clichy.
