History Museum · 12th Arrondissement · Porte Dorée
Musée de l’Histoire de l’Immigration & the Paris Museum Pass
France’s story told through immigration — in the monumental 1931 Art Deco Palais de la Porte Dorée, with a tropical aquarium in the basement.
Individual ticket
€9
With Museum Pass
Included
Timed slot
Not required
Open
Tue–Sun
Hours
Tue–Fri 10am–5:30pm · Sat–Sun 10am–7pm
Last updated: February 2026 · Prices and details verified
Is the Musée National de l’Histoire de l’Immigration included in the Paris Museum Pass?
Yes — the Paris Museum Pass covers entry to the Musée de l’Histoire de l’Immigration, saving you €9 per person. No reservation required — walk in Tuesday to Sunday during opening hours.
About Musée National de l’Histoire de l’Immigration
The Palais de la Porte Dorée was built in 1931 for the Paris Colonial Exhibition — its Art Deco facade decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the French colonial empire is itself a document of history. Since 2007 it has housed the national museum dedicated to the history of immigration to France, with a new permanent exhibition opened in 2023 that unfolds over 1,800 square metres across eleven key dates from 1685 to the present day.
The pass covers the permanent collection of the immigration museum. The tropical aquarium in the basement (one of the oldest in Europe, dating from 1931) is a separate ticket not included in the pass — but worth noting as a bonus for families.
No reservation required. No reservation required. Walk in at 293 Avenue Daumesnil, Tuesday to Sunday. The museum is at the far eastern edge of central Paris near the Bois de Vincennes — allow 30 minutes from central Paris by Metro 8.
Note: The building’s Art Deco facade, interior mosaics, and the Forum (grand hall) are historical monuments in their own right — worth examining before entering the museum. The tropical aquarium in the basement (15,000 animals, 90 display cases) has a separate ticket — not included in the Museum Pass but very popular with families.
Practical Tips
Tip 1
The building’s exterior bas-reliefs are a complex document of colonial-era France — take 10 minutes to walk around the facade before entering. The building is as significant as its contents.
Tip 2
Saturday and Sunday extended hours (until 7pm) are the best times to visit — more spacious and less rushed than weekday afternoons before the 5:30pm closure.
Musée National de l’Histoire de l’Immigration — Fast Facts
Address
293 Avenue Daumesnil, 75012 Paris
Nearest Metro
Porte Dorée (Metro 8) — 2 min walk
Bus
46, 201, Tram T3a
Opening hours
Tuesday–Friday 10am–5:30pm · Saturday–Sunday 10am–7pm · Closed Monday, 1 January, 1 May, 25 December
Closed
Mondays, 1 January, 1 May, 25 December
Individual ticket
€9 (2026)
With Museum Pass
Free — included
Reservation
Not required
Ready to Visit Musée National de l’Histoire de l’Immigration?
€9 entry included with the Museum Pass. Plus 50+ more venues across Paris.
Yes — the pass covers entry to the permanent collection of the Musée National de l’Histoire de l’Immigration, saving €9. The tropical aquarium in the basement is a separate ticket not included in the pass.
The Palais de la Porte Dorée is a classified Art Deco monument built in 1931 for the International Colonial Exhibition — an event celebrating the French colonial empire. Its facade features an extraordinary programme of bas-reliefs and mosaics depicting French colonial territories. After serving various purposes including as the Museum of African and Oceanic Arts, it became the home of the immigration museum in 2007. The building is a historical document of French colonial-era ideology.
The new permanent exhibition (opened 2023) covers 1,800 square metres across eleven chronological sections. Allow 90 minutes to 2 hours for a thorough visit. The building itself — facade, forum, and historic interior — adds another 20–30 minutes if you explore it fully.
