Museum of Fine Arts of the City of Paris

The Petit Palais was built between 1897 and 1900 as an exhibition pavilion for the Paris World's Fair and now houses the city's Musee des Beaux-Arts. Architect Charles Girault designed the Beaux-Arts structure with a dramatic entry dome, gilded portal, and a sweeping semicircular colonnade around an inner garden. The collection spans ancient Greek vases, Dutch masters including Rembrandt, French 19th-century work by Courbet, Cezanne, and Vuillard, plus a strong Renaissance section. Since 2013 it has belonged to Paris Musees, keeping permanent-collection entry free. Visitors can sip coffee in the palm-shaded courtyard cafe with the Grand Palais glowing across the avenue.