Housed in the former home-studio of Symbolist painter Gustave Moreau, this museum offers a truly unique experience. In 1895, Moreau transformed his elegant townhouse at 14 rue Catherine-de-La Rochefoucauld into a personal museum. Upon his passing in 1898, he bequeathed around 14,000 works—paintings, watercolors, drawings, sculptures—to the State, with the condition that his artistic sanctum be preserved.

On the ground floor, six intimate rooms open onto a private garden. Four of them are filled with drawings, studies and sketches, many inspired by Italian masters. They offer a glimpse into his preparatory process. On the first floor, a vivid reconstruction of his apartment – including a sea-green dining room, bedroom, boudoir, and office-library – evokes Moreau’s personal world, still hauntingly present in the décor. Furniture, personal items, papers and works create a lived-in atmosphere frozen in time.

The upper levels reveal the monumental atelier, spanning two floors connected by a stunning wrought-iron spiral staircase, the museum's signature architectural jewel. Dark red walls display large Symbolist canvases—Jupiter and Semele (1894–95), The Chimeras (1884), The Return of the Argonauts (1891–97)—alongside thousands of drawings stored in numbered pivoting shutter cupboards.

The atmosphere is contemplative, almost silent, lit only by natural light. The quiet, solemn setting encourages slow discovery. Visitors are often art lovers, students, professionals, families and tourists; free admission on the first Sunday of each month attracts a broader audience.

Notable anecdotes include accounts of Oscar Wilde and Marcel Proust finding inspiration here; the staircase has featured in artistic shoots. Since its inauguration in 1903, the museum has remained largely unchanged, undergoing faithful restoration in 2015.

Practical info: open every day except Tuesday, 10 am–6 pm (rooms close 15 min prior), closed Jan 1, May 1, Dec 25. Monthly evening openings take place on one Thursday per month until 9 pm (excluding July–August), featuring thematic guided visits (€8, reduced €6). Nearest Metro: line 12 (Trinité, Saint-Georges). Note: not wheelchair accessible.

Included in Paris Museum Pass; combined tickets (Henner, Guimet, Orsay) available at a discount for eight days post-visit.