The Musée de la Vie Romantique, a beloved cultural landmark nestled in the Nouvelle-Athènes district of the 9th arrondissement, will reopen to the public on 14 February, coinciding with Valentine’s Day, after being closed for renovation since September 2024.
The museum, based in the former home and studio of 19th-century painter Ary Scheffer, has been undergoing a major refurbishment to restore its historic pavilion and improve the visitor experience with clearer circulation, better accessibility and a redesigned permanent collection. The project has been supported by the City of Paris, private sponsors such as the Fondation Gecina, and a fundraising campaign led by the Fondation du Patrimoine.
First opened as a museum in 1987, the venue has long been admired for its evocative atmosphere that reflects the Romantic era’s preoccupations with emotion, nature and artistic expression. The house, originally built in the 1830s, hosted figures such as George Sand and other members of the Romantic movement, and its collection spans portraits, decorative objects, letters and art from the period.
In preparation for its reopening on Valentine’s Day, the museum has planned a new temporary exhibition titled “Face au ciel, Paul Huet en son temps”, scheduled to run from February 14 to August 30, 2026. This exhibition will spotlight the work of Paul Huet (1803-1869), a painter associated with Romantic landscape traditions and celebrated for his expressive skies, alongside works by artists such as Théodore Rousseau, Eugène Delacroix, Paul Flandrin and Gustave Courbet.
According to official information, the renovation has restored the façade of the historic building — classified as a Monument historique since 1956 — and seen the interior reconfigured to enhance the presentation of the museum’s permanent collections. The project also includes the creation of a new space for visitor reception, including a rethought ticketing area, cloakrooms and a museum shop.
The Valentine’s Day reopening has been deliberately chosen for its symbolic resonance in the “city of love.” The museum has said its reopening programme will offer visitors a rich cultural experience, incorporating tailored visits for all ages, music and other activities.
The Musée de la Vie Romantique is known for its peaceful garden and the Rose Bakery tearoom, attractions that have contributed to its reputation as an intimate and charming destination. During the closure, some of the museum’s collection was temporarily hosted at other venues, such as the Chopin Museum in Warsaw.
Entrance to the permanent collections at the museum has historically been free under the Paris Musées network, with tickets required only for certain temporary exhibitions. While the precise details of admission prices and ticketing for the reopened museum in 2026 have not yet been fully published, the institution’s homepage highlights the expanded exhibition programme and garden facilities as key components of the visitor offer.
The Musée de la Vie Romantique’s reopening adds to a rich calendar of cultural activity in Paris for 2026, giving both local art lovers and international visitors a fresh reason to explore the city’s artistic heritage well beyond Valentine’s Day.
