After the excitement of knowing that I would be writing a guidebook with James about “111 museums in Paris that you should not miss”, it was time for us to get to work. The initial step was to identify the 111 museums in Paris and prepare a synopsis for each. At first, I doubted there were that many. Surprisingly, we were already familiar with about 80 of them. We only had to find another 30, which we did by doing more research on the web, reading art magazines, and most unexpectedly, just walking down the streets of Paris.

I found two museums during my walks. Imagine my surprise as I strolled past a seemingly ordinary façade that I had passed a million times with my dog, never noticing its existence until curiosity led me to its doors.

It was a doorway to understanding human connections at Mundolingua, the museum of languages. Here, languages are examined in all their forms, from the study of phonology, semantics, and lexicology to the discovery of various languages. Their history, along with dialects, comes to life, mapping out the journey of human history.

Equally surprising was another discovery. My quest led me to the Musée Jean-Jacques Henner in the historic Plaine Monceau district. In the 19th century, this neighborhood became a sought-after haven for writers, intellectuals, and artists like Sarah Bernhardt. An exceptional French artist nicknamed ‘the golden voice’ by Victor Hugo, she was the queen of the Belle Époque in Paris and the first international star. She established her successive homes in Plaine Monceau, attracting the greatest celebrities of her time to settle there and making it the trendiest neighborhood in Paris.

On the advice of the museum’s director, it was there in this same neighborhood where I stumbled upon an architectural marvel.

This enigmatic structure, though resembling a castle, built by the millionaire and art collect Émile Gaillard, turned out to be the City of the Economy museum, a subject choice I found intriguingly odd, but a museum that is worth a visit.

James and I discovered many other hidden gems. Among our favorites were unique places like the Butterfly Museum, the Antique Lighting Museum, the Army Health Museum, the Smoking Museum, and many more.

Paris is home to around 130 museums, offering us a rich selection for our guidebook. We had to select the ones we thought would be good additions to our book. We finalized our selection and submitted it to our editor Emons Verlag, who approved it. I didn’t expect any changes. Yet, the dynamic nature of Paris’s museums, which undergo renovations or permanent closures more often than you might expect , requires constant updates. We had to stay on high alert and regularly check the Parisian museum scene. Our publisher’s strategy of printing in small batches ensures our guidebook accurately reflects the most current cultural landscape.

In my next story, I’ll reveal how James and I decided to work, who worked on which museums… I look forward to sharing this process, which led to some fascinating discoveries and stories. Stay tuned for more on our journey through the heart of Paris’s museum scene.

“111 Museums in Paris That You Shouldn’t Miss”  guidebook is available in the US, UK and France in Museums, your local bookstore, or buy online from amazon.com