Carnavalet Museum Paris
Not normally listed among the impressive museums in Paris the Musee Carnavalet has a great deal to offer. Located in the Marais district, the museum is focused solely on the history of the "City of Lights". You can walk from room to room as if walking through a time machine from decade to decade, past sumptuous living rooms and bedrooms decorated with original furniture from each time period. You'll see more samples of original furnishings here than you'd see going to Versailles, including a painted ceiling by Le Brun, Louis XIV's chief painter at Versailles.

Flemish artists depict the tumultuous Protestant and Catholic battling in Paris. There are portraits and busts of the most famous, infamous and influential of the city's residents. Artifacts dating back to Gallo-Roman times, Revolutionary memorabilia, and Napoleon's cradle are just a few of the hundreds of fascinating artifacts that are stored here. It's easy to spend several hours in this luxurious townhouse complex and still not see everything. Admission is free.