Centre Pompidou

When it first opened in the 1970s, the Centre Pompidou was hailed as "the most avant-garde building in the world," and today it still continues to pack in the art-loving crowds -- about six million people visit it each year.

Conceived by former French president Georges Pompidou and designed by architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, this building originally opened in 1977, and it underwent a major renovation in 2000, which expanded and improved the space. The building's exterior is very bold: brightly painted pipes and ducts crisscross its transparent facade (green for water, red for heat, blue for air, and yellow for electricity), and an outdoor escalator flanks the building, freeing up interior space for exhibitions.

Inside, the big attraction is the impressive Musée National d'Art Moderne (National Museum of Modern Art), which is home to some 40,000 works from the 20th and 21st centuries -- though only about 850 works can be displayed at one time. If you want to view some real charmers, seek out Calder's 1926 Josephine Baker, one of his earlier versions of the mobile, an art form he invented. You'll also find two examples of Duchamps's series of Dada-style sculptures he invented in 1936: Boîte en Valise (1941) and Boîte en Valise (1968). And every time we visit, we have to see Dalí's Hallucination partielle: Six images de Lénine sur un piano (1931), with Lenin dancing on a piano.

Other attractions inside the Centre Pompidou include: the Bibliothéque Publique d'Information (Public Information Library), a vast public library with a huge collection of French and foreign books, periodicals, films, music records, slides, and more; the Institut de Recherche et de Coordination Acoustique-Musique (Institute for Research and Coordination of Acoustics/Music), which brings together musicians and composers; the Atelier Brancusi, a minimuseum that re-creates the Jazz Age studio of Romanian sculptor Brancusi; a movie theater; performance halls which often host concerts and events; shops; and restaurants. The Centre Pompidou holds regularly changing public exhibitions and events, so check their website for information.

Outside, there is a large open forecourt, which is a free "entertainment center" often featuring mimes, fire-eaters, circus performers, and sometimes musicians. Don't miss the nearby Stravinsky fountain, containing mobile sculptures by Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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