Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 June 2026
The program of the family weekend at the Cognacq-Jay Museum
To be booked on the museum’s website
Saturday, June 21, 2026
- From 4 years old – At 2:30 pm and 4 pm “Pastel Portrait” workshop with the family (SOLD OUT)
Sunday, June 22, 2026
- From 5 years old – 10:30 am and 11:30 am – Guided tours “Enigma at the museum: in search of the magic flower” (SOLD OUT)
- From 6 years old: at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. – “Family singing” – inspired by the collections, the choir director Iris Thion-Poncet offers families the opportunity to sing a festive repertoire related to the eighteenth century.
A free 💫 family event
For a weekend, The Cognacq-Jay Museum, in the Marais district, is organizing two free family days. Parents and children will be welcomed to discover the museum’s collections thanks to a programme specially designed for families!
Introductory workshops in pastel, lyrical singing or even riddles at the museum! Two beautiful days in this place with eighteenth-century charm, peaceful and hushed intimacy. A vast playground for children who will experience life “in another century”.
Practical ⚙️ information
- Age: from 4 years old
- Where : at the Cognacq-Jay Museum
- We like : Introductory workshops in pastel, lyrical singing or even riddles at the museum to discover the collections at a child’s level
- When : Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22, 2026
- Programming hours : from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm
- Prices : free access to all weekend activities, subject to availability
The Cognacq-Jay Museum: the taste of the eighteenthcentury
- The Cognacq-Jay Museum was inaugurated in 1929. It preserves the collections bequeathed by the founder of the Samaritaine department stores, Ernest Cognacq (1839-1928), to the City of Paris.
- But it was in 1990 that the museum was installed in the Hôtel Donon, in the heart of the Marais. Previously, it was located in a building next to La Samaritaine.
- The collections correspond to the taste of an eighteenth-century amateur, who is rightly called “Le Grand Siècle”.
- The Museum therefore exhibits a reflection of time: a collection of paintings, sculptures, Saxon porcelain , goldsmith’s work and stamped furniture .
- We admire with delight a rare early painting by Rembrandt, paintings by Boucher, Fragonard, Chardin, but also the taste for Italy with paintings by Tiepolo, Canaletto or scenes of time that the facetious Louis-Léopold Boilly tells us in the aftermath of the Revolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! On the museum’s website
No, the activities are free, and subject to availability
Yes, this event is part of the “Family Weekends” which take place every month in one of the museums of the City of Paris for a festive and free weekend specially dedicated to the family public – You will find the list on the Paris Musées website
From 4 years old
No, unfortunately the museum is not accessible
Current or upcoming exhibitions
Guided tours in museums
Discover the schedule of upcoming visits to Parisian museums. They have been designed for young people and teenagers. They are led by tour guides.
