How to tell apart the free visit and the perfume-making workshop
The museum's official website lists the everyday visit as free of charge, with no advance booking required for self-guided entry. Once you reach the reception desk, you can follow the in-museum QR codes to read or listen to explanations covering the craft and history of French perfumery. If your goal is simply to learn about perfume beyond the shopping experience, there is no need to treat a paid course as a prerequisite for entering the museum.
The hands-on fragrance workshop is a separate activity that requires an online reservation and payment. Free admission does not include a perfume-making class; if you plan to attend one, confirm the session, language and cost independently before your visit.
Entrance, metro and opening hours
The reception entrance is located at 9 rue Scribe in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, close to the Opéra Garnier. You can arrive by taking metro lines 3, 7 or 8 to Opéra, or RER A to Auber, and then walking. Combining the museum and the Opéra district in a single walking route is more convenient than crossing Paris specifically for this short visit.
According to the museum's dedicated visiting information page, opening hours are Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 17:30, and Sunday 9:00 to 16:30. The museum states that listening to the full audio guide takes approximately 30 minutes and recommends arriving at least one hour before closing. Before travelling on public holidays, check the day's reception arrangements again.
From the visit to testing scents: how to organise your shopping
The in-museum shop offers Fragonard perfumes, eau de toilette, soaps, candles, diffusers and gift sets. Looking at the displays before deciding whether to test anything lets you use the visit as a starting point for understanding the brand and comparing fragrance families, without feeling obliged to pick a bottle the moment you arrive.
When testing scents, narrow your selection down to a few that interest you, note each name on a separate scent strip, and allow some time to observe how the fragrances develop. If you are shopping for a travel gift, compare volumes, packaging and actual prices at the same time. Continuing your walk around the Opéra district after the visit also leaves room for a final decision.