Paris Theatre Musee des Capucines



The Theatre Musee des Capucines is a Paris perfume museum owned by the famous Fragonard fragrance company that is located within an old theatre in Paris, and hence the name, but here you can discover a mock-up of a 19th century factory along with other unique objects that relate to fragrances.

A bit of Theatre Musee des Capucines history



Prior to World War I, there was an entrepreneur by the name of Eugene Fuchs, who was passionate about fragrances, and he came up with the novel idea of setting up a perfumery that would supply fragrances to the tourists that were starting to flock to the Cote d’Azur region of France, or French Riviera.
Theatre Musee des Capucines
Eugene Fuchs chose to name the perfume company after a famous French painter called Jean-Honore Fragonard who was born in Grasse and the factory first opened in 1926 in the town of Grasse on the French Riviera.

The same spirit and loyalty has continued through the generations of this family run business and under the ownership of Jean-Francois Costa, the Fragonard fragrance company rapidly expanded its business.

In fact, Jean-Francois Costa was an avid art collector, but he also amassed a large and unique collection of antiques related to the perfume industry, which was why a first museum in Grasse was opened.  And as a tribute to 18th century arts within the museum in Grasse there are also paintings dedicated to the artist Fragonard, which is second only to The Louvre museum in Paris.

Yet as time went on, the Fragonard fragrance company continued to expand and Paris has always been known as the perfume capital of the world with a rich history of fragrances that dates back to the royal courts at the Chateau de Versailles castle, so what better place to open another museum and a boutique.
So the first museum they opened in Paris was in 1983 and is called the Musee du Parfum, which is also known as the Scribe Museum or the Musee de la Parfumerie Fragonard, however the collection continued to expand and a second Paris museum was decided upon.

About the Paris Theatre Musee des Capucines



When it comes to the theatre itself, the Theatre des Capucines was first opened in 1900 and continued to be a theatre for many years, but after being purchased by the Fragonard Fragrance Company, it was fully renovated in 1993 to become their second Paris perfume museum.

Fragonard now have the largest unique collection of its kind in the world and will be able to offer you a complete exploration of the history of fragrances and the world of perfumes that dates back around 3000 years.
Entrance for Theatre Musee des Capucines
Perfumes in Theatre Musee des Capucines
Plus by visiting the Paris Theatre Musee des Capucines you can discover a miniature mock-up factory that comprises 19th century copper distilling apparatus that demonstrates the methods for extracting raw materials like oils and essences in times gone by and how they were utilised to produce exquisite fragrances.

Here you can also discover many other objects relating to perfumes that depict the ancient arts of creating fragrances through to bottling techniques and the fancy bottles that have been used, so anyone that is interested in learning how we get the end product, will be in their element.

Yet there is also a boutique here as well, so you can always try out a new fragrance or pick up your favourite perfume or aftershave, along with other items for sale from the Fragonard Perfumery.

Visiting the Paris Theatre Musee des Capucines



Now this privately owned fragrance museum in Paris is open on a Monday to Saturday from 9am through to 6pm, however, it is always closed on a Sunday and on all National French holidays.
Display cases at Theatre Musee des Capucines
You will be pleased to know that entry is free and you can have a guided tour of the Theatre Musee des Capucines completely free of charge as well, which are organised throughout the year, but we would suggest contacting the Fragonard fragrance company to make sure of the days, times, etc.

The Theatre Musee des Capucines does request that any groups contact them prior to a visit, as there are a limited number of people able to enjoy this museum or a guided tour at any one time, which can be done by telephone or via their website.

Access to the Paris Theatre Musee des Capucines



Being located opposite the l’Olympia music hall and close to the Palais Garnier Opera house in Paris, it is in a very central location in the 2nd Arrondissement and easy to get to via the Paris public transport, with the closest Metro Station being called the Opera stop serving lines 3, 7 or 8, yet in the opposite direction you have the Madeleine stop serving lines 8, 12 and 14.

Alternatively, if arriving in Paris via the RER trains you would need the Auber stop serving line A, yet the Paris bus lines 20, 21, 24, 27, 29, 42, 52, 66, 81, 84 and 95 along with the Noctilien Night Bus Service via lines N15 and N16 will also get you within walking distance of this museum and numerous other popular Paris tourist attractions in the area.