Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts

What Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts does

Musée Guimet (officially Musée national des arts asiatiques-Guimet), founded in 1879 by Émile Guimet and relocated to its current Paris location in 1885, is a French national museum dedicated exclusively to Asian arts, operating under the French Ministry of Culture. It maintains three sites in Paris's 16th arrondissement: the main Musée Guimet-Iéna building at 6 place d'Iéna (housing 5,500 sqm of permanent galleries across Afghanistan-Pakistan, Southeast Asia, Indian, Himalayan, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, textile, photography, and library collections); the Hôtel d'Heidelbach (Maison Guimet) at 19 avenue d'Iéna, an early-20th-century private mansion with an authentic Japanese tea pavilion; and the Musée d'Ennery at 59 avenue Foch, a 19th-century Belle Époque curiosity cabinet (closing for renovation December 21, 2025). Its core offerings span rotating temporary exhibitions, the 4K-equipped Jean-François Jarrige auditorium (cinema, performances, conferences), traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, a research library, the Hanok Korean restaurant (operated by Misso), the Han Rooftop terrace with Eiffel Tower views, the RMN-operated gift shop (also via boutiquesdemusees.fr), the annual Prix Émile Guimet de littérature asiatique (10th edition), and the HikarIA AI platform developed with TEKLIA and funded by France 2030 to analyze the 17,000+ vintage Japanese photographs in the Dubois collection.

The museum generates revenue across seven streams: combined admission tickets (€15 full / €12 reduced), bulk group tickets (30-300 at €13 and 300+ at €12, valid one year), SAMG membership subscriptions (Young Friends at €20/year, full membership price undisclosed), space rentals for corporate events/film shoots (accommodating up to 450 for cocktails and 276 for seminars), the RMN gift shop and online boutique, the Hanok restaurant and Han Rooftop, donations and corporate mécénat, and outgoing art-loan recoveries. Distribution combines direct on-site admission, the Tickeasy online platform, the Paris Museum Pass network (50+ museums, 48h/96h/144h tiers at €70-€110), group sales channels, and SAMG membership referrals. Marketing is multi-channel: nine social platforms including Weibo and Xiaohongshu for Asian audiences, an email newsletter, a press room, podcast/video content, and the year-long "K-arrément Corée!" 2026 program celebrating 140 years of Franco-Korean diplomatic relations. Leadership comprises President Yannick Lintz and General Manager Vincent Billerey, with the Guimet 3.0 modernization project directed by Louis Jaubertie. Customer segments span general public and tourists (primary), school groups, people with disabilities and social groups, corporate event clients, museum and cultural institutions, and the research and academic community.

Guimet is not a commercial company but a public government entity; accordingly, revenue figures are not disclosed and the institution is funded primarily through state allocations rather than market-based revenue, with the SAMG (founded 1923, public utility since 1971) providing supplementary donor and member support.

Name

Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts

Legal name

Musée national des arts asiatiques Guimet

Website

https://guimet.fr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1879

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Musée Guimet is the French national museum of Asian arts, operating three Paris-16th-arrondissement sites housing encyclopedic collections from Afghanistan to Japan, serving tourists, school groups, researchers, and corporate event clients through ticketing, memberships, retail, dining, and the SAMG friends society.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum & Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Historical Sites (712120)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

• Asian art museum
• Cultural exhibitions
• Museum membership program
• Event space rental
• Educational workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: The museum sells combined tickets granting access to permanent collections, temporary exhibitions, and Hôtel d'Heidelbach. Standard pricing is 15€ full and 12€ reduced.
2. Membership (SAMG): Annual memberships provide free unlimited access, exclusive visits, reduced rates at boutique and restaurant, and other benefits. A 'Young Friends' tier at 20€/year targets under-35s.
3. Space Rentals: The museum rents its spaces (courtyards, terraces, salons, auditorium) for events, film shoots, and private functions. Pricing follows a fee schedule approved by the Board of Directors.
4. Gift Shop and Bookstore: A retail operation managed by Réunion des musées nationaux (RMN) offering books, objects, jewelry, textiles, and exhibition-related merchandise. Also available via online boutique.
5. Restaurant and Catering: Hanok Restaurant operated by Misso Korea offers Korean cuisine; Han Rooftop terrace serves beverages and light fare during summer months.
6. Donations and Sponsorship: The museum receives support through individual donations, corporate sponsorship (mécénat), and the friends society. Recent major acquisition of the 'Richard Kan Vase' was supported by SAMG.
7. Art Loans and Traveling Exhibitions: The museum lends works to other institutions for exhibitions, recovering costs for shipping, insurance, accommodation, and per diem from borrowers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts operates as France's national museum dedicated exclusively to Asian arts, providing public access to permanent collections spanning thousands of years of Asian civilizations (Afghanistan-Pakistan through Japan), rotating temporary exhibitions, educational workshops and guided tours, cultural performances at the Auditorium Jean-François Jarrige, a research library, an on-site gift shop, and dining facilities. Additional revenue-generating services include space rentals for corporate events and film shoots, bulk group ticketing, museum memberships through the Société des Amis du Musée Guimet (SAMG), and art loans to other cultural institutions.

Product overview

Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts (Musée Guimet) is a national museum in Paris offering physical cultural experiences rather than software products. Its core offerings include: permanent Asian art collections across multiple geographic regions (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Himalayas, Central Asia, and more); rotating temporary exhibitions such as K-Beauty, Silla: Gold and the Sacred, and DAL DARI; the Auditorium Jean-François Jarrige for cinema, performances, and conferences; traditional Japanese tea ceremonies at Hôtel d'Heidelbach; a research library; gift shop operated by RMN; Hanok Korean restaurant; and Han Rooftop terrace. Additional services include space rentals for events and film shootings, educational programs for diverse audiences, and the annual Prix Émile Guimet de littérature asiatique literary prize.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Guimet+: Regional exhibition program bringing museum masterpieces to French regions
• Han Rooftop
• Hanok Restaurant
• Prix Emile Guimet de littérature asiatique
• HikarIA

Products and services

• Silla : l'Or et le Sacré. Trésors royaux de Corée (57 av. J.-C. - 935)
• K-Beauty. Beauté coréenne, histoire d'un phénomène
• DAL DARI. La Lune et les Jambes
• Le savoir en trompe-l'œil. Corée, 18e-20e siècle
• Museum Admission (Combined Ticket)
• Group Ticketing (Bulk Admission)
• Guided Lecture Visits and Ateliers (Workshops)
• Société des Amis du Musée Guimet (SAMG) Membership
• Space Rental and Event Hosting Services
• Film and Photography Shoot Bookings
• Tea Ceremonies (École Urasenke and Omotesenke)

Quantifiable outcome

• 17,000+ historical Japanese photographs being analyzed through AI algorithms to identify visual patterns, color palettes, and studio typologies
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Samsung Foundation of CulturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the DAL DARI installation by Korean artist Seulgi Lee at the Musée Guimet building. The installation features a monumental sculpture on the façade of the place d'Iéna building, with support enabling this major cultural intervention as part of the 'K-arrément Corée' year.
• SBS FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the DAL DARI installation through the 'Friendship for Korea Artist Prize Promotion Fund', supporting Korean artist Seulgi Lee's monumental artwork at the museum.
• TEKLIAcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner developing the HikarIA AI platform for automatic analysis of thousands of vintage Japanese photographs. TEKLIA brings machine learning expertise to the France 2030-funded project led by Musée Guimet.
• Korean AirminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a supporter of the 'K-arrément Corée' programming year, contributing to the museum's celebration of 140 years of France-Korea diplomatic relations.
• Musée National de GyeongjucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary Korean partner for the 'Silla: Gold and the Sacred' exhibition, providing royal treasures from the Silla kingdom (57 BCE - 935 CE) for this unprecedented European presentation of Korean civilization.
• CCC (Centre culturel de Corea / Korean Cultural Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a supporter of the Silla exhibition, contributing to the presentation of Korean royal treasures in Europe.
• Ministry of Culture (Ministère de la Culture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment parent institution providing institutional backing, funding, and oversight as the national museum of Asian arts. The ministry's logo appears on the museum's website footer.
• Réunion des musées nationaux - Grand Palais (RMN)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRMN operates the museum's gift shop and bookstore and manages the online boutique (boutiquesdemusees.fr) where museum merchandise is sold. Also provides photography and image services for collections.
• Banh Mi MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative collective that highlights Asia and Asian cultures through illustration, podcasts, videos, and events. Partnered with the museum for Lunar New Year celebrations, providing short films and cultural programming.
• Société des Amis du Musée Guimet (SAMG)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe century-old friends society (founded 1923) provides members who serve as ambassadors, contributes to acquisitions, and supports the museum's mission through fundraising and donor engagement.
• Jean-Benoît VétillardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitect collaborating with Korean artist Seulgi Lee on the DAL DARI installation, providing architectural expertise for the monument's integration with the museum's place d'Iéna building.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Metropolitan Museum of Art: Largest art museum in the Americas with extensive Asian art wings. Comparable as a globally significant national-scale museum with comparable research library function and international partnership activity.
• Musée du Louvre: France's flagship national museum and the world's most-visited museum. Comparable as a French national museum under the same Ministry of Culture oversight, but vastly larger and broader in scope than Guimet's Asian-arts specialization.
• Musée d'Orsay: Major Parisian national museum housed in a converted historic building (former Gare d'Orsay). Comparable as a French national museum in central Paris with significant event-rental and exhibition programming, though specializing in 19th-century Western art rather than Asian art.

Direct peers

• Tokyo National Museum: Japan's oldest and largest national museum, with extensive Asian art collections. Comparable as a national institution specializing in Asian art with major research, exhibition, and partnership functions.
• Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac: Parisian national museum focused on non-European arts and civilizations, with significant Asia-related holdings. Comparable mission to Guimet (non-Western cultural heritage) and similar Parisian institutional positioning.
• Asian Art Museum of San Francisco: One of the largest museums in the Western world devoted exclusively to Asian art, with holdings spanning 6,000 years. Directly comparable Asian-art-only mission and similar operating scale to Guimet.
• National Museum of Asian Art (Smithsonian): U.S. national museum comprising the Freer Gallery and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, dedicated to Asian art. Closest international peer in scope and scale to Guimet, with comparable academic research mandate and major exhibition programming.
• National Museum of Korea: Korea's flagship national museum in Seoul, partner institution for the Silla and trompe-l'œil exhibitions. Comparable as a major national museum with significant Korean art holdings and active international loan/exchange partnerships.
• Musée Cernuschi: Parisian museum dedicated to Asian art, operated by the City of Paris. Directly comparable as a fellow French Asian-art museum with comparable scale, exhibitions, and educational mission; arguably Guimet's closest domestic peer.

Others

• Réunion des musées nationaux – Grand Palais: Public institution that operates Guimet's gift shop/bookstore and the boutiquesdemusees.fr online store, plus provides image and photography services. Relevant as a commercial/operational partner embedded in Guimet's retail revenue stream.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/museeguimet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/officielmuseeguimet
• Facebookfacebook.com/museeguimet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/museeguimet
• Instagraminstagram.com/museeguimet
• TikToktiktok.com/@museeguimet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts