Beaubourg is actually a cultural center, as the long version of its name suggests, comprising, not just a museum of 20th and 21st century art, but also an extensive library in every domain, from fine arts to human sciences, a cinema featuring experimental films, and a center for debate, discussion, and performance pieces. And those who don’t have the time to take in everything, fear not: even the museum alone is well worth a visit.

It ccupies the fourth and fifth floors, the other floors being devoted to the aforementioned library and other spaces, including a place for temporary exhibitions, and, on the top floor, the restaurant "Georges". The museum is composed of a huge collection of art from the Fauves, all the way to creators working this very day. The idea of modernity is often expressed as movement (for proof, check out the works of the Futurists). This seems to be the rule of the museum, which frequently rotates its permanent collection, so that one is always sure to find something new and exciting. Among the steadfast staples are works by Matisse, Picasso, Braque, Giacometti, Soutine, Balthus, Ernst, Magritte, Dalí, Beuys, Klein, Tinguely, Kandinsky, César, and just about every other modern or contemporary artist you’ve ever heard of. Be sure to check out the good selection of ready-mades, including "Fresh Widow" and "Why Not Sneeze, Rose Selavy?" by Duchamp, as well as works by Francis Picabia and other Dadaists. And then there’s the wall of strange objects and canvasses from Surrealist leader André Breton’s apartment, or Dubuffet’s Winter Garden, a cartoon-like walk-in black and white room whose floor is made up of curving levels and pits like a rocky landscape. The museum also includes screening areas where various short films are shown, and a number of rooms devoted to contemporary architecture and design.

Though it would seem two floors aren’t enough for such an extensive collection, it works. The space is open and wide, and full of interesting corners and partitions to explore. The walls between many rooms often have display cases bearing drawings and items (such as three boxes by Joseph Cornell), that seem to take on a (more) magical light in the shadows. As one moves through the museum, one should look out the large windows whenever possible. There, framed by modern or contemporary sculptures, or beside an abstract painting, one sees the old buildings of Paris’ 4th Arrondissement, Gothic churches, and even the striking, white Sacre Coeur. At the fifth floor, the Eiffel Tower, a modern, strange structure in its own day, seems to greet visitors and remind us that, like great art, new ideas and innovation are really a Parisian tradition.