Paris Pass ? Museum Pass

Definitely get a Museum Pass. They come in 2, 4 or 6 day passes. But they don't include the Eiffel Tower. You'll need to buy a separate ticket for that. You might also want to consider seeing George's Pompidou (modern art museum). Beautiful views & interesting art. We saw a school group there in May, about your sons age. Have fun!

Is Paris Pass is universally NOT recommended as it is not a good value. It bundles the Museum Pass and the Paris Visite transport pass with a ton of discounts for things you have no interest or time to do. It then adds a big mark up fee which the marketing firm pockets. As mentioned previously, if visiting several of the prime Paris museums, the Museum Pass can be a good value.
There are better priced transport options, such as the Carnet, which is a 10-pack of Metro/bus tickets sold at a 25% discount off the individual ticket price, and available from the ticket window or from vending machines at all Metro stations. There is also a daily Mobilus pass, and the Monday to Sunday Navigo Decouverte Semaine pass. Even the Paris Visite is not too bad a deal. It comes with its own passel of discounts for things like the HOHO bus, Seine River tour boats, Arc de Triomphe. I'd give it a C+ as far as value goes.
The Eiffel Tower stands alone, literally and figuratively, and is not included in any pass bundle that I am aware of.

IF you aren't planning on going to a lot of sights, then the Museum Pass is going to cost a lot more than individual entrance fees. Do note that the Pass includes other sights that are not museums. Work out what you can reasonably see and then get the passes if you are close to breaking even, for the convenience and the ability to "just pop in" for a short visit to sites you may otherwise skip. Note that the days are consecutive and they are calendar days, not 24-hour periods.

The long lines at the Louvre are for security checks. Go in through the Carousel entrance, not the Pyramid entrance. Once past security, there are many ticket agents and ticket machines where you can buy tickets - minimal waiting time. There's also a place before security at the Carousel entrance to buy tickets. There are usually long lines at the Orsay which you would skip with the pass (separate security line). The Orsay is too small for the collections, so my advice is to get there when they open and go immediately to the top floor, then work your way down. An alternative is to visit the Orangerie, short lines, small museum.

The army museum at the Invalides will likely interest all of you. The Carnavalet Museum in the Marais quarter is interesting (history of Paris) and is free.

I also agree with above.. take the 9 yr old boy to the Invalids Army Museum.. way less boring then an "art" museum( like orsay and louvre) .. Both my boys enjoyed it very much. Swords, battle axes, armour( for men, children and horses!) muskets, cannons. spears.. all the kind of stuff that boys can be interested in.. real samurai swords and clothes.. etc ..

Since son is free.. you would only need two passes.

I agree a 6 day pass ( museum pass.. I do not even consider the "paris pass" worth discussing) would be too much.. A two day pass could be useful for some line skipping ( although it won't be that bad ) for Orsay, Louvre and Versailles..

I would not go to Versailles on a rainy day.. I just think its a waste as there is so much one will miss ( unless you like walking around a lot in rains) .. the gardens , grounds.. outer buildings and Marie Antionette s Hamlet are don't miss seeings to me.. ( your son will think MAs hamlet is very cute) ..

REsreve for ET online as soon as your dates become available.

thank you everyone for your replies !! All of the information is very useful and I appreciate your time and advice !

Go to the museum pass site. Museum Pass

It's a very useful site. You may find more that interests you. You can go to each museum's website. See them all on a map so you can plan your trip. And you can make a list of your selections, so you can print out info like addresses and hours.

Don't order it by mail because you can buy it easily there. However, do NOT try to buy it at a busy museum like the Orsay. Your 9 yr old doesn't need one, and can go in without waiting in the lines.

I find that one museum or site a day is enough for me. A museum pass doesn't save me money. I have used them when I wanted to hit a bunch of places. On one Paris walk there are several venues that charge. You can bunch those up into one or two days and use a pass to advantage.

Get the museum pass! If for nothing else you're not wasting precious time in line.

I know nothing about the Paris Pass.
Except for the Orsay, our family did all that you mentioned in your post in two and a half days. We saved the Eiffel Tower for evening when the city lights come on. Get to the Louvre early and focus on the highlights. Take the train to Versailles to avoid parking.

Have fun!