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Free things to do in Paris in the fall

Official sources checked Oct 4, 2026

September is still warm and packed with free weekends: heritage days, the garden festival and the Techno Parade. In October the Rodin museum restarts free first Sundays and Bagatelle stops charging. From November the Arc de Triomphe roof and the Panthéon join them. Parks close earlier each fortnight, around 19:30 in October and near 17:00 by late November, and Père Lachaise shortens its hours from 6 November.

Paris

Free events in the fall3

  • Journées européennes du patrimoine

    Third weekend of September (19 and 20 September in 2026)

    Ministries, palaces and buildings normally closed to the public open their doors, most of them free, often with long lines.

    Official page

  • Fête des jardins

    Last weekend of September (26 and 27 September in 2026)

    Hundreds of free workshops, tours and demonstrations in parks and gardens in every arrondissement.

    Official page

  • Techno Parade

    A Saturday in September

    A free street parade of sound-system floats with DJs, followed on foot by a very large dancing crowd.

    Official page

Always free, and good in the fall20

Illustration: Notre-Dame CathedralFREE

Notre-Dame Cathedral

Île de la Cité
Always freeBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kidsHistoryArchitecture

The cathedral reopened in December 2024 with cleaned stone that is paler than anyone alive remembers. The nave, the rose windows and the new liturgical furniture are all free to see.

  • North and south rose windows, thirteenth-century glass
  • Guillaume Bardet's bronze altar and baptismal font
  • Thursday after 19:00, when it stays open until 22:00
Free when
Always · Mon–Wed and Fri 7:45–19:00, Thu 7:45–22:00, Sat–Sun 8:15–19:30
Free for whom
Everyone. The Treasury (€12) and the towers are separate paid visits.
Reservation
Optional free time slot on notredamedeparis.fr or the official app. Without one, join the walk-up line on the square.
Time needed
45 min to 1h
How to get there
Metro 4 to Cité, or RER B/C to Saint-Michel Notre-Dame
Worth it? Yes.Worth it, and Thursday evening is the calm slot since it stays open until 22:00. Anyone selling you a cathedral entry ticket on the square is selling nothing.
Source: Paris je t'aime, Paris Tourist Office · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Sacré-Cœur Basilica and its stepsFREE

Sacré-Cœur Basilica and its steps

Montmartre
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsViewsArchitecture

A white basilica on the highest hill in Paris, with a huge gold mosaic inside and the whole city laid out below the front steps. The view from the steps costs nothing; only the dome climb is paid.

  • Gold Christ in Majesty mosaic over the apse
  • South-facing front steps at sunset
  • Square Louise Michel lawns below for a quieter view
Free when
Always · every day 6:30–22:30
Free for whom
Everyone. The dome is a separate paid visit.
Reservation
Not needed. Expect a 10 to 15 minute wait between 10:30 and 17:00.
Time needed
1h with the view
How to get there
Metro 2 to Anvers then the stairs, or Metro 12 to Abbesses and a 10 minute climb. The funicular costs one transit ticket.
Worth it? Yes.Go before 9:30 or after 19:00. Midday the steps are packed and the bracelet sellers at the bottom of the stairs are persistent, so keep your hands in your pockets and keep walking.
Source: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Petit PalaisFREE

Petit Palais

Champs-Élysées
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsArtArchitecture

The city's fine arts museum, in a 1900 exhibition palace with painted ceilings and a courtyard garden. Monet, Courbet, Rembrandt and a full Guimard dining room, with no ticket.

  • Courbet's Le Sommeil on the ground floor
  • Hector Guimard's complete Art Nouveau dining room
  • Courtyard garden with mosaic pools and palm trees
Free when
Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, last entry to the permanent collection 17:15. Closed Mondays, 1 Jan, 1 May, 14 July, 11 Nov, 25 Dec.
Free for whom
Everyone, permanent collection and garden. Temporary exhibitions are paid.
Reservation
Not needed for the permanent collection
Time needed
1h30
How to get there
Metro 1 or 13 to Champs-Élysées Clemenceau
Worth it? Yes.The best free museum in Paris, and the building alone justifies the stop. Friday and Saturday late openings cover the paid exhibitions only, so come in the daytime.
Source: Petit Palais · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Musée CarnavaletFREE

Musée Carnavalet

Le Marais
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsHistory

The museum of the history of Paris, spread through two Marais mansions. Old shop signs, Revolution relics, Proust's bedroom and an entire Art Nouveau jewellery shop rebuilt inside.

  • Shop sign gallery on the ground floor
  • Fouquet jewellery shop designed by Alphonse Mucha
  • Proust's bedroom, with his brass bed
Free when
Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:15. Closed Mondays, 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec.
Free for whom
Everyone, permanent collection. Temporary exhibitions are paid.
Reservation
Not needed for the permanent collection
Time needed
2h
How to get there
Metro 1 to Saint-Paul or Metro 8 to Chemin Vert
Worth it? Yes.It is big, so pick a period instead of trying to walk it all. The shop sign gallery on the ground floor and the Revolution rooms upstairs are the two to keep.
Source: Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Musée d'Art Moderne de ParisFREE

Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris

Trocadéro / Alma
Always freeIndoorArt

The city's modern art collection in the east wing of the Palais de Tokyo building. Two versions of Matisse's La Danse and Dufy's room-sized mural on electricity are the reasons to come.

  • Dufy's La Fée Électricité, a mural that fills a curved room
  • Two versions of Matisse's La Danse
  • Terrace with a side view of the Eiffel Tower
Free when
Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, ticket desk closes 17:15. Closed Mondays, 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec.
Free for whom
Everyone, permanent collection. Temporary exhibitions are paid.
Reservation
Not needed for the permanent collection. Some rooms can be closed.
Time needed
1h
How to get there
Metro 9 to Iéna or Alma-Marceau
Worth it? Yes.With the Centre Pompidou shut for renovation, this is where to see twentieth-century art in Paris for free. Walk out onto the terrace afterwards for a side view of the Eiffel Tower.
Source: Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Musée BourdelleFREE

Musée Bourdelle

Montparnasse
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsArt

The studios and gardens where sculptor Antoine Bourdelle worked, left much as they were, with monumental bronzes standing among the trees. Rodin's assistant, a fraction of Rodin's crowds.

  • Hercules the Archer in the great plaster hall
  • Old wooden studio at the back, stove included
  • Bronzes among the trees in the front garden
Free when
Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:15. Closed Mondays, 25 Dec, 1 Jan.
Free for whom
Everyone, permanent collection. Temporary exhibitions are paid.
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
1h
How to get there
Metro 4, 6, 12 or 13 to Montparnasse-Bienvenüe, or Metro 12 to Falguière
Worth it? Yes.Go if the Rodin museum's ticket price puts you off. The old wooden studio at the back, with its stove and plaster dust, is the room to find.
Source: Musée Bourdelle · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Musée de la Libération de ParisFREE

Musée de la Libération de Paris

Denfert-Rochereau
Always freeIndoorHistory

The Occupation and the August 1944 uprising, told through General Leclerc and Jean Moulin, in a pavilion across the square from the Catacombs entrance. Twenty metres below sits the bunker that served as the Resistance command post.

  • Rol-Tanguy's command post, twenty metres underground
  • Leclerc and Jean Moulin told side by side
  • About a hundred steps down, no lift
Free when
Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:30. Closed Mondays.
Free for whom
Everyone, permanent collection. The underground command post needs a separate ticket; ask at the desk.
Reservation
Not needed for the museum
Time needed
1h30
How to get there
Metro 4 or 6, or RER B, to Denfert-Rochereau
Worth it? Yes.A serious, well-made museum that most people walk past on the way to the Catacombs queue. The command post is reached by about a hundred steps and no lift.
Source: Musée de la Libération de Paris, musée du général Leclerc, musée Jean Moulin · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Musée de la Vie RomantiqueFREE

Musée de la Vie Romantique

Pigalle / Nouvelle Athènes
Always freeIndoorArtHistory

A green-shuttered 1830s house at the end of a cobbled lane, once painter Ary Scheffer's home, where Chopin and George Sand came on Fridays. It reopened in February 2026 after a full restoration.

  • Plaster casts of Chopin's hand and George Sand's arm
  • Ary Scheffer's painting studio
  • Cobbled lane and garden at 16 Rue Chaptal
Free when
Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00. Closed Mondays, 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec.
Free for whom
Everyone, museum collections. Temporary exhibitions are paid.
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
45 min
How to get there
Metro 2 to Blanche or Metro 12 to Saint-Georges, then 16 Rue Chaptal
Worth it? Yes.Small and quick, so pair it with Montmartre. The garden tea room is the draw on a dry afternoon, though the tea is not free.
Source: Musée de la Vie Romantique · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Mémorial de la ShoahFREE

Mémorial de la Shoah

Le Marais
Always freeIndoorHistory

France's Holocaust museum and archive. The Wall of Names in the forecourt lists the 76,000 Jews deported from France, and the permanent exhibition below follows what happened to them.

  • Wall of Names in the forecourt, 76,000 names
  • Crypt with the eternal flame
  • Thursday evening, open until 22:00
Free when
Always · Sun–Fri 10:00–18:00, Thursdays until 22:00. Closed Saturdays, 1 Jan, 1 May, 14 July, 15 Aug, 25 Dec and some Jewish holidays.
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed. Free guided tour in French on Sundays at 15:00, in English on the second Sunday of the month.
Time needed
1h30
How to get there
Metro 1 to Saint-Paul or Metro 7 to Pont Marie
Worth it? Yes.Heavy and worth the time. It is one of the few museums open on Monday, and there is an airport-style security check at the door.
Source: Mémorial de la Shoah · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Oval Room, BnF RichelieuFREE

Oval Room, BnF Richelieu

Bourse / Palais-Royal
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsArchitectureHistory

The great oval reading room of the old National Library, glass roof, iron columns and open shelves that include a large comics collection. Since the 2022 restoration anyone can walk in and sit down.

  • Glass oval roof ringed by round skylights
  • Open comic shelves, read at any desk
  • Tuesday evening, open until 20:00
Free when
Always · Tue 10:00–20:00, Wed–Sun 10:00–18:00. Closed Mondays and most public holidays.
Free for whom
Everyone, no reader card, no age limit. The museum upstairs is paid.
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
30 min
How to get there
Metro 3 to Bourse, or Metro 7 and 14 to Pyramides. Enter at 5 Rue Vivienne or 58 Rue de Richelieu.
Worth it? Yes.The best rainy-hour stop in central Paris. It is a working library, so keep your voice down and expect a short line at the door on weekend afternoons.
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Galeries Lafayette rooftop terraceFREE

Galeries Lafayette rooftop terrace

Opéra / Haussmann
Always freeGood with kidsViewsArchitecture

The roof of the department store, eight floors up, looks over the back of the Opéra Garnier to the Eiffel Tower and across to Sacré-Cœur. On the way, the 1912 stained-glass dome over the perfume hall is worth a stop of its own.

  • 1912 stained-glass dome seen from the ground floor
  • Back of the Opéra Garnier with the Eiffel Tower behind
  • Last hour before the 20:00 closing
Free when
Always · Mon–Sat 10:00–20:00, Sun and public holidays 11:00–20:00. Can close in rain or strong wind.
Free for whom
Everyone, no ticket, no purchase
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
30 min
How to get there
Metro 7 or 9 to Chaussée d'Antin La Fayette, main building at 40 Boulevard Haussmann, escalators to floor 8
Worth it? Yes.The easiest free view in the city. Part of the roof is given over to a seasonal bar, but the viewing side stays open; the last hour before closing has the best light.
Source: Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Père Lachaise CemeteryFREE

Père Lachaise Cemetery

20th arrondissement
Always freeHistory

Forty-four hectares of cobbled lanes, mossy chapels and famous graves on a hillside in the east: Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Chopin, Édith Piaf, Proust.

  • Oscar Wilde's tomb, five minutes from the Gambetta gate
  • Jim Morrison, Chopin, Édith Piaf and Proust
  • Photograph the plan at the gate before walking
Free when
Always · 16 March to 5 November: Mon–Fri 8:00–18:00, Sat 8:30–18:00, Sun 9:00–18:00. Closes earlier the rest of the year. Open on public holidays.
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
1h30 to 2h
How to get there
Metro 3 to Gambetta for the top gate, or Metro 2 and 3 to Père Lachaise for the bottom
Worth it? Yes.Start at Gambetta and walk downhill; Wilde is five minutes from that gate. Photograph the plan at the entrance, because phone maps are little help among the divisions.
Source: Ville de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Jardin du LuxembourgFREE

Jardin du Luxembourg

Latin Quarter / Saint-Germain
Always freeGood with kidsNatureLocal life

The Senate's garden: a formal basin where children push wooden sailboats, the shaded Medici Fountain, an orchard, chess tables, and green metal chairs you can drag wherever you like.

  • Medici Fountain and its shaded basin
  • Green metal chairs around the central pond
  • Wooden sailboats pushed across the pond with sticks
Free when
Always · every day. Opens between 7:30 and 8:15, closes between 16:45 and 21:30 depending on the season; hours shift every two weeks with the sun.
Free for whom
Everyone. Boat hire, the playground and the puppet theatre are paid.
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
1h
How to get there
RER B to Luxembourg, or Metro 4 to Saint-Sulpice
Worth it? Yes.The chairs are free and the lawns are mostly off limits, so take a chair by the Medici Fountain. Guards start whistling people out half an hour before the gates close.
Source: Sénat, Jardin du Luxembourg · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Palais-Royal garden and Buren's columnsFREE

Palais-Royal garden and Buren's columns

Louvre / Palais-Royal
Always freeGood with kidsArchitectureLocal life

An enclosed garden ringed by arcades, two minutes from the Louvre and far quieter. Daniel Buren's black and white striped columns fill the first courtyard and children climb all over them.

  • Buren's striped columns in the first courtyard
  • Green chairs by the fountain under the lime trees
  • North exit, facing Galerie Vivienne
Free when
Always · every day. April to September 8:00–22:30, October to March 8:00–20:30.
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
30 to 45 min
How to get there
Metro 1 or 7 to Palais Royal Musée du Louvre, entrance on Place Colette
Worth it? Yes.The best bench break near the Louvre. Walk the full length under the lime trees and leave by the north end, which puts you in front of Galerie Vivienne.
Source: Domaine national du Palais-Royal · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Parc de Belleville and the Willy Ronis viewpointFREE

Parc de Belleville and the Willy Ronis viewpoint

Belleville
Always freeGood with kidsViewsLocal life

A terraced park on the Belleville hill with a belvedere at the top that takes in the whole city, Eiffel Tower included. Locals outnumber visitors by a wide margin.

  • Willy Ronis belvedere on Rue Piat
  • Eiffel Tower on the skyline at sunset
  • Terraced paths downhill toward Couronnes
Free when
Always · every day. Opens 8:00 on weekdays and 9:00 at weekends; closes around 19:30 in October, later in summer, earlier in winter.
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
45 min
How to get there
Metro 11 to Pyrénées and walk down Rue Piat to the belvedere, or Metro 2 to Couronnes and climb
Worth it? Yes.Arrive from the top at Rue Piat so the view comes first and the walk is downhill. The belvedere terrace sits on the street, so the view is still there after the park gates shut.
Source: Ville de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Coulée Verte René-DumontFREE

Coulée Verte René-Dumont

Bastille / 12th arrondissement
Always freeGood with kidsNatureArchitecture

A 4.5 km planted walkway on a disused railway line, opened in 1988, long before New York's High Line. The first stretch runs on a brick viaduct above Avenue Daumesnil at third-floor height.

  • Brick viaduct at third-floor height above Avenue Daumesnil
  • Jardin de Reuilly lawn and its free sparkling water fountain
  • Staircase behind the Opéra Bastille to start
Free when
Always · every day. Opens 8:00 on weekdays and 9:00 at weekends; closes around 19:30 in October, later in summer, earlier in winter.
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
45 min for the viaduct, 1h30 to the end
How to get there
Metro 1, 5 or 8 to Bastille, then the staircase on Avenue Daumesnil just behind the Opéra Bastille
Worth it? Yes.The viaduct section as far as Jardin de Reuilly is the part to walk; after that it drops to ground level and gets ordinary. Joggers own it before 9:00.
Source: Ville de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Canal Saint-MartinFREE

Canal Saint-Martin

10th arrondissement
Always freeGood with kidsLocal life

A canal finished in 1825, lined with plane trees and crossed by arched iron footbridges. Barges rise and fall through the locks while people sit along the edge with their legs over the water.

  • Arched iron footbridges over the locks
  • Barges rising and falling through a lock
  • Car-free quays on Sundays
Free when
Always · open quays, any time. On Sundays the quays are closed to cars, 10:00–18:00 from October to March and 10:00–20:00 from April to September.
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
1h
How to get there
Metro 5 to Jacques Bonsergent, then down Rue de Lancry to Quai de Valmy
Worth it? Yes.Walk north from Rue de Lancry to the Bassin de la Villette and wait on a footbridge for a boat to come through a lock. Sunday is the day, with no traffic on either quay.
Source: Ville de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Galerie Vivienne and the covered passagesFREE

Galerie Vivienne and the covered passages

Bourse / Grands Boulevards
Always freeIndoorGood with kidsArchitectureHistory

Glass-roofed shopping arcades from the early 1800s. Galerie Vivienne (1823) has the mosaic floor and the old bookshop; ten minutes north, Passage des Panoramas (1799), Jouffroy and Verdeau run end to end across the boulevard.

  • Mosaic floor of Galerie Vivienne
  • Passage des Panoramas, opened in 1799
  • Jouffroy and Verdeau end to end across the boulevard
Free when
Always · Galerie Vivienne every day 8:30–20:30. The other passages are generally open daily, and some shut at night or on Sundays.
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
1h for the full chain
How to get there
Metro 3 to Bourse for Galerie Vivienne (4 Rue des Petits-Champs); Metro 8 or 9 to Grands Boulevards for Panoramas and Jouffroy
Worth it? Yes.A dry walk on a wet day. Do Vivienne first, then go up Rue Vivienne to Panoramas and carry straight on through Jouffroy and Verdeau. Many shops close on Sunday, which makes for clearer photos and less to look at.
Source: Paris je t'aime, Paris Tourist Office · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Musée Cognacq-JayFREE

Musée Cognacq-Jay

Le Marais
Always freeIndoorArt

The eighteenth-century art collection of the founders of La Samaritaine, hung in a Marais townhouse: Fragonard, Boucher, Canaletto, snuffboxes and panelled salons.

  • Fragonard and Boucher in panelled salons
  • Canaletto's views of Venice
  • Cases of snuffboxes and miniature portraits
Free when
Always · Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00. Closed Mondays.
Free for whom
Everyone, permanent collection. Temporary exhibitions are paid.
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
45 min
How to get there
Metro 1 to Saint-Paul or Metro 8 to Chemin Vert, then 8 Rue Elzévir
Worth it? Depends.Lovely if you like Rococo, skippable if you do not. It is three minutes from Carnavalet, so look in only if you still have energy. No lift, stairs throughout.
Source: Musée Cognacq-Jay · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Parc des Buttes-ChaumontFREE

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

19th arrondissement
Always freeGood with kidsNatureLocal life

A steep 25-hectare park built in 1867 in an old quarry, with cliffs, a lake and lawns you are allowed to lie on, which is rare in Paris.

  • Lawns you are allowed to lie on
  • Cliffs and lake of the old quarry
  • Island and Temple de la Sibylle shut until 2027
Free when
Always · every day from 7:00, closing around 20:00 in October and later in summer
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed
Time needed
1h
How to get there
Metro 7bis to Buttes Chaumont or Botzaris, or Metro 5 to Laumière
Worth it? Depends.Check before you cross town: major works run until 2027 and the central island, the Temple de la Sibylle and the waterfall are closed, with part of the lake path too. The lawns and the hills are still good for a picnic.
Source: Ville de Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps

Free on certain days in the fall8

Illustration: Louvre, free for under-18s and under-26s from the EEA€32, or €22 for EEA residentsFREE

Louvre, free for under-18s and under-26s from the EEA

Louvre
Free on certain daysBooking recommendedIndoorGood with kidsArtHistory

On any open day the Louvre is free for everyone under 18 and for 18 to 25 year olds from the European Economic Area. Orsay, the Orangerie and the other national museums apply the same rule.

  • Winged Victory at the top of the Daru staircase
  • Wednesday or Friday after 18:00
  • Photo ID showing age and nationality
Free when
Mon, Thu, Sat, Sun 9:00–18:00; Wed and Fri 9:00–21:00. Closed Tuesdays, 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec.
Free for whom
Under-18s of any nationality with ID. Under-26s who are citizens of an EEA country, or who live in one with a residence permit, with photo ID. Other visitors aged 18 to 25 pay full price.
Reservation
A time slot is recommended even with free entry; choose the free ticket on the Louvre's own ticketing site.
Time needed
3h
How to get there
Metro 1 or 7 to Palais Royal Musée du Louvre
Worth it? Yes.If you qualify, this is the single biggest saving in Paris. Use the Wednesday or Friday late opening, when the galleries thin out after 18:00.
Source: Musée du Louvre · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Musée de l'Orangerie, first Sunday€12.50FREE

Musée de l'Orangerie, first Sunday

Tuileries / Concorde
Free on certain daysBooking requiredIndoorGood with kidsArt

Two oval rooms built for Monet's eight Water Lilies panels, with a compact collection of Cézanne, Renoir, Modigliani and Soutine downstairs.

  • Second Water Lilies room, quieter than the first
  • Cézanne, Renoir, Modigliani and Soutine downstairs
  • Earliest slot, before the oval rooms fill
Free when
First Sunday of the month, 9:00–18:00, last entry 17:15
Free for whom
Everyone. Under-18s and 18 to 25 year olds who are EU nationals or long-term EU residents are free on any open day.
Reservation
Mandatory: reserve a free time slot on the museum's ticketing site.
Time needed
1h
How to get there
Metro 1, 8 or 12 to Concorde
Worth it? Yes.Small enough that a timed free slot works well. The first room is the busy one, so walk through to the second and sit there.
Source: Musée de l'Orangerie · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Musée Picasso, first Sunday€16FREE

Musée Picasso, first Sunday

Le Marais
Free on certain daysIndoorGood with kidsArtArchitecture

The largest public collection of Picasso's work, the pieces he kept for himself, hung in a seventeenth-century Marais mansion.

  • Grand stone staircase of the Hôtel Salé
  • Works Picasso kept for himself, from every period
  • At the door by 9:15 or after 15:30
Free when
First Sunday of the month, 9:30–18:00, last entry 17:15
Free for whom
Everyone. Under-18s and EU residents under 26 are free on any open day.
Reservation
Free tickets cannot be booked. Turn up and queue.
Time needed
1h30
How to get there
Metro 1 to Saint-Paul, or Metro 8 to Saint-Sébastien Froissart or Chemin Vert
Worth it? Yes.No booking means a line down Rue de Thorigny by late morning. Be there at 9:15 or come after 15:30.
Source: Musée national Picasso-Paris · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Musée Rodin, first Sunday in winter€14FREE

Musée Rodin, first Sunday in winter

Invalides
Free on certain daysIndoorGood with kidsArt

Rodin's sculptures in the mansion where he worked, with The Thinker and The Gates of Hell outdoors in a large garden.

  • The Thinker on his plinth in the garden
  • The Gates of Hell, outdoors near the entrance
  • Camille Claudel room inside the mansion
Free when
First Sunday of the month from October to March only, 10:00–18:30, last entry 17:45
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
Not needed on free Sundays
Time needed
1h30
How to get there
Metro 13 to Varenne
Worth it? Yes.From April to September the first Sunday is a normal paid day, which catches people out. On a cold free Sunday the garden is nearly empty and the bronzes look better for it.
Source: Musée Rodin · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Arc de Triomphe rooftop, first Sunday in winter€16 in winter, €22 from April to SeptemberFREE

Arc de Triomphe rooftop, first Sunday in winter

Étoile
Free on certain daysGood with kidsViewsHistory

The terrace on top of the arch, 284 steps up, looks straight down twelve avenues with the Eiffel Tower to one side. Standing under the arch at street level is always free; the roof is free on five Sundays a year.

  • 284 steps to the roof terrace
  • Twelve avenues fanning out below at dusk
  • Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the arch
Free when
First Sunday of November, December, January, February and March, 10:00–22:30, last entry 45 minutes before closing
Free for whom
Everyone on those Sundays. Under-18s, and 18 to 25 year olds who are EU nationals or legal residents of France, are free year-round.
Reservation
The official page does not require a booking for free Sundays. Expect a long line at the underpass.
Time needed
1h
How to get there
Metro 1, 2 or 6, or RER A, to Charles de Gaulle Étoile. Use the underpass, never cross the roundabout.
Worth it? Yes.The best paid view in Paris, free five times a year. Go at dusk, when the queue is shorter than at midday and the avenues light up.
Source: Centre des monuments nationaux · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Louvre, first Friday evening€32, or €22 for EEA residentsFREE

Louvre, first Friday evening

Louvre
Free on certain daysBooking recommendedIndoorArtHistory

The Louvre no longer does free first Sundays. Its free slot for all visitors is the first Friday of the month from 18:00 until closing at 21:00.

  • Napoleon III apartments in the Richelieu wing
  • Cour Marly and Cour Puget sculpture courts
  • Glass pyramid lit up after dark
Free when
First Friday of the month, 18:00–21:00, last entry 20:00. Not in July or August. Also free all day on 14 July.
Free for whom
Everyone
Reservation
The Louvre recommends booking a free time slot on its ticketing site. Slots for the free evening go fast.
Time needed
2h to 3h
How to get there
Metro 1 or 7 to Palais Royal Musée du Louvre
Worth it? Depends.Three hours is enough for one wing, and the Mona Lisa room is a scrum. Choose Richelieu for the Napoleon III apartments and the sculpture courts, and it becomes a good evening.
Source: Musée du Louvre · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Musée d'Orsay, first Sunday€16FREE

Musée d'Orsay, first Sunday

Saint-Germain / Seine left bank
Free on certain daysBooking requiredIndoorGood with kidsArtArchitecture

The Impressionist collection in the old Orsay railway station: Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh's self-portrait. Free for all on the first Sunday of every month.

  • Fifth-floor Impressionist gallery, first thing
  • Giant station clock window facing Montmartre
  • Van Gogh's Starry Night Over the Rhône
Free when
First Sunday of the month, 9:30–18:00, last entry 17:00
Free for whom
Everyone. Under-18s and under-26s from the EEA are free on any open day.
Reservation
Mandatory: reserve a free time slot on the museum's ticketing site. No slot, no entry.
Time needed
2h to 3h
How to get there
RER C to Musée d'Orsay or Metro 12 to Solférino
Worth it? Depends.The fifth floor is shoulder to shoulder on free Sundays. Take the earliest slot you can get and go straight up to the Impressionists before doing anything else.
Source: Musée d'Orsay · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps
Illustration: Panthéon, first Sunday in winter€13 in winter, €16 in summerFREE

Panthéon, first Sunday in winter

Latin Quarter
Free on certain daysIndoorHistoryArchitecture

The domed temple where France buries its heroes: Voltaire, Hugo, Marie Curie, Josephine Baker. Foucault's pendulum swings under the dome and the crypt runs beneath the whole building.

  • Foucault's pendulum swinging under the dome
  • Crypt: Voltaire, Hugo, Marie Curie, Josephine Baker
  • Dome colonnade is closed, nave and crypt only
Free when
First Sunday of November, December, January, February and March, 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:15
Free for whom
Everyone on those Sundays. Under-18s, and 18 to 25 year olds who are EU nationals or legal residents of France, are free year-round.
Reservation
The official page does not require a booking for free Sundays
Time needed
1h
How to get there
RER B to Luxembourg or Metro 10 to Cardinal Lemoine
Worth it? Depends.The interior is grand and cold, and the crypt means more if the names mean something to you. Good free, a harder call at full price.
Source: Centre des monuments nationaux · checked Oct 4, 2026Open in Maps

Free things in other cities

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