European Heritage Days 2026 at the National Library of France’s various sites in Paris

For Heritage Days, the BnF is throwing open its doors on September 19 and 20, 2026. What’s on the agenda? A tour of the various sites, visits to the restoration workshops, and glimpses of numerous documents!

The Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days) is the big event that takes us to the heart of culture. In Paris, many places are playing their part, including the BnF! The Bibliothèque nationale de France is a public institution that preserves the memory of France. As early as the 14th century, King Charles V had his collection of books preserved in a special room. This collection grew rapidly, and was taken over and expanded by successive sovereigns. This exceptional library has stood the test of centuries and upheavals, resisting every jolt ofhistory to become one of the richest collections in the world.

Today, BnF continues to collect, protect and catalog not only old documents, but also everything published in France. The institution looks after no less than 15 million books and several million periodicals, as well as maps, photographs, videos, sound documents...

The National Library is, in short, a genuine temple of culture, art, and French history. To discover this institution and its various sites in Paris, take advantage of the open doors organized during the Heritage Days. On 19 and 20 September 2026, the BnF opens its doors to the curious. Tours, workshops, exhibitions: plenty of surprises await! The BnF is free to enter and open for self-guided visits. However, these venues are likely to fill up quickly, so we recommend arriving early to make the most of the event.

The 2026 Heritage Days lineup at the BNF:

On the Arsenal website

Visit to the National Library of France (BnF) – Arsenal Site
Paris’s third site of the National Library of France (BnF), tucked in the heart of the Marais near the Bastille, the Arsenal is the former home of the nation’s artillery maestros.

Converted into a public library in 1797 from the Marquis de Paulmy’s vast encyclopedic collection, it today lies at the heart of the BnF and offers access to more than a million documents (books, journals, manuscripts, prints, maps and plans, music, etc.).

For European Heritage Days, the Arsenal opens to the public and invites visitors to admire remarkable heritage spaces (the 17th‑century cabinet La Meilleraye, the 18th‑century Rococo music salon, the Second Empire reading room, the Sully salons from the early 19th century...).
Participation terms: Free | No reservation required
Hours: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:00 to 18:00

On the Richelieu site

Heritage Days 2026: a tour of the National Library of France's Richelieu site in Paris
The Richelieu site of the National Library of France opens its historic doors for Heritage Days, September 19–20, 2026. [Read more]

On the François-Mitterrand site

Tour of the National Library of France (BnF) – François-Mitterrand site
Take advantage of European Heritage Days to explore the building’s technical workings and its iconic architecture, discover the Charles Cros collection (in homage to the first inventor of the phonograph), enjoy an offbeat stroll through the contemporary art on display in the public spaces, visit the reading rooms usually reserved for researchers, or participate in a family workshop « Imagine ta bibliothèque ! »
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Sunday, 20 September 2026 — 12:45 PM to 7:00 PM

Who's up for a weekend of discovery?