Heritage Days 2026 at the National Archives of Paris: the weekend program.

For this 43rd edition of Heritage Days, the National Archives of Paris will throw open its doors on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, 2026, offering tours of its grand townhouse and its exhibitions.

For the Heritage Days 2026, the charming site of the National Archives of Paris opens its doors in the heart of the Marais. Join us on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, 2026 in the 4th arrondissement of Paris to explore the permanent collections and exhibitions.

Created during the French Revolution, the National Archives are responsible for collecting, preserving, and enriching the central state archives. Nearly 300 linear kilometres of archives, from the 7th century to today, are safeguarded there. They are now spread across three sites: Fontainebleau, Paris, and Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, the latter having been open to the public since January 2013. The Pierrefitte-sur-Seine site (now part of the new commune of Saint-Denis), designed by architect Massimiliano Fuksas, is dedicated to archives dating from after the French Revolution; it houses about 180 linear kilometres of public and private archives accessible in the reading rooms.

And regarding the event, this 43rd edition of the Journées du Patrimoine is an opportunity to discover the history of numerous museums, institutions and establishments across France.

The 2026 Heritage Days program at the National Archives in Paris:

Self-guided visit of the National Archives' quadrilateral gardens
A landmark of the Marais, the historic center of the National Archives traces its roots to several aristocratic townhouses from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as to their former private gardens, today a lush green treasure hidden in the heart of Paris. Shaped over the centuries by successive occupants, these gardens blend the French formal parterres of the Rohan-Soubise estate with the romantic gardens of the small hôtels acquired over time by the National Archives. Rejuvenated in 2011 by landscaper Louis Benech, who redesigned the old parceling, this quiet oasis houses more than 300 plant species.
Participation terms : Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 08:00 to 20:00 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 08:00 to 20:00
Self-guided visit to the Hôtel de Soubise and the National Archives Museum’s permanent exhibition
Come discover the Rococo Rocaille interiors of the Prince of Soubise’s apartments. Designed by architects Delamair and Boffrand, the mansion has housed the National Archives since 1808.

The permanent display offers a curated selection of archives, highlighting the diversity of supports (papyrus, parchment, paper) and document formats (folios, rolls, ledgers, and iconographic records).
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00–19:00 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:00–19:00
A descriptive and tactile tour of the National Archives’ Grand Deposits for the visually impaired
Prestigious buildings housing medieval and Ancien Régime archives open their Louis-Philippe and Napoleon III deposits only on rare occasions. It’s a chance to glimpse the Iron Chest and a handful of foundational documents: Merovingian charters, the standard metre, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
Participation conditions: Six people who are visually impaired and their companions. Reservations and information: +33 (0)1 40 27 60 71 - developpement-publics.an@culture.gouv.fr - Booking required | Free of charge
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Guided tour of the National Archives' Grand Depositories
These prestigious buildings housing medieval and Ancien Régime archives keep the Louis-Philippe and Napoleon III deposits closed except on rare occasions. It’s an opportunity to glimpse the Iron Chest and a handful of founding documents: Merovingian and Carolingian charters, the standard metre, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, etc.
Participation conditions: The tour lasts 45 minutes. Groups are limited to 25 people. Departures every 30 minutes, with the last one at 6:00 PM. Tickets for the tours are distributed on site the day of the visit, 30 minutes before departure. - Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM
Visit to the National Archives' restoration and binding workshop
The opening of the National Archives Conservation Department’s workshops will give visitors a practical sense of the challenges involved in conservation-restoration within an archival setting. By examining documents in the midst of treatment, the event will showcase the methods and techniques used to stem the causes of deterioration, repair the damage sustained, and safeguard the documents so as to ensure their long-term preservation while enabling consultation, display, and/or digitization.
Participation conditions: Tour times at 11:00, 13:30, 15:00 and 16:30. Groups of 10 people. Tickets distributed on site on the day of the visit, 30 minutes before departure. - Free | No booking required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:00 AM to 4:30 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 11:00 AM to 4:30 PM
"The Living Library". A participatory project by Fanny de Chaillé
The Library rests on a commitment to encounter others and on the belief that anyone can be the author of knowledge and share it publicly. Fanny de Chaillé works with a group of volunteers so that they “become books and are consulted” by the public.

Those who give the library its life are the members of society, just as we all are, no matter the role we play or its significance. For about twenty minutes, the book tells its own story in a one-on-one encounter with a reader.
Conditions of participation: Historical Library of the National Archives. Duration: 20 minutes. - Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Guided tour of the Hôtel de Rohan and the Chancellerie d'Orléans’ interiors
Following an extraordinary restoration effort, four salons from the Hôtel de la Chancellerie d’Orléans, demolished in 1923, were rebuilt on the ground floor of the Hôtel de Rohan. The guided tour invites visitors to uncover the remarkable story behind these interiors. On the first floor, the famed Monkey Cabinet and the Cabinet of Fables are also part of the route.
Participation requirements : Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes - Groups of 20. Departures every hour. Last departure at 6:00 PM. On-site distribution of tour tickets on the day of the visit, 30 minutes before departure. - Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Youth Workshop (Ages 5–16): Sceaux
SEALS WORKSHOP

The National Archives' Seals Workshop invites you to …
Participation requirements: Cour d'honneur – Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 2:00 PM–6:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026, 2:00 PM–6:00 PM
Guided tour of the National Archives' historical library
Based in the Hôtel de Breteuil, the National Archives library houses a rich collection of 150,000 volumes and several hundred periodical titles. While its books are accessible to the public in the Caran reading room, the premises are opened to visits only sporadically. A stunning 18th-century salon, the work of Gilles Marie Oppenord, awaits discovery.
Participation terms: Duration: 1 hour. Groups of up to 15 people. Departures every hour. Last departure at 5:00 PM. Tickets for the tours distributed on the day of the visit, 30 minutes before departure. - Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 2:00 PM–5:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026, 2:00 PM–5:00 PM
Youth Workshop (Ages 5–16): Medieval Calligraphy
Channeling the medieval scribes, discover the art of writing on plant-based parchment with ink and a reed pen.

You can then have your vegetal parchment sealed with a wax seal, or framed.
Participation terms: Court of Honor - Free | No reservations required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Guided tour of the courtyards and gardens of the National Archives quadrilateral
An emblematic spot in the Marais, the historic heart of the National Archives stands as the heir to several aristocratic town houses from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as to their former private gardens, now a verdant treasure hidden in the heart of Paris. Shaped over the centuries by its successive occupants, these gardens bring together the French formal parterres of the Rohan-Soubise estate and the romantic gardens of the small hôtels acquired over time by the National Archives. Restyled in 2011 by landscape architect Louis Benech, who reconfigured the old parceling, this quiet oasis now boasts more than 300 plant species.
Participation rules : Duration: 1 hour. Groups of up to 25 people. Departures at 2:15 PM, 3:15 PM and 4:15 PM. On-site tour tickets distributed on the day, 30 minutes before departure. - Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:15 PM to 4:15 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:15 PM to 4:15 PM
Guided tour of the National Archives’ Grand Depositories in French Sign Language for Deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors
Renowned buildings housing medieval and Old Regime archives, the Louis-Philippe and Napoleon III depots are opened only on rare occasions. It’s a chance to glimpse the Iron Chest and a handful of founding documents: Merovingian charters, the standard meter, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
Participation requirements: Group of 15 people. Booking and information: +33 (0)1 40 27 60 71 - developpement-publics.an@culture.gouv.fr - Booking required | Free
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:30–11:30
Guided tour of the National Archives’ Grand Depositories for family audiences (children aged 7 to 15, accompanied by their parents)
Discover the prestigious galleries of the National Archives’ Grand Depositories, redesigned for younger visitors, accompanied by their parents.
Participation requirements: Duration: 45 minutes. Group of 25 people (children and adults). Departure: 11:00 AM. Tickets for the visits are distributed on the day in the courtyard of the Hôtel de Soubise, 30 minutes before departure. - Free
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 11:00 to 11:45
Youth workshop (ages 5-16): Gardens in the Light
To mark the reopening of the National Archives gardens, decorate your small glass vase with botanical motifs.
Participation conditions: Cour d'honneur — Free admission | No booking required
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM