Every year, the Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days ) delight the curious and lovers of art and history with a weekend of fascinating, lively and often free visits to some of our finest treasures. Whether public or private, this event is a great opportunity to take advantage of exceptional and even unprecedented bargains. Don't miss the next event on the weekend of September 20 and 21, 2025.
For this year's Journées du Patrimoine, the Archives de Paris, located in the 19th arrondissement, are opening their doors to let you discover the city's history from a new angle, through the archives and other documents produced by the city's departments.
For over 200 years, the Archives de Paris have had one vocation: to collect all the documents issued by the city of Paris, but also"by the various government departments located in the Seine, then Paris". How do these documents become archives? What happens from the moment they are collected to the moment they reach the reading room? What is preserved, how and why? What secrets are hidden behind the scenes at the Archives de Paris? These are just some of the questions you'll be able to answer at the 41st Journées du Patrimoine.
Victor Baltard, city architect
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### Exhibition
To mark the 220th anniversary of his birth, this year the City of Paris honors the architect Victor Balard and his works in Paris, between the visible and the invisible.
The Archives de Paris invite you to follow in Victor Baltard's footsteps, with this exhibition combining original archival documents (letters, memos, specifications, by-laws, attachments, etc.) and figurative documents (plans, photographs, engravings), and finally placing Baltard at the heart of 19th-century Parisian transformations.
The Archives de Paris invite children to discover the history of the capital in a fun way, through a series of games led by an archivist. Following the example of the Time Line game, young and old alike can use illustrated cards to place key events in Parisian history in chronological order. A seven-family game and two memory games, including one devoted to women, also help visitors discover the variety of documents held by the Archives de Paris. Finally, coloring pages are available for younger visitors.
Archivists will take you on a tour of a document's journey, from its collection to its communication to the reader. The visit is also an opportunity to discover the building designed by architect Henri Gaudin.
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For over 200 years, the Archives de Paris have been collecting documents produced by the City of Paris, as well as by the various government departments located in the Seine, and later in Paris. How do these documents become archives? What happens from the moment they are collected to the moment they reach the reading room? What is preserved, how and why? What secrets are hidden behind the scenes at the Archives de Paris?
All weekend long, archivists will be answering these questions during exceptional guided tours of areas usually closed to the public.
Dates and Opening Time
From September 20, 2025 to September 21, 2025
Location
Paris Archives
18 Boulevard Sérurier
75019 Paris 19
Prices
Free
Official website
archives.paris.fr
