Heritage Days 2026: Guided tours at Voltaire High School in Paris

Visiting a high school over the weekend? Your kids might drag their feet... before being won over by a place with a rich and fascinating history! For the 43rd edition of the Heritage Days, the Voltaire High School invites you to discover its history through guided tours, on Saturday, September 19, 2026.

Designed by architect Eugène Train, the school was inaugurated in 1890 by President Sadi Carnot during the Third Republic, and was for many years the only lycée in northeastern Paris. When it first opened, it was an all-boys school, before gradually becoming coeducational from 1973.

During your visit, you'll be able to admire a marble sculpture created in 1907 by Victor Segoffin on one side of the cour d'honneur. This monument was originally intended for the Pantheon, but was stored for six years in a storeroom before being installed in the Lycée Voltaire. Today, the school is home to over 900 high school students, 440 middle school students and 80 students in preparatory classes.

Here is the detailed schedule for the 2026 Heritage Days at Lycée Voltaire in Paris:

Visit and History of Voltaire High School in Paris’s 11th Arrondissement
From its founding to today, the story of Lycée Voltaire is told by former students, members of the Alumni Association of Lycée Voltaire in Paris (AALVP).

This guided stroll through this magnificent institution, opened in 1891, draws each year alumni, locals, curious visitors, and lovers of Paris's beautiful spaces.
Participation terms: Doors open at 9:45 a.m. One-hour tours from 10:00 to 11:00, then 11:10 to 12:10. A detailed two-hour tour from 10:00 to 12:00. Free | No reservations
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Heritage Days 2026: Paris and Île-de-France's marquee institutions to visit
On the occasion of the 2026 Heritage Days in Paris, the city’s major institutions are opening their doors to us, exceptionally, this weekend of September 19–20, 2026. From the Bank of France to the Cour des Comptes and the ministries, they’ll reveal everything to you. [Read more]

Heritage Days 2026 in Paris and Île-de-France: tours available by reservation
Heritage Days return for the weekend of September 19–20, 2026, in Paris and Île-de-France. For the occasion, some standout programs await you, sometimes requiring registration. We take a look at the visits that will need a reservation. Your move! [Read more]