Every year, the Journées du Patrimoine attract art and history enthusiasts as well as curious visitors eager for unique experiences. At this essential cultural rendezvous, numerous monuments, castles, museums, churches, institutions and other treasures of our heritage, are eager to showcase an incredible lineup!
The chance for everyone to enjoy often-free visits and original activities crafted for all audiences, including the youngest. Don’t miss the next edition scheduled for the weekend of 19 and 20 September 2026.
While Paris unveils a wealth of events for Heritage Days, the surrounding Île-de-France region is poised to share its own treasures as well. Still too often overlooked, these gems deserve a detour. If you’re ready to explore the Francilian heritage, here’s a Navigo-friendly escape that promises rewarding discoveries.
Headed to the Hauts-de-Seine, in Meudon, where a rich programme of fascinating tours awaits. Plenty to keep you busy during this weekend of September 19–20, 2026! So, what does the city of Meudon have in store for the 43rd edition of Heritage Days? Here is the detailed programme:
Heritage Days 2026 at the Potager du Dauphin in Meudon: an eclectic weekend
At the start of the new season, History is lived on a grand scale! The European Heritage Days invite you, on 19 and 20 September 2026, to unprecedented access to iconic treasures as well as others that are sometimes less well known. Among them, the Potager du Dauphin in Meudon preserves its royal history and hosts art workshops of the highest calibre. [Read more]
A standout family program at the Rodin Museum in Meudon for Heritage Days 2026.
The Rodin Museum in Meudon invites the public, during Heritage Days, to discover its treasures and collections free of charge on September 19 and 20, 2026, with a family-friendly program. [Read more]
Setting course for the stars at the Meudon Observatory for Heritage Days 2026.
Usually closed to the public, the Paris Observatory’s Meudon site will open its doors for Heritage Days. On Saturday, September 19, 2026, several tours will give visitors the chance to explore this iconic site, available by reservation. [Read more]
Heritage Days 2026: the program at Hangar Y in Meudon (92)
Le Hangar Y welcomes visitors from the 92 and beyond, on September 19 and 20, 2026, for Heritage Days. A special program will bring the cultural venue to life for Saturday, September 19. [Read more]
Observatory Crossroads
Guided tour of the hydraulic network of the royal Meudon estate in the Meudon Forest
Tour of the hydraulic network at the royal estate of Meudon
Participation requirements: Free of charge
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Center for Art and Culture
One artist, one work
Preview ahead of the artists’ open studios on September 26 and 27
The Center for Art and Culture highlights local creativity. Each member of the association—painters, sculptors, ceramicists, engravers, and visual artists—will show a work. This circuit offers a window into their worlds and helps you identify the studios you’ll want to visit during the open days.
During your visit to the Center for Art, share your favorites! A public prize will be awarded at the end of the exhibition.
To complete the circuit, head to the Robert-Doisneau Cultural Space, where the association’s photographers are highlighted.
### Open studios weekend
On September 26 and 27, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Artistes à Meudon invites you into their studios. A weekend to stroll the streets and paths of Meudon, step inside creative spaces, and meet the artists.
Exhibition from September 5 to 27, 2026
Tuesday to Friday, 3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. | Saturday, 2:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Open Sunday, September 27, 2:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Free entry
Artistes à Meudon site: www.artistes-meudon.com
Instagram and Facebook: @Artistesameudon
Conditions de participation : Free admission - Free of charge | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Meudon National Estate
Laying Marble
### Commissariat Manuel Neves
In September 2026, the Orangerie in Meudon will host Extending the Marble, an unprecedented solo show by Franco-Brazilian artist Jaildo Marinho, bringing together a body of works specially conceived for this remarkable venue.
Jaildo Marinho has had his studio in Meudon for over 20 years and has shown his work internationally. Influenced by Brazilian neo-concretism and the Madí movement — two avant-garde currents where audience participation was essential — Marinho has spent decades developing a visual research in which geometric forms and classical materials serve as vehicles for narratives rooted in the culture of Brazil’s Northeast, the region of his childhood. In his new sculptures, the artist resonates with the world of laundry workers.
Extending the Marble: when stone becomes fabric
Created specifically for this exhibition, the marble works are traversed by monumental folds. At first glance, one might mistake them for suspended fabrics; in fact, they are marble, with the stone’s natural veins and Marinho’s refined carving responding to one another.
Through this unprecedented series, the artist continues his meditation on essential forms and on the material’s capacity to transcend its own nature.
Meudon, a memory of the laundry
The exhibition finds a particular resonance in Meudon. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the town was a major center of laundry activity in the Paris region. Generations of washerwomen washed, whitened and dried linens destined for the capital and its nearby suburbs.
Marinho’s sculpted folds evoke, in a poetic and contemporary voice, this local memory. Between the weight of marble and the lightness of stretched fabric, the show forges an unexpected dialogue between social history and artistic creation.
An exceptional heritage setting
Nestled in the heart of the Meudon National Domain, the Orangerie provides a striking frame for this presentation. Still active today, it houses in winter the orange trees from the Tuileries, Saint-Cloud and Meudon. In warm months, its brick architecture and its impressive volume offer an ideal setting for these monumental works.
The meeting of the place’s nobility with that of marble helps make Extending the Marble a singular experience, where space, light and matter engage in intense dialogue.
Exhibition from September 3 to 27, 2026
Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 2–7 pm
Orangerie of the Meudon National Domain
Free admission
Participation conditions: Free admission - No booking required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 – 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 – 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM
The Astonishing Saga of the Meudon Viaduct
### Commissariat Jean Ménard
Discover the astonishing story of the Meudon Viaduct!
For nearly two centuries, the Meudon Viaduct, also known as the Hélène Bridge, has spanned the Arthelon Valley. A keystone of the city’s heritage, it has left a lasting mark on landscapes and imaginations alike.
The first part of this exhibition traces the viaduct’s construction from 1837 to 1840 by engineers Payen and Perdonnet. A feat of technical prowess and human endeavour, the structure came to life in the era of the first railways.
Built on unstable ground, the viaduct demanded the full ingenuity of its designers and the labor of a multitude of workers. Open to traffic in September 1840, it underwent modernization in the 1930s under Raoul Dautry, including doubling the tracks and electrification. Architect Urbain Cassan reinforced the structure while preserving its original appearance and elegance.
The second part of the exhibition offers another perspective: that of artists. Between 1850 and 1930, as Paris stood at the heart of the avant-garde, the Meudon Viaduct appeared in numerous works, sometimes as ornament, sometimes as a symbol of modernity and a dialogue between nature, city and industry. A few paintings from the Courtois Collection complete the monument’s portrait.
Exhibition from 9 to 27 September 2026
Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 2–6 pm
Bastion of the Orangery, National Domain of Meudon
Free admission
Participation conditions: Free admission – No booking required
Schedule : Saturday, September 19, 2026, 2:00 PM–6:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026, 2:00 PM–6:00 PM
A stroll through the National Domain of Meudon
A guided outdoor tour of the Meudon National Domain, including an interior look inside the Orangery and then the museum rooms dedicated to the history of the castles. Meet at Place Jules Janssen for a guided visit on the terraces and in the Orangery, with the circuit ending at the museum.
In partnership with the Committee for the Preservation of Meudon Sites.
Participation terms : Free with advance booking. Duration 1h30. Please wear walking shoes. - Free | Booking required - contact.musée@mairie-meudon.fr, 0146238713
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Church of the Holy Spirit
Meudon-la-Forêt Church
The tour invites you to discover an unconventional edifice, a living place of worship that also stands as a testament to how religious architecture evolved after Vatican II.
Historique
* Construction within the context of the 1960s-era housing estates
* Welcoming new populations (repatriates, urban working-class communities)
* Testament to the local social history
Architectural
Innovative square plan
Absence of pillars originally (exceptional span)
Spectacular inclined roof
Concrete aesthetics typical of modernism
Technique
* Structural innovation (glued-laminated timber roof)
* Problems followed by complete roof reconstruction
* A recent, exemplary construction site
Culturel et spirituel
* Application of post-Vatican II liturgical principles
Centrality of the assembly
Symbolism of the ascent toward the altar
Participation requirements: Free | No booking required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00–10:45, 11:00–11:45, 15:00–15:45, 16:00–16:45, 17:00–17:45 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 15:00–15:45, 16:00–16:45, 17:00–17:45
Robert Doisneau Cultural Space
Our photographers on display
Preview ahead of the artists' open studios weekend on September 26 and 27
In September, the Robert-Doisneau Cultural Space spotlights the photographers of the Artistes à Meudon association. In line with the exhibition _One Artist, One Work_ at the Centre d'art et de culture, this stroll offers a glimpse into their worlds and helps you map out which studios to visit during the open doors.
### Open studio weekend for artists
On September 26 and 27, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Artistes à Meudon invites you to step inside their studios. Fifty artists are taking part—painters, sculptors, ceramicists, engravers, photographers, and visual artists. A perfect weekend to wander the streets and pathways of Meudon, enter creative spaces, and meet the makers.
Exhibition dates: September 5–27, 2026
Hours: Tuesday–Friday 3–7 p.m. | Saturday 2:30–6:30 p.m.
Open Sunday, September 27, 2:30–6:30 p.m.
Free admission
Artistes à Meudon website: www.artistes-meudon.com
Instagram and Facebook: @Artistesameudon
Participation requirements: Free admission - No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 2:30 PM–6:30 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026, 2:30 PM–6:30 PM
Huvé's Folly
Self-guided tour of the Folie Huvé gardens
The "Folie Huvé", listed as a historic site in 1945, sits tucked away in a neighborhood undergoing rapid transformation. The architect behind the King's Buildings for Louis XVI, Jean-Jacques Huvé, had it built in 1785 for his own use and adorned it with a bas-relief frieze depicting the "Triomphe des Arts". Folie Huvé is designed around play of light and shadow, optical tricks, and a blend of geometries typical of Palladian style.
If weather permits, information panels about the site will be installed in the garden.
Participation terms: Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 – 10:00 AM–8:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 – 10:00 AM–8:00 PM
Art and History Museum
Fan painting workshop
Inspired by the impressionist touch, leave with a personalized fan. Duration: 1h30
Participation requirements: Free with reservation, for ages 5 and up – 1h30 – Free | Reservations required - contact.musée@mairie-meudon.fr, 0146238713
Timetable: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Flash tour of the exhibition "Albert Lebourg, a Forgotten Impressionist"
Guided tour of the temporary exhibition "Albert Lebourg, a forgotten impressionist." Duration: 30 minutes.
Participation terms: Free of charge, no reservation required. Duration: 30 minutes - Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 4:00 PM–4:30 PM, 5:00 PM–5:30 PM, 6:00 PM–6:30 PM, 8:00 PM–8:30 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 4:00 PM–4:30 PM, 5:00 PM–5:30 PM
Impressionist Evening: music, activities and a picnic
Spend an evening steeped in Impressionism, set to the music of the accordion. Put on your best boater hats and parasols (or borrow one at the welcome desk) for a picnic, guided tours, and hands-on workshops in the museum’s charming sculpture garden.
Participation conditions: Free admission, no reservation required, open access. Available continuously from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. - Free | No reservation
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Children's art workshop
Introducing young children to a variety of drawing and painting techniques.
Participation conditions: Free entry, no reservation required, for ages seven and up - Free | No reservation
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Live painting demonstration on location
The painter Vincent Bebert will produce an oil painting inspired by the museum’s garden and its architecture.
A demonstration in the sculpture garden.
Participation terms: Free of charge, no reservation required, open access. - Free | No reservation
Hours: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Bellevue Pavilion
CNRS and the Pavillon Bellevue, from yesterday to today
Come and discover the exhibition The CNRS and the Bellevue Pavilion, from yesterday to today. Through a wealth of photographs drawn from glass plates and film stock dating back to 1919, preserved and highlighted by CNRS Images, this exhibition traces the history of this Meudon heritage.
Today, the Bellevue Pavilion hosts one of CNRS’s delegations, but more than that, it has stood as the organization’s historic headquarters since its founding in 1939.
Before that, this Belle Époque building served a variety of roles: a luxury hotel in the 19th century, the dance school of the famed Isadora Duncan, and a military hospital during World War I. Its scientific journey truly began in 1919 when it housed the Office des inventions, which became the National Office for Scientific, Industrial and Inventions Research (ONRSII) in 1922, and finally the CNRS, from 1939 to the present.
Participation conditions: Free / Open-access exhibition within the site's capacity - Free | No reservations
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:00 to 17:00
Quintessence Residence
Two warm outdoor works by Guillaume Bottazzi
These works were created by the artist in 2023. Sunny, sensorial and poetic, they transport viewers into a sun-drenched, invigorating imaginative world.
They are located outside the entrance to a residence and each stands 1 meter 65 tall.
They are made of enamels laid over tempered and laminated glass.
The reflective nature of the material draws the viewer in. This on-site commission calls for a holistic approach that integrates place-specific parameters—while bringing cheer to a cluster of white, vegetated buildings.
On the occasion of the 43rd edition of European Heritage Days, painter-artist Guillaume Bottazzi, a pioneer of applied neuroaesthetics, invites us on a gargantuan artistic journey comprising more than 90 heritage artworks that do us good.
These works are to be discovered across France—from Hauts-de-France to Occitanie, including the capital, Greater Paris, and the regions Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
Guillaume Bottazzi has signed more than 180 heritage-oriented works aimed at valorizing heritage, across Europe, the United States, China and Japan, commissioned by cities, museums and architects. They fit into the architectural heritage of the places where they are located.
This initiative comes as the European Union and France have designated mental health as the “Great National Cause” for 2026. These site-specific works improve our quality of life. These poetic creations, grounded in insights from neurobiology, forge an ecosystem that helps people live more happily.
The public is invited to stroll while looking at these works to see whether they receive a dose of well-being.
Official site of Guillaume Bottazzi: https://guillaume.bottazzi.org
Conditions de participation : Open to the public from the outside — Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 - 9:00 AM ⤏ 6:00 PM
André Bloc Villa
Malaquais x Villa Bloc: Exhibition and Garden Tour
La Villa Bloc opens its garden and the pavilion that houses the students’ models from the Paris-Malaquais School of Architecture (ENSAPM-PSL), the fruit of their work with AI on André Bloc’s legacy for this year’s edition.
Participation requirements: 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
Dates and Opening Time
From September 19, 2026 to September 20, 2026
Places
CNRS Meudon-Bellevue
1 Place Aristide Briand
92190 Meudon
Route planner
Access
Transilien line N station "gare de Bellevue", from gare Montparnasse
Domaine National de Meudon
92190 Meudon
92190 Meudon
Route planner
Meudon Museum of Art and History
11 Rue des Pierres
92190 Meudon
Route planner
Accessibility info
Access
RER C: "Meudon Val Fleury" stop (20 min journey from Invalides station) then 5-10 min walk from the station to the museum, or bus 169, 289 "Église de Meudon" stop SNCF train: line N, "Meudon" station stop (10 min journey from Montparnasse station) then 15 min walk from the station to the museum, or "Bellevue" station then 169, "Église de Meudon" stop.
Official website
www.meudon.fr
