As in every September that commands respect, the Journées du Patrimoine are held this year from September 19 to 20. Et, as always, it’s mainly an unmissable opportunity to discover places that open their doors but once a year, during these Heritage Days.
Ministries, churches, castles, museums, national monuments... The list is not exhaustive and is suited for all audiences, including families. While Paris remains THE French destination for these Heritage Days, the rest of Île-de-France also offers plenty of excellent visits, with a different yet equally rich patrimony that carries its own history.
In the Seine-Saint-Denis department, in Seine-Saint-Denis, in Pantin, just north of the 19th arrondissement, along the Canal de l’Ourcq, a host of guided tours awaits for these 43rd European Heritage Days. It’s worth noting that Pantin is renowned for its cultural spaces, including the Conversatoire Jacques Highelin, the Magasins Généraux, the National Conservatory of Dance... So, for these Heritage Days 2026, set out to discover the town of Pantin, whether you know it well or not, and learn everything about its history!
Heritage Days 2026: Explore the Magasins Généraux in Pantin
It's a must-visit spot in Pantin: come discover the Magasins Généraux and its history during Heritage Days 2026, on September 19. Here's the weekend's program. [Read more]
Former tobacco factory
Exploring Pantin's industrial women's heritage
What role did women carve out in industry?
While they still accounted for nearly a quarter of the workforce in 1950s France, their history remains largely unknown. Cigarette factory workers, laundresses, line assemblers—women who fought for their rights—discover the Pantin-led story of these women. A visit that will take you to former factories around the city, following the places and trades that helped spur their emancipation.
Led by Clémence Bell, tour guide.
An initiative of the Seine-Saint-Denis Department in partnership with Seine-Saint-Denis Tourism
Participation requirements: Ages 12 and up; registration opens on August 17 — Free | Reservation required — https://exploreparis.com/fr/9963-a-la-rencontre-du-matrimoine-industriel-pantinois.html
Schedule : Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Memory and Heritage Hub
The remnants of the industrial heritage that lines the Ourcq Canal
Once an industrial town, Pantin still bears the marks of its past. Companies cluster along the Ourcq Canal, using it as a transport artery to move their goods. We’ve mapped out a route that takes you to Pantin’s oldest industries and their contemporary revivals, such as BNP Paribas – formerly the Grands Moulins – or Grandes Serres – formerly Pouchard – as well as to those still in operation, like Elis laundry and the Eqiom cement plant.
A tour led by Patrick Bezzolato, licensed guide.
Meet-up point: in front of Saint-Germain-L’Auxerrois Church, Pantin. Metro Line 5, Pantin Church station.
Participation conditions: Limited capacity. Registration recommended at exploreparis.com - Free | Reservation required - https://exploreparis.com/fr/7920-parcours-pantin-industriel-les-vestiges-du-patrimoine-industriel-du-canal-de-lourcq.html#utm_source=tourisme93.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=json_feed&utm_content=5720
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Pantin in 1880: act before the rupture
The industrial revolution left a lasting mark on Pantin. The Ourcq Canal, the railway lines, and its close proximity to Paris created ideal conditions for factories to develop across the area. Metallurgy, soap-making, perfumery, and even distilling—former farmland was industrialized and urbanized to house the workforce that settled here. Between 1860 and 1886, Pantin’s population quadrupled, rising from 4,800 to 19,170 inhabitants.
The Quatre-Chemins district was particularly touched by this rapid transformation, hosting major enterprises such as the Cartier-Bresson spinning mill and the match factory.
Fueled by this new economic and demographic heft, the population, backed by the leading industrialists, tried to break away to become an independent municipality.
To counter this, the municipal authorities moved away from the historic center on the outskirts (around Saint-Germain-L’Auxerrois) to establish a new administrative hub, roughly halfway between all neighborhoods.
This itinerary will guide you around the town hall and the Quatre-Chemins to understand the choice of the new town hall location and the issues that came with it.
Parcours animé par Patrick Bezzolato, guide-conférencier
RDV: town hall, 45 Avenue du Général Leclerc, Pantin.
Participation conditions: Limited capacity - Free | Booking required - https://exploreparis.com/fr/324-parcours-pantin-en-1880-reagir-avant-la-rupture-journees-du-patrimoine.html#utm_source=tourisme93.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=json_feed&utm_content=5720
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Jacques Higelin Conservatory
All the tenderness of my heart
### All the tenderness of my heart
### Madame de Sévigné in music
Jeanne Jourquin and Ariane Issartel guide audiences on a sensitive journey through the letters of Mme de Sévigné. From their perspective as 21st‑century women, they converse with this 17th‑century figure and invite listeners to meet a remarkable, funny, and witty personality. Each in her own voice—the voice of the letters and the voice of the music—the two performers render a nuanced, chiaroscuro 17th century. The language is so powerful that the line between imitation and identification is not far away…
The concert will be preceded by a Baroque ball from 3:00 to 4:00 PM in the Conservatoire Jacques Higelin de Pantin’s Salon commun. No reservation required.
Cast:
* Ariane Issartel, actress
* Jeanne Jourquin, harpsichordist
Participation terms: Free | Booking required | Limited to 220 participants - Free | Booking required - https://bit.ly/4gGDlXn, https://passculture.app/offre/421908546
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Mehul Outdoor School
The Méhul outdoor school preserves its distinctive architecture
Originally aimed at young pre-tubercular children, outdoor schools began after World War I to help kids with physical or mental disabilities. Pedagogues, doctors, and architects joined forces to create a setting that combined teaching and care. The site had to be carefully chosen: reachable from the city center, away from factories, elevated, and well sunlit. The Pantin outdoor school was designed by architect Florent Nanquette and built in 1932-1933. The former Parc de la Seigneurie, perched on the Romainville plateau, was then deemed sufficiently well exposed to accommodate “pulmonary patients” and “infant care.” The establishment, replacing a provisional outdoor school that had occupied the site since 1923, could accommodate 320 pupils.
Today it is a kindergarten, and it was listed as a Historic Monument in 1997. It is one of only two surviving examples of these outdoor schools in Île-de-France, the other being in Suresnes. Come discover the architecture and pedagogy of outdoor schools during a guided visit.
Two-voice guided visit led by Marie-Sophie Amasse, head of tangible heritage, and Abdelillah Hallou, head of project management at the City of Pantin, to uncover the building’s heritage and technical value, as well as the behind-the-scenes story of an ambitious restoration project.
Participation conditions: Limited capacity - Free | Reservation required - https://exploreparis.com/fr/9164-lecole-de-plein-air-mehul-preserve-son-architecture-singuliere-un-patrimoine-xxe-transforme-et-restaure.html#utm_source=tourisme93.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=json_feed&utm_content=5720
Hours: Sunday, September 20, 2026 – 14:30–16:00, 16:30–18:00
ESMOD Pantin
ESMOD School: the former Bank of France reinvents itself
Founded in Paris in 1841, ESMOD is the world’s oldest fashion school and a recognized international reference in higher education dedicated to fashion, luxury, and the creative industries. Through a network of eighteen campuses across twelve countries, the group trains the designers, strategists, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers of tomorrow. From fashion design to fashion business, its Bachelor to Postgraduate programs combine mastery of craft, creative vision, and analytical thinking. Driven by the values of creativity, innovation, collaboration, integrity, and commitment, ESMOD is guiding a new generation of talents destined to shape the future of fashion and the creative industries.
The ESMOD Pantin campus, opened in 2018, arose from the makeover of a Neo-Louis XIII–style building erected in 1925 that once housed the Banque de France. Entirely redesigned by architect Michel Naeye, the school preserves its heritage character, notably with the prestigious vault, and stands as a showcase of adaptive reuse for a new purpose while preserving its original identity.
Participation conditions: Capacity limited to 25 people. - Free | Reservations required - https://exploreparis.com/fr/1946-visite-guidee-lancienne-banque-de-france-se-reinvente-et-devient-lecole-esmod-journees-du-patrimoine.html#utm_source=tourisme93.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=json_feed&utm_content=5720
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:00–12:30, 14:00–15:30, 15:30–17:00
City Hall
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Revel House
Unveiling of the Maison Revel
On the occasion of European Heritage Days, Maison Revel opens its doors for a day of discovery, encounters and creativity.
On the program: an exhibition celebrating the work of paper artisans, plus two free workshops — a tour of the silver‑gelatin darkroom with Maud Audouin and an introduction to straw marquetry with Lucie Richard.
Visitors will discover artisan crafts, chat with the makers, and experiment with photographic and artisanal techniques.
This day will also serve as a preview of the 2026-2027 cultural season and a chance to share the house’s history, its heritage, and the projects that animate it throughout the year.
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:30 AM to 7:00 PM
Exploring straw marquetry
Come discover straw marquetry, an ancient technique dating back to the 17th century. This craft involves splitting and crushing dyed rye straw fibers to create a naturally glossy vegetal ribbon. You will cut and adjust these strands, then glue them onto a wooden base to form the desired pattern. A bright, colorful finish that will surprise you! Achieving it requires a bit of meticulousness and precision.
Each participant will take home their own creation—a small straw marquetry panel (with a hanging hook) to give as a gift or keep for themselves.
Participation terms: Limited to 8 participants – Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Discovering the analog darkroom
Dive into the captivating world of analog photography and discover the magic of the darkroom!
In this introductory workshop, you’ll learn the fundamentals of black-and-white photographic printing from a negative, using classic techniques that have stood the test of time for more than a century.
Guided step by step, you’ll handle the enlarger, the sensitized paper, and the chemical baths (developer, stop bath, and fixer) until your image emerges under the red safelight.
A unique experience that reveals the hands-on craft, patience, and precision required to create an analogue print.
Participant numbers are deliberately kept to a maximum of 6 to ensure personalized guidance, meaningful exchanges, and sufficient practice time for everyone.
An invitation to slow down, to experiment, and to savor the joy of creating a photograph with your own hands!
This workshop is open to anyone aged 15 and up, with no prior experience required.
Participation terms: Limited to 6 people - Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, 19 September 2026, 2:00 PM–4:00 PM
Dates and Opening Time
From September 19, 2026 to September 20, 2026
Location
Pantin basin
bassin de pantin
93500 Pantin
Route planner
Accessibility info
Official website
www.pantin.fr
