Each year, as the autumn season gets underway, a major event draws a huge crowd—across Paris, Île-de-France, throughout the country, and even across Europe. This September’s must-attend event is the Journées du Patrimoine, which offers the chance to discover places normally off-limits to visitors: seats of power, ministries, secret sites and other treasures that only open to the public during this exceptional weekend, scheduled for the 19th and 20th of September this year.
So, it’s the perfect opportunity to stock up on guided tours and other activities, with a program to rediscover local heritage right on your doorstep or, conversely, to traverse the region in search of new, exclusive tours.
In the department of the Essonne, the city of Palaiseau offers a wealth of visits for these Journées du Patrimoine 2026. Discover the charm of Old Palaiseau with its picturesque lanes and village vibe, before diving into the modern pulse of the campus de l'Université Paris-Saclay, a hub of research and scientific excellence. Don’t miss a stroll through the parc de l'Hôtel de Ville, with its green spaces and playgrounds, ideal for a relaxing outdoor break. But above all, enjoy the variety of guided tours and activities on offer for these Journées du Patrimoine 2026!
Heritage Days 2026: guided tours of École Polytechnique in Palaiseau (91)
L'École Polytechnique invites you to the 2026 Heritage Days, with guided tours available on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, 2026. Here’s what to expect from this special weekend in Essonne. [Read more]
Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies
Seminar "Combining Chemical Imaging Methods to Study Works of Art"
Combining Chemical Imaging Methods to Study Works of Art
Physico-chemical analyses of artworks reveal the intricate techniques artists have used throughout history. From the dawn of art, creators had to select and transform the materials at hand to shape their pieces as they imagined. If the chosen recipe wasn’t precise, the work could fade away. Today, chemistry offers a new lens on our cultural heritage. The development of analytical methods and the power of combining them to tackle complex questions will be illustrated through applications to Egyptian tombs and Italian Renaissance paintings.
Philippe Walter is a member of the French Academy of Sciences, a research director at the CNRS in the Laboratory of Molecular Archaeology and Structures at Sorbonne University, which he founded in 2012, and the vice-president of the Fondation de la Maison de la Chimie. He specializes in analytical chemistry, particularly non-invasive and mobile techniques. He has developed innovative approaches that employ X-rays, UV, visible light, and infrared radiation. He applies these methods to characterize cultural heritage materials, especially painting substrates, to better understand their composition, how they were made, and the changes they have undergone over time. His work helps trace the evolution of artistic techniques across centuries and illuminates the minds behind these creations.
Join the Zoom meeting:
https://universite-paris-saclay-fr.zoom.us/j/96360844937?pwd=5Zz7Zzuv3SCCV0yGbB626T1uBvNQ7K.1
Meeting ID: 963 6084 4937
Passcode: 453089
Participation requirements : 199 spots available - Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Friday, September 18, 2026 - 10:00 to 11:30
Saint-Martin Church
Guided tour of Saint-Martin Church
Discover this 12th‑century historic monument and the artworks it houses.
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:00 to 12:00 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 15:00 to 16:00, 16:00 to 17:00
Visit to the Saint-Martin Church in Palaiseau, a listed historic monument dating from the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries
Saint-Martin Church in Palaiseau, dating from the 11th, 12th and 15th centuries. Its crypt houses the tomb of the Arnauld de Port-Royal family for 300 years. The paintings include "The Sixteenth-Century Flemish Virgin" and "Hagar and the Angel." The Stations of the Cross have been restored.
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Timings: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:00 to 12:00 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 15:00 to 16:00, 16:00 to 17:00
Hurepoix Museum
Activities at the Hurepoix Museum
Guided tours (last departure 4:30 p.m.) and activities: chainmail making, grape pressing by the Brotherhood of the Côteaux de l’Yvette, and period-costume dances (Saturday only) by the Calèches et Crinolines association.
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Exploring Life Between 1850 and 1950
For an hour, volunteers will recount the history of Palaiseau and that of our region. 38 themed spaces across 600 square metres explore life and the trades of that era.
Participation rules: Group of eight people. - Free | No reservation needed
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Tour itineraries
Free guided walk through the old Lozère hamlet in Palaiseau
Free guided stroll through the streets of the former Lozère hamlet to explore the most notable elements of the built heritage, reflecting public and private architecture from the late 19th to early 20th century, as well as the shops that have animated the daily life of residents in this part of Palaiseau since that era.
Participation conditions: Free guided walk with prior registration due to a limit of 25 participants. About 1.5 hours of easy walking. Good walking shoes recommended, plus a hat, sunscreen or umbrella depending on the weather - Free | Reservation required - jacq.bizet@wanadoo.fr, 06 47 74 75 75
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Pointe Battery
Scavenger hunt
In 1947, a mysterious coded message is intercepted at the battery. It’s up to you to investigate and avert the worst!
Participation requirements: Ages 10 and up, registration required - Free | Reservations mandatory - http://www.ooxygene.fr/escape-game-palaiseau
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 9:30–11:30
Guided tour
Guided tours organized by the ADPP association, with a clearly marked route. Beekeeper Jean-Luc Cottignies on hand. Exhibition by Noëlle Patry-Gosse.
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 2:00–6:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026, 2:00–6:00 PM
Sketching Workshop
Crunch the Battery!
Participation conditions: Bring your sketching materials—free of charge | Reservation required — 01 60 14 29 32, echafaudeuses@mjcpalaiseau.com
Schedules: Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Camille Claudel Boiler House
Discovery of the Camille Claudel Boiler Room
Discover how the biomass boiler works and the city’s district heating network.
Conditions de participation : Free | No reservation required
Timings: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00–11:00, 11:15–12:15, 14:00–15:00
City Hall
Tour of Old Palaiseau
Visit to Old Palaiseau by the Palaiseau Historical Society.
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00–11:30, 15:00–16:30 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:00–11:30, 15:00–16:30
Guided tour of the City Hall
Discover the former Hôtel Tronchet (18th century), home to the town hall since 1950.
Participation terms: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00 to 11:00
Guided tour "Art Currents"
This guided tour invites you to discover the artworks installed in public spaces.
Participation conditions: Departure from the town hall - Free | Registration required - evenements@mairie-palaiseau.fr
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 – 11:00 ⤏ 12:30
The Cultural Factory
Factory Tours
Explore this venue devoted to the visual arts, along with its studios where artists are hosted in residence. After the tour, check out Frédéric Barrau's exhibition (2–7 PM) and the performance Les Typobaladeuses (3:30–6 PM).
Participation terms: Register on site - No reservations | Free
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 11:00 ⤏ 12:00, 14:30 ⤏ 15:30
Frédéric Barrau's Exhibition
Frédéric Barrau’s painting delves into matter and sparks the imagination. Opening on September 18 at 2:00 p.m.
After private studio studies and a stint at the Toulouse School of Fine Arts, Barrau’s work has shifted toward forging a raw material for the imagination. In pursuit of balance, it confronts the contingent, the accidental, and the fortuitous.
It invites the viewer to become its interpreter, much like a musician whose improvisation invites the gaze to wander.
Participation requirements: On-site registration - no advance booking | Free
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Performance "The Typobaladeuses"
As part of the PERFORMA biennial, let yourself be surprised by this Cie Alis performance: equipped with tablets, two artists interpret word choreographies and, with the audience, create “typotickets.”
Participation requirements: No reservation required | Free
Timings: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM
George Sand Media Library
Exhibition: "George Sand, 150 Years of Modernity"
In partnership with the George Sand Museum and the Vallée Noire. Through panels, objects and reproductions, explore who George Sand was, her causes, and her literary and political legacy.
Participation terms: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, 19 September 2026 — 10:00 to 17:00 | Sunday, 20 September 2026 — 10:00 to 17:30
Performance "The Typobaladeuses"
As part of the PERFORMA biennial, let yourself be surprised by this performance by the Alis Company: equipped with tablets, two artists interpret word choreographies and, with the audience, create 'typotickets'.
Participation requirements: No reservation required | Free
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 – 11:00 to 12:30
Musically accompanied reading
The Conservatory and the Media Library invite you to an evening of readings from the author's texts, interwoven with music composed by her contemporaries.
Participation conditions: Free | No reservation required
Timings: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Three Valleys Theatre
Stamp Exhibition
by the Villebon-sur-Yvette Philatelic Association
How to participate: Free | No reservation required
Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
A stroll along Palaiseau's trails
The Échafaudeuses invite you on a stroll to the Pointe Battery.
Departure from the MJC at 1:15 PM!
Participation terms: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Toussaint Louverture Square
Cedar Vocal Ensemble Concert
In tribute to the composer Pauline Viardot (1821-1910), a friend of George Sand, the Ensemble performs themes from her operetta Cendrillon.
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Meet at the RER B station
A Walk in the Footsteps of George Sand
From the train station to Place de la Victoire, discover the places and figures frequented by the author between 1864 and 1869.
By the cultural department.
Participation terms: Meet at Palaiseau RER B station – Free | No reservation required
Schedules: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Palaiseau Temple
The Audacious Sounds - Drinking & Dining in Renaissance Music
A Musical Banquet, taking us through the fashion of 16th‑century dishes
About a dozen singers gathered under the baton of Adrien Stadler-Galand invite you to a kind of musical banquet. You’ll hear vocal works that each evoke the era’s fashionable dishes, not to mention the drinks favored by musicians of the time. Courtly songs, rustic pieces, “fricassées” where popular tunes are deftly interwoven, as well as parody masses that converse with their original motifs, will delight your ears — and perhaps your palate as well!
Participation requirements: Free | No reservation
Schedule: Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Dates and Opening Time
From September 19, 2026 to September 20, 2026
Location
Palaiseau
Mairie
91120 Palaiseau
Route planner
Official website
www.ville-palaiseau.fr
