The Journées du Patrimoine, an emblematic annual event created in 1984 by the French Ministry of Culture, offers everyone the chance to discover historical and cultural treasures often inaccessible to the general public. Every third weekend in September, Paris and the rest of France open their doors to celebrate a rich and varied heritage, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in history through guided tours, workshops and exhibitions. In Paris, the event is a veritable feast, attracting thousands of curious visitors to museums, historic monuments, gardens and even sites usually closed to the public.
For this 2025 edition, the program of the Journées du Patrimoine in Paris and the Île-de-France region promises once again to be exceptional. Highlights include the Palais Garnier, the Pantheon and the Sainte-Chapelle. Also not to be missed are the many themed tours on offer, highlighting the region's industrial history and railway heritage. Lovers of history and culture will enjoy a complete immersion in the architectural and artistic heritage of the capital and its region.
At the heart of this exceptional program, the Chemin de fer du parc des Chanteraines in Gennevilliers is a veritable nugget for railway heritage enthusiasts. This little tourist train, which runs on a 5-kilometre track in the heart of the park, transports you into the atmosphere of yesteryear aboard its historic carriages. During the Journées du Patrimoine, the site offers guided tours, exhibitions of railway equipment and steam train rides.
Unusual: board a vintage train on the Chanteraines park railroad (92)
Parc des Chanteraines, located in the towns of Villeneuve-la-Garenne and Gennevilliers, is one of the largest green spaces in the Hauts-de-Seine department. As an added bonus, the park also boasts a railroad, where you can board an old-fashioned train on certain days of the month. [Read more]
In the company of volunteers from the Association du Chemin de Fer des Chanteraines, you can discover the depot and the maintenance and railway construction workshop, as well as the collection of rolling stock in 60 gauge and scale models (5" and 7"1/4 gauge).
The Chemin de Fer des Chanteraines is a narrow-gauge (60cm gauge) "Decauville" network 5.5 km long. The railroad is managed by an association under the law of 1901, under the supervision of the Conseil Général.
All ticket prices are invested in the maintenance and restoration of our equipment, and are also used to run the trains.
In addition to operations, the association manages the maintenance and restoration of rolling stock in a four-track depot, one of which is pit-mounted, equipped with various machine tools and 5 and 2 ton gantry cranes. To date, the rolling stock fleet comprises 8 steam locomotives, three of which are listed in the Monuments Historiques supplementary inventory, 15 diesel locomotives, 13 passenger carriages, some 20 Péchot and Decauville wagons from 1914, as well as various service and freight wagons. Three steam locomotives are currently in service.
For the European Heritage Days, Chemin de fer des Chanteraines will be running several passenger and freight trains featuring historic equipment.
In addition to the reduced-rate online circulations, the Chemin des Chanteraines is offering free access to part of its route between La Ferme station and the depot. These exceptional runs will also enable you to visit the railway depot and take advantage of the guided tours organized for the occasion.
Last-minute details on the C.F.C. website.
Dates and Opening Time
From September 20, 2025 to September 21, 2025
Location
Chemin de fer des Chanteraines - little train
42 Avenue du 8 Mai 1945
92390 Villeneuve la Garenne
Unusual: board a vintage train on the Chanteraines park railroad (92)
