Heritage Days 2026 in Paris: Exclusive tour of the Senate — Luxembourg Palace

The Heritage Days are making a comeback in Paris and across France over the weekend of Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20, 2026. On this occasion, numerous cultural sites will open their doors to the public free of charge. For two days, the most curious heritage enthusiasts can explore unusual places and, in some cases, spaces usually off-limits.

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The Heritage Days 2026 in Paris also offer a chance to discover places that are usually off-limits to the public. Here’s our list of sites that will open their doors to you for a limited time this weekend of September 19–20, 2026. [Read more]

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And if there’s one seat of power to visit during the Heritage Days 2026, it’s the Senate. So step into the footsteps of the senators for this 43rd edition of the Heritage Days in Paris! On the 19th and 20th September, the Senate is opening its doors to all, and inviting you to tour freely its buildings, ideally located in the very heart of the Luxembourg Garden.

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During these new Heritage Days, you can discover the Palais du Luxembourg and the Petit Luxembourg, respectively the seat of the Senate and the Presidency of the Senate. In the former, you can enter the hemicycle, the Library painted by Delacroix in 1845 and its Annexe, as well as the Salle des Conférences, formerly the Galerie du Trône, the Great Staircase and the Queen's Chamber.

In the second, you can visit the Senate President's workplace , the 18th-century Boffrand salons, and the Queen's Chapel, built by Marie de Médicis in 1625!

And you'd be wrong to miss out, because the history of this great French institution is indeed surprising. The Palais du Luxembourg was built to the design of the Palazzo Pitti in Florence for Marie de Médicis, widow of Henri IV. She wanted to recreate the architecture of her childhood home. Since then, it has been a royal residence, a revolutionary prison, the seat of power after the Revolution, before becoming the meeting place of the French Senate in 1879.

Finally, during the Journées du Patrimoine, the public can also admire the greenhouses of the Jardin du Luxembourg, with workshops presenting the site's fruit and orchid collections. These greenhouses, administered and managed by the Senate since 1879, are an incredible showcase for plant heritage dating back to the mid-19th century.

The 2026 Heritage Days program at the Senate — Luxembourg Palace, Paris:

• Visit "Heritage to Preserve"

  At the Luxembourg Palace, the Senate’s seat, the visit will route guests through the hemicycle—the heart of France’s parliamentary body—the library with ceilings painted by Eugène Delacroix, and the Conference Hall, once the throne gallery.

  At Petit Luxembourg, home to the Senate Presidency, visitors will get a close-up look at the President of the Senate’s office, and will also be invited to explore the “Queen’s Chapel” and the grand Boffrand salons, where ceremonial gifts will be displayed alongside a photographic exhibition titled “A Heritage to Preserve.”

  A playful visit for young and old alike. Several features are planned to enrich the experience. For instance, a “sound walk” will immerse visitors in a series of podcasts that recount the pivotal moments in the palace’s dramatic history—from princely residence to a modern seat of parliamentary democracy.

  Uniquely, the greenhouses in the heart of Paris (hours: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

  Standing in the middle of the Jardin du Luxembourg, the greenhouses are rarely opened to the public due to their technical setup. They house a rich collection of tropical plants, including a renowned orchid collection. An in vitro culture laboratory completes the setup, enabling plant propagation.

  For European Heritage Days, these greenhouses will open to the public as a rare exception, showcasing part of their botanical wealth. Workshops will accompany the stroll, offering insights into topics such as biological control, fern propagation, and orchid repotting. A stand will also highlight the Jardin’s fruit collection and the free courses offered by the Gardens Conservation on fruit arboriculture and ornamental gardening.

  Inside the Luxembourg Garden greenhouses, a photographic exhibition titled “A Heritage to Preserve” will be displayed.

  Participation requirements: Free | No reservation required

  Hours: Saturday, September 19, 2026 — 9:00 AM to 7:30 PM | Sunday, September 20, 2026 — 9:00 AM to 7:30 PM

Heads up: every year, more than 25,000 visitors come to discover the role and workings of the Sénat! So you’ll need to arrive early and steel yourself for the wait to enter this cornerstone of French political life and to enjoy these free, self-guided tours, open to the public.