On Saturday, May 23, 2026, as part of the European Night of Museums, this discreet heritage site in the Latin Quarter joins a grand cultural evening designed to reveal museums, libraries, and collections in a new light. The idea? For one night, numerous cultural institutions open their doors to the public, often for free, with a program expressly crafted for the occasion.
The Jacques-Doucet Literary Library bears the name of its founder, Jacques Doucet, a renowned Parisian fashion designer born in 1853 and who died in 1929. Before becoming attached to the library, Doucet was one of the era’s foremost collectors. He set out to gather traces, bodies of work, and archives capable of telling the story of a period and its creators. The library he founded is devoted to French literature from the second half of the 19th century to the present, with Baudelaire and literary modernity as its starting point.
For the Night of Museums 2026, the Jacques-Doucet Literary Library invites visitors to push open the door to a place we may know by name, but rarely from the inside.
Visits to the Jacques-Doucet Literary Library
The Jacques-Doucet Literary Library is named after its founder and patron, Parisian couturier Jacques Doucet. It houses collections that illustrate the working world of writers of literary modernity since Baudelaire: manuscripts, archives, personal libraries, desks, familiar objects, and art collections.
On the occasion of Museum Night, join us for an advance look at the new art installation in the reading room at 8, Place du Panthéon. Free admission, no reservation required.
Guided tours of recreated writers’ offices are also offered at 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM (reservation: doucet@bljd.sorbonne.fr).
Participation conditions: Free | No reservation required
Timings: Saturday, May 23, 2026 — 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Tours of the Jacques-Doucet Literary Library
The Jacques Doucet Literary Library bears the name of its founder and patron: Parisian fashion designer Jacques Doucet. It houses collections that illuminate the working environments of writers of the literary modern era, from Baudelaire onward—manuscripts, archives, personal libraries, desks, familiar objects, and art holdings.
On the occasion of the Night of Museums, the Jacques Doucet Literary Library invites you to guided tours that recreate writers’ offices at 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM.
Participation requirements: Free of charge | Booking required - doucet@bljd.sorbonne.fr
Schedule: Saturday, May 23, 2026 — 7:00 PM–8:00 PM, 8:30 PM–9:30 PM
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Dates and Opening Time
On May 23, 2026
Location
Jacques-Doucet Literary Library
8 Place du Panthéon
75005 Paris 5
Route planner
Access
Metro Line 10 at Cardinal Lemoine
