On  European Heritage Days the very beautiful museum of Paris National Archives welcomes you in the heart of the Marais. Meet on Saturday September 19 and Sunday 20, 2020 in Paris 4th arrondissement from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. to enjoy both exhibitions particularly rich, playful and historic. This is free of charge and for the entire family from 6-7 years old.

Created during the French Revolution, the National Archives collect, protect and highlight the State's central archives. About 300 linear kilometers of archives, from the 7th century to nowadays are saved here. Today, the archives are found in three sites: Fontainebleau, Paris, and Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, the latter being open to the public since January 2013. The Pierrefitte-sur-Seine facilities - designed by architect Massimiliano Fuksas - are devoted to archives after the French Revolution, and houses 180 linear kilometers of public and private archives accessible in a reading room.

For these European Heritage Days 2020, enjoy the opening of Paris site to discover two lovely exhibitions:

• La Police des Lumières
  This temporary exhibition (from September 18, 2020 to January 18, 2021) shows the emergence of the professional police in Paris and in cities expanding in the 18th century. It gathers around 200 original documents, mainly coming from the Fonds du Châtelet in Paris, as well as from the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal - Free admission, Open from 7 years old.
  
  
• "Les Lettres Ordinaires" exhibition by Adrianna Wallis
  Since 2017, following a residency at the mail sorting center in Libourne, where all letters that did not reach their recipients arrive as they lack address or sender properly labelled, these letters are sent to Adrianna Wallis's studio, escaping recycling and find attention and care. These thousands of letters are displayed and read or whispered by volunteers throughout the exhibition. For Adrianna Wallis, this is the "occasion to use both intimate and universal words collected and invite viewers to make them find an echo in their own interiority" - Free admission, Open from 6 years old

European Heritage Days 2020 Program in Paris and the Ile-de-France Region:

• European Heritage Days 2020 in Paris (75)
• European Heritage Days 2020 in Seine-et-Marne (77)
• European Heritage Days 2020 in Yvelines (78)
• European Heritage Days 2020 in Essonne (91)
• European Heritage Days 2020 in Hauts-de-Seine (92)
• European Heritage Days 2020 in Seine-Saint-Denis (93)
• European Heritage Days 2020 in Val de Marne (94)
• European Heritage Days 2020 in Val d’Oise (95)

And to get your bearings more easily, we've made you some themed guides:

• European Heritage Days 2020 in Île de France castles
• European Heritage Days 2020, top 10 unique outings
• European Heritage Days 2020 along the water
• European Heritage Days 2020, secret places
• European Heritage Days 2020 in Paris, 10 tips
• European Heritage Days 2020 in Île de France with children
• European Heritage Days 2020 in Paris National Monuments
• European Heritage Days 2020 in Paris and Île de France museums