The BnF in five lines
The Bibliothèque nationale de France descends from the library of Charles V, set up in the Louvre in 1368. The collection settled on rue de Richelieu in 1721, later joined by the Salle Labrouste (1868) and then the Salle Ovale (1936). In 1988, François Mitterrand announced a "very great library"; the Tolbiac site, designed by Dominique Perrault, opened in 1996. Richelieu, renovated from 2011 to 2022, has since housed a museum and a reading room open to all. The BnF holds more than 40 million documents across four Paris sites.
Richelieu: the Salle Ovale, free and open to all
The entrance is at 5 rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris. After a bag check, you reach the Salle Ovale, a 43 by 32 metre ellipse designed by Jean-Louis Pascal, topped by a glass roof and ringed by three levels of galleries. No card is required: you walk in, sit down and read. The open-access shelves hold more than 20,000 volumes, mostly art history and heritage, including 11,000 comics.
- Opening hours: Tuesday 10am–8pm, Wednesday–Sunday 10am–6pm, closed on Mondays and most public holidays.
- Crowds: capacity is around 160 people and the room fills up quickly at weekends. An online counter shows attendance in real time; come at opening time or on Tuesday evening.
- Rules: silence, no food, photos without flash. A cloakroom, wifi, a Rose Bakery café and a bookshop are on site.
Many Parisians work there for the day; our guide to coworking in Paris compares the BnF with other workspaces.
Richelieu: the BnF museum and the Galerie Mazarin
On the first floor, the museum displays nearly 900 pieces over 1,200 m², drawn from the collections of the kings and then of the nation. The route begins in the Salle des Colonnes (Greek and Roman antiquities), continues through the Cabinet précieux and its Berthouville treasure of Roman silverware, then the Salon Louis XV, an 18th-century interior preserved as it was. The highlight is the Galerie Mazarin: 45 metres long, with a ceiling painted by Romanelli in 1646-1647, and in its display cases the Grand Camée de France (around 23 AD, the largest known ancient cameo), the throne of Dagobert, the so-called chess set of Charlemagne and illuminated manuscripts, rotated every four months.
- Prices: €15, reduced €10, free for under-18s and BnF Pass holders. Combined ticket with an exhibition: €18 (reduced €13).
- Opening hours: the same as the Salle Ovale, with late opening on Tuesday until 8pm.
- Guided tour of the museum: €20 (reduced €15), booking required.
In the Salon d'honneur, the original plaster of Houdon's Seated Voltaire contains the philosopher's heart.
Temporary exhibitions and the Jardin Vivienne
The Galerie Mansart hosts two exhibitions a year, at €15 (€10 reduced); in autumn 2026, the drawings and prints of Louise Bourgeois (20 October 2026 – 21 February 2027). The Jardin Vivienne, 1,900 m² planted with species used to make paper, is free to enter. On your way out, the Galerie Vivienne is a few steps away (see our covered passages of Paris) and the Palais-Royal lies on the other side of rue de Richelieu.
François-Mitterrand: the towers, the esplanade and the forest
On quai François-Mauriac, 75013 Paris, four 79-metre towers shaped like open books are named the Tower of Time, of Laws, of Numbers and of Letters. They mark the corners of a 60,000 m² wooden esplanade, free to access, overlooking the Seine. In the centre, sunk below, the 10,600 m² forest garden was planted with 126 Scots pines brought from the Forêt de Bord in Normandy, later joined by oaks, hornbeams and birches. It is not open for walks, but the reading rooms line it and guided tours go down into it from June to September. You enter via the escalators on the esplanade; the hall, bookshop, exhibitions and cafés are accessible without a reader's ticket.
The Haut-de-jardin, open to everyone
The Haut-de-jardin is the library for the general public, open to teenagers and adults alike. You can visit it with a 1-day ticket at €5, or with the 5pm–8pm ticket, which is free and reusable. The annual Reading/Culture Pass (€24, €15 for under-26s) also gives free access to the museum and exhibitions. The themed rooms open onto the garden; at weekends, a children's room is free for accompanied under-16s. Opening hours: Tuesday–Saturday 10am–8pm, Sunday 1pm–7pm, closed on Mondays.
The Rez-de-jardin, reserved for researchers
The lower level, at the foot of the pines, is the research library. You must be over 18 and show a documentary need: direct registration from the third year of a bachelor's degree, and for academics and journalists; an accreditation interview for everyone else. The Research Pass costs €6 a day or €55 a year. An ordinary visitor cannot go in, but the guided tour of the site shows its architecture.
Exhibitions, food, tours
The site's temporary exhibitions cost €15 (€10 reduced) and are open Tuesday–Saturday 10am–7pm and Sunday 1pm–7pm. In autumn 2026: Japanese photographs from the collections (30 September 2026 – 31 January 2027) and Georges Perec (13 October 2026 – 14 February 2027). For food, the Café des Globes, in the west hall, serves Tuesday–Saturday 10am–6:30pm and Sunday 1pm–6:30pm; a picnic area is available in the foyer of the small auditorium. The guided tour of the site costs €13 (reduced €8).
The neighbourhood around François-Mitterrand
Avenue de France, behind the library, is lined with the MK2 Bibliothèque, a multiplex with bars and a bookshop, and the terraces of the Paris Rive Gauche district. The pedestrian Passerelle Simone-de-Beauvoir crosses the Seine from the esplanade to the Parc de Bercy and the former wine warehouses of Bercy Village. The barges moored along the quay serve as bars and concert venues.
Arsenal and Opéra: two little-known sites
The Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, 1 rue de Sully, 75004 Paris, occupies an 18th-century mansion whose salons can be seen on a guided tour at €13. The Bibliothèque-musée de l'Opéra, housed in the Palais Garnier, is included in the visit to the monument (Monday–Saturday 10am–5pm); see our walk around the Opéra Garnier.
Who it suits, and how long to allow
- Architecture lovers: Richelieu for Labrouste, Pascal and the Galerie Mazarin; François-Mitterrand for Perrault and his forest. Half a day per site.
- Students and remote workers: the Haut-de-jardin at €5 a day or free after 5pm, and the Salle Ovale with no formalities. More ticket-free places in our free museums in Paris.
- Rainy day: the Salle Ovale and the museum are under the same roof, with a café and bookshop; more ideas in Paris on a rainy day.
- Families: a free museum tour app for children; a weekend children's room at François-Mitterrand.
Practical summary
| Site | Access | Free or paid | Opening hours | Suggested time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richelieu, Salle Ovale | 5 rue Vivienne, 75002; métro Bourse (3), Pyramides (7, 14) | Free, no registration | Tue 10am–8pm, Wed–Sun 10am–6pm | 30 min to a full day |
| Richelieu, BnF museum | Same entrance, 1st floor | €15 / €10 | Tue 10am–8pm, Wed–Sun 10am–6pm | 1h30 |
| François-Mitterrand, esplanade and hall | Quai François-Mauriac, 75013; métro Bibliothèque (14), Quai de la Gare (6), RER C, T3a Avenue de France | Free | Tue–Sat 10am–8pm, Sun 1pm–7pm | 30 min |
| François-Mitterrand, Haut-de-jardin | Same | 1-day ticket €5, free 5pm–8pm | Tue–Sat 10am–8pm, Sun 1pm–7pm | 2 hours to a full day |
| François-Mitterrand, exhibitions | Same | €15 / €10 | Tue–Sat 10am–7pm, Sun 1pm–7pm | 1 hour |
Prices noted in September 2026. Both sites close on Mondays and for one week in early September. Between Richelieu and François-Mitterrand, allow 25 minutes on line 14 from Pyramides.
Going further
Richelieu pairs well with the passages of the 2nd, François-Mitterrand with Bercy. To continue towards the 9th, see our page on the Opéra Garnier, whose library-museum is run by the BnF.
