Palais-Royal Paris: free garden, opening hours, Buren columns and access
The Palais-Royal garden is free and open every day from 8am to 8:30pm (10:30pm from April to September); the nearest metro station is Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre. A stone's throw from the Louvre, the Palais-Royal now houses the Conseil d'État and can't be visited inside, but its garden, courtyard of honor, and arcaded galleries are open to everyone, free of charge. It's one of the most peaceful spots in central Paris, despite sitting right in the middle of the tourist trail. The classical 17th-century garden is lined with symmetrical galleries where old shops still survive, antique dealers, perfumers, and jewelers established there for generations.
Highlights
The Buren Columns
This installation by Daniel Buren, unveiled in 1986 in the courtyard of honor, lines up 260 truncated black-and-white striped columns of varying heights. It has become one of the most photographed backdrops in the capital.
The garden
This formal French garden, framed by lime tree avenues and symmetrical galleries, offers a peaceful break just steps from the Louvre and its crowds.
The arcades
Under the covered stone galleries ringing the garden, historic shops line up one after another, some of them barely changed since the 18th or 19th century.
Practical info
Tips
- Admission is completely free. The low columns of Buren's installation double as impromptu seating for Parisians, feel free to sit on them. To continue your walk, the Tuileries Garden and the Louvre Museum are a few minutes away on foot.
How to get there
The site sits right above the "Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre" metro station (lines 1, 7, 14). Buses 21, 27, 39, 48, 69, 72, 81, and 95 also stop nearby.
Opening hours
Our guides that feature it
Nearby
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