Crypte archéologique de l'île de la Cité

About the museum

Between 1965 and 1972, excavations carried out during the construction of a car park beneath the forecourt of Notre-Dame uncovered remains from the Île de la Cité spanning almost twenty centuries. The remains were preserved in place; the crypt was fitted out in the 1970s and opened to the public in 1980.

The route shows how the city evolved from antiquity onward. Visitors see a quay of the Gallo-Roman port of Lutèce, baths with underfloor heating, and a late-antique city wall built at the beginning of the 4th century using blocks salvaged from older monuments. Cellars of medieval houses and traces of the rue Neuve-Notre-Dame, which followed the axis of the cathedral, recall the period when Notre-Dame was built, begun in 1163.

More recent periods are represented by the foundations of the Enfants-Trouvés hospice, built in 1750, and by sewers from the Haussmann era. The crypt is one of the City of Paris museums.

Highlights

• Quay of the Gallo-Roman port of Lutèce
• Gallo-Roman baths with underfloor heating
• City wall from the early 4th century
• Medieval cellars and the line of the rue Neuve-Notre-Dame
• Foundations of the Enfants-Trouvés hospice and Haussmann-era sewers

Permanent exhibition

• Vestiges archéologiques de l'île de la Cité – Route through the remains of the Gallo-Roman port and baths, the ancient city wall, the medieval cellars and the 18th-century hospice.

Founded

1980

Operated by

Ville de Paris (Paris Musées)

Visitors per year

approx. 25,417

Admission & discounts

Free admission is also available, with proof, for job seekers, journalists and City of Paris staff. Proof must be shown at the entrance.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

For groups, activities are offered from ages 6 or 7, such as “Mission archéo” and “La vie à Lutèce”, along with a writing workshop from age 6; each lasts 1 h 30 min.

Getting there & parking

Vélib’ bike stations: 10 rue d’Arcole, Place Louis-Lépine and 1 quai aux Fleurs.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit