Musée des Égouts de Paris
Underground museum near the Pont de l’Alma explaining the history and workings of the Paris sewers, with a route of about 500 metres.
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About the museum
The Paris sewers have long attracted public interest: guided visits were already offered at the 1867 Exposition Universelle under the Second Empire, to showcase progress in the city’s sanitation. Eugène Belgrand, Haussmann’s deputy, then headed the water and sewer department and left a lasting mark on the network. Victor Hugo, also fascinated by this underground world, devoted a chapter to it in Les Misérables.
The museum proper dates from 1975, when boat tours were discontinued and the route moved into the former Alma pumping station beneath the Esplanade Habib-Bourguiba. It was redesigned in 1989 and closed in 2018 for a full renovation. It reopened on October 23, 2021, with a new permanent exhibition, new walkways and a new visitor centre with a ticket office.
The route of about 500 metres presents cleaning tools, sewer cars and cleaning balls, storm overflows, as well as siphons and the pumping station. The Adolphe Mille gallery covers flow regulation and water treatment. Today the Paris network comprises around 2,600 kilometres of tunnels and collectors. The museum may close when the Seine rises too high.
Highlights
- Underground route of about 500 metres
- Cleaning tools and cleaning balls
- Siphons and the Alma pumping station
- Adolphe Mille gallery on water regulation
- Free guided tours on site
- Founded
- 1975
- Operated by
- Ville de Paris
- Visitors per year
- approx. 80,000 (2017)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €9 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €7Large families and seniors |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for visitors under 18. |
| Seniors | €7 |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for visitors with disabilities and their companion. |
| Students & apprentices | –Free admission for visitors under 26 residing in the European Union. |
| Groups (7+ people) | –Guided group visits for 7 to 15 people: €120 per group; for 16 to 25 people: €200 per group. Booking by email is required. |
| Families | €7Reduced rate for large families. |
Free admission is also available for sanitation professionals, subject to verification.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
A lift provides access; accessible toilets are located in the basement. An accessible parking space is marked at 87 quai d’Orsay. An induction loop is available at the front desk. Visually impaired visitors must be accompanied; group tours of five people with a guide trained in sign language can be booked by phone or email. Clear signage supports visitors with cognitive or psychological disabilities.
Kids & families
Only partly suitable for kidsRecommended for ages 5+
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €7 · Reduced rate for large families. |
The visit is not recommended for children under 5, and children must be accompanied by an adult. Baby carriers with an unprotected metal frame are prohibited.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Alma-Marceau
Metro: Alma-Marceau (line 9) or Invalides (lines 8 and 13). RER C: Pont de l’Alma. Bus: lines 42, 63, 80 and 92 (Bosquet-Rapp stop).
By car
Parking available
Accessible parking at 87 quai d’Orsay.
- Accessible parking
The museum is located beneath the Esplanade Habib-Bourguiba near the Pont de l’Alma, at 93 quai d’Orsay. Several Vélib’ stations are nearby.
Get directionsAmenities & 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
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (FR, EN, ES) |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | An individual visit takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes. Free guided tours are offered on site, and group visits, self-guided or guided, can be booked by email (groups limited to 25 people, 30 for school groups). Private visits outside opening hours are possible. Audio guides, available in limited numbers, are picked up at the front desk. Please wear closed shoes and a warm layer; odours and humidity are possible and lighting is dim. Animals are not allowed, except guide dogs accompanying blind visitors. Bicycles, scooters and roller skates are not permitted. |
