Under the streets
Walk the galleries beneath the Left Bank.
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Paris Sewer Museum (Musée des Égouts de Paris)
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One of 178 Things to Do in France
In short
Inside a working stretch of the Paris sewers near Pont de l'Alma, this museum shows how the city has dealt with its wastewater since the Middle Ages. Tickets are €9, €7 reduced, and free under 18 and for EU residents under 26. Hours are 10 AM to 5 PM from Tuesday to Sunday, last entry 4 PM. Forty-five minutes to an hour is enough.
The Paris Sewer Museum (Musée des Égouts de Paris) is a City of Paris museum inside a working part of the sewer network, entered from the Esplanade Habib-Bourguiba by the Pont de l'Alma on the left bank, in the 7th arrondissement. It suits visitors curious about how a big city handles its water, and families with older children. The Eiffel Tower is 900 m away.
From Hugues Aubriot to Eugène Belgrand
The story begins in the late fourteenth century, when Hugues Aubriot, provost of Paris, built the first vaulted sewer. The modern network took shape in the nineteenth century under the engineer Eugène Belgrand, who designed much of the system still in use; today it runs about 2,600 km under the city. Public tours began in 1889, at first twice a month, with visitors carried through the tunnels in boats and wagons.
The museum closed in 2018 for a full renovation and reopened in October 2021 with a new permanent exhibition, models, interactive displays and multimedia.
Walking the Avenue Bosquet collector
The route starts with the history from Aubriot to Belgrand, then moves into working galleries that explain the water cycle and the work of Paris sewer crews. You walk along the Avenue Bosquet collector, the elementary sewer under rue Cognacq-Jay, the stormwater overflow under Place de la Résistance and the start of the southern outfall, which carries wastewater towards the Achères treatment plant.
Exhibits include a bust of Belgrand, the Alma measuring station, spillway doors, an old lift pump and historic cleaning equipment: the wagon-vanne used in ordinary sewers, the bateau-vanne used in large collectors and the dredging bowls that push sediment along the channels.
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Key information
🕳️Type: Museum inside working Paris sewer galleries
📏Network: Paris sewers run about 2,600 km under the city
🔧Reopened: 2021 after renovation
🏛Managed by: City of Paris
💰Currency: Euro (€ EUR)
🕕Time Zone: Central European Time (UTC+1; UTC+2 in summer)
Explore the area
Pont de l'Alma 100 m
Eiffel Tower 900 m
Musée du quai Branly 600 m
Flame of Liberty 300 m
Pont de l'Alma RER C 200 m
✦
Plan your visit to Paris Sewer Museum (Musée des Égouts de Paris)
Dates, opening hours and how to get there are below. Booking ahead secures your preferred day.
Highlights Include:
Underground
- Walk along real sewer tunnels
- Giant cleaning balls and machinery
History
- Belgrand's 19th-century network
- Victor Hugo's Les Misérables connection
Today
- How Paris treats its water
What They Offer
Tickets
Online ticketing
Short visit
About 1 hour
Location
Next to Pont de l'Alma
Visit duration
45 minutes to an hour
Timed entry required No
Machinery
See the cleaning balls used to scour tunnels.
Eiffel Tower
Walk along the Seine to the tower afterwards.
Accessibility
Underground galleries; ask the museum about accessible routes. A lift gives access for people with reduced mobility.
Age limits
None.
What to pack
Online ticket
What to wear
Closed shoes; it can be damp and smelly; closed shoes and a light layer: walkways run above flowing water, the air is damp and there is a noticeable smell
Not allowed
Touching the works, food and drink in the galleries, flash photography, large bags, selfie sticks; animals
Amenities
Shop, restrooms; toilets and a shop; no baby-changing facilities
Tips for visiting Paris Sewer Museum
- Book tickets online through the official ticketing service, especially during school holidays.
- Wear closed shoes and bring a light jacket for the cool, damp tunnels.
- Remember the museum is closed on Mondays and for the first half of January.
- Combine the visit with the Eiffel Tower or a Seine cruise from the nearby quays.
- Arrive before 4 p.m., when last entry closes.
Driving
Limited parking; use public transport.
Public transportation
RER C Pont de l'Alma, 200 m away; metro Bosquet or Alma-Marceau (Line 9) across the river.
Address
The entrance is on Place Habib-Bourguiba by the Pont de l'Alma, 7th arrondissement. The Flame of Liberty is 300 m away and the Musée du quai Branly 600 m.
Opening Hours
- MondayClosed
- Tuesday10:00-17:00
- Wednesday10:00-17:00
- Thursday10:00-17:00
- Friday10:00-17:00
- Saturday10:00-17:00
- Sunday10:00-17:00
Last entry: 4:00 PM
Closed on Mondays, 1 May, 25 December and the first fifteen days of January.
Hours from the official site.
Special events
No regular events on record.
Best times to visit
Weekday mornings.
Best days to visit
Tuesday to Friday.
Best months to visit
Any time.
Admission tickets
Prices and how to get tickets.
Paris Sewer Museum: Entry
City of Paris ticket, sold online.
- Sewer galleries visit
Ticket prices
€9 full price, €7 reduced (seniors 65+, large families); free under 18 and for EU residents under 26 (2026)
Visitor policy
Cancellation and prepayment
Tickets are generally non-refundable; check the museum's booking terms.
Children and admission
Reduced or free rates for young visitors; check the official site.
Groups
Groups must book in advance with the museum.
Pets
Only assistance dogs are admitted.
Photography
Personal photography without flash is generally allowed in the permanent collection; some temporary exhibitions forbid it.
Bags
Large bags and suitcases must be left in the cloakroom or are refused; bags are checked at the entrance.
Smoking
Not permitted inside the museum.
Accepted payment
Online by card.
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Travelers are asking
These are working sewers, so expect some smell and damp.
On Mondays, 1 May, 25 December and the first half of January.
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Hôtel Fabric4-star hotel
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answers based on the museum's official information.
Timing & weather
Yes, Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. It closes on Mondays, 1 May, 25 December and the first fortnight of January. Arrive before 4pm to be let in.
45 minutes to an hour for the underground route and the displays.
About 2,600 km of sewers run under the city.
General
Yes, a little. It is inside a working part of the network, though most visitors find the smell milder than expected. The tunnels are cool and damp, so bring a light layer and closed shoes.
Hugues Aubriot built the first vaulted sewer in the late fourteenth century. The modern system was largely designed in the nineteenth century by Eugène Belgrand.
Yes. It closed in 2018 and reopened in October 2021 with a new permanent exhibition and route.
Historic cleaning machines such as the wagon-vanne and bateau-vanne, dredging bowls, spillway doors and an old lift pump.
Paris Sewer Museum (Musée des Égouts de Paris) is in France. The street address and directions are under How to get there on this page.
Explore the area on this page lists 5 places around Paris Sewer Museum (Musée des Égouts de Paris), among them Pont de l'Alma and Flame of Liberty.
bookingMentor lists 5 places to stay in France. Rooms start from $230.00 (USD) a night.
Getting there
The entrance is on the Esplanade Habib-Bourguiba by the Pont de l'Alma. Take RER C to Pont de l'Alma, or metro line 9 to Alma-Marceau and cross the bridge.
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) is the airport for Paris Sewer Museum (Musée des Égouts de Paris), about 24 km away in a straight line.
Prices & payment
€9 full price and €7 reduced in 2026. Under 18s and EU residents under 26 enter free.
Families & accessibility
Yes. A lift gives access for people with reduced mobility.
Yes for most children who do not mind a damp, slightly smelly tunnel. Under 18s enter free.