Normally admission to the Hotel de Ville is by guided tour only. But, once a year, Paris’s mayor opens the doors to the public on Heritage Days. This year I was lucky enough to spend three hours at City Hall wandering the halls dazzled by the crystal chandeliers, stained glass, sculptures, paintings, elaborate ceilings framed in gold, adorned with pink cherubs, winged horses, historic insignias, French portraits.
The library and council room were open for inspection. Many works from the collections of the Municipal Contemporary Art Fund added a visual twist in many of the salons and governmental offices. In the back of my mind was the fact that the inside of the building was totally destroyed by fire during the 1871 revolution. It took 19 years to reconstruct and furnish this treasure. Make it to next year’s open house or schedule a guided tour.
The Protocol Department organizes free visits of the Hôtel de Ville‘s Reception Rooms, with commentary, from Monday to Friday.
For groups contact the department at 00 33 (1) 42 76 54 04. Book approximately two months in advance – but late-comers can also try their luck! Languages: French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian Duration: 1 hour
For individuals a weekly visit is available in French (two weekly in summer). Groups can accommodate 30 people max. The dates and times are fixed on the Thursday preceding the visit.
Register at the Hospitality Suite, 29 Rue de Rivoli (4th arr) from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm. or call 00 33 (1) 42 76 43 43 (Monday to Saturday 10am to 7pm).
Or call the Protocol Department: 00 33 (1) 42 76 50 49 or 00 33 (1) 42 76 54 04
Access for visits is at 5 Rue Lobau (4th), at the back of the building.
Metro: Hôtel de Ville.
