The City of Paris Museums will participate in the 43rd European Heritage Days, on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, 2026.
On this occasion, the institutions will offer the public a program that is free of charge, structured around the two national themes: the Bicentennial of Photography and Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine.
Over two days, visitors will rediscover the collections and the buildings of Parisian museums through formats specifically designed for the event.
The program also aims to highlight conservation professions, the know-how related to heritage, and new forms of mediation.
On this occasion, the institutions will offer the public a program that is free of charge, structured around the two national themes: the Bicentennial of Photography and Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine.
Over two days, visitors will rediscover the collections and the buildings of Parisian museums through formats specifically designed for the event.
The program also aims to highlight conservation professions, the know-how related to heritage, and new forms of mediation.
La photographie à l’honneur
In the framework of the bicentennial of photography, several institutions will offer sessions devoted to the history and techniques of photography.
At the Museum of the Liberation of Paris – General Leclerc – Jean Moulin, an urban trail will allow visitors to follow in the steps of Robert Capa and revisit sites associated with his famous photographs of the Liberation of Paris.
A meeting with Thomas Consani, an artist-printer at Picto, a historic laboratory of Robert Capa, will also allow discovery of the techniques and know-how linked to analog photography.
At the Zadkine Museum, visitors will be able to experiment with the cyanotype, an ancient photographic process, notably by creating a cyan herbarium or by printing a sculpture preserved in the collections.
At the Museum of the Liberation of Paris – General Leclerc – Jean Moulin, an urban trail will allow visitors to follow in the steps of Robert Capa and revisit sites associated with his famous photographs of the Liberation of Paris.
A meeting with Thomas Consani, an artist-printer at Picto, a historic laboratory of Robert Capa, will also allow discovery of the techniques and know-how linked to analog photography.
At the Zadkine Museum, visitors will be able to experiment with the cyanotype, an ancient photographic process, notably by creating a cyan herbarium or by printing a sculpture preserved in the collections.
Le patrimoine face aux nouveaux usages
The second theme of this edition, dedicated to heritage at risk, will be addressed notably through experiences aimed at renewing the relationship between the public and the collections.
The Cernuschi Museum will partner with the company Aika to present “Like a Wheel Within a Wheel“, an immersive virtual reality experience. This proposal intends to offer a contemporary reading of the works and heritage narratives. A meeting with curator Martina Köppel-Yang and the Aika team will allow dialogue on the issues of this approach.
At the Petit Palais, a giant scavenger hunt will invite participants to solve puzzles related to threats facing the museum and its works. An opportunity to discover, in a playful way, the behind-the-scenes of conservation and the various professions that contribute to preserving the collections.
The European Heritage Days will also be an occasion for families to discover the collections through hands-on engagement.
At the Zadkine Museum, workshops and interactive tours will notably allow exploring some emblematic works, such as The Bird with the Golden Plumage or The Head with Lead Eyes. The Bourdelle Museum will, in turn, offer activities around modeling, drawing, and working with materials.
At the Museum of the Liberation of Paris, children will be able to make their own diorama dedicated to the Liberation of Paris, guided by a lecturer. Family-friendly guided tours will also enable a playful revisit of the Liberation events and the Rol-Tanguy mission.
The Cernuschi Museum will partner with the company Aika to present “Like a Wheel Within a Wheel“, an immersive virtual reality experience. This proposal intends to offer a contemporary reading of the works and heritage narratives. A meeting with curator Martina Köppel-Yang and the Aika team will allow dialogue on the issues of this approach.
At the Petit Palais, a giant scavenger hunt will invite participants to solve puzzles related to threats facing the museum and its works. An opportunity to discover, in a playful way, the behind-the-scenes of conservation and the various professions that contribute to preserving the collections.
The European Heritage Days will also be an occasion for families to discover the collections through hands-on engagement.
At the Zadkine Museum, workshops and interactive tours will notably allow exploring some emblematic works, such as The Bird with the Golden Plumage or The Head with Lead Eyes. The Bourdelle Museum will, in turn, offer activities around modeling, drawing, and working with materials.
At the Museum of the Liberation of Paris, children will be able to make their own diorama dedicated to the Liberation of Paris, guided by a lecturer. Family-friendly guided tours will also enable a playful revisit of the Liberation events and the Rol-Tanguy mission.
Musique, littérature et arts vivants au musée
The program will also bring the collections into dialogue with music, literature, and live performing arts.
At the Bourdelle Museum, the company Les Folies du temps will perform Beethoven’s Serenade Op. 8, while musical tours will offer another reading of Antoine Bourdelle’s works. At the Cognacq-Jay Museum, cellist Zoé Saubat will bring to life pieces by Bach and Marin Marais in the museum’s courtyard.
The Maison de Balzac will host several meetings around La Comédie humaine. Historian Judith Lyon-Caen will address the political dimension of Balzac’s work, while historian Jean-Claude Caron will explore the role of smells and perfumes in the writer’s universe.
At the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, artist Pascal Beugré Tellier will present Parlons masculin, a performance in dialogue with Kerry James Marshall’s work.
The Musée de la Vie romantique will host, for its part, students from the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Paris – Ida Rubinstein for a program devoted to Chopin, Brahms, Wagner, and Liszt, as well as a performance by the company Les Dramaticules around European and world heritage tales.
At the Bourdelle Museum, the company Les Folies du temps will perform Beethoven’s Serenade Op. 8, while musical tours will offer another reading of Antoine Bourdelle’s works. At the Cognacq-Jay Museum, cellist Zoé Saubat will bring to life pieces by Bach and Marin Marais in the museum’s courtyard.
The Maison de Balzac will host several meetings around La Comédie humaine. Historian Judith Lyon-Caen will address the political dimension of Balzac’s work, while historian Jean-Claude Caron will explore the role of smells and perfumes in the writer’s universe.
At the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, artist Pascal Beugré Tellier will present Parlons masculin, a performance in dialogue with Kerry James Marshall’s work.
The Musée de la Vie romantique will host, for its part, students from the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Paris – Ida Rubinstein for a program devoted to Chopin, Brahms, Wagner, and Liszt, as well as a performance by the company Les Dramaticules around European and world heritage tales.
Architecture, conservation et savoir-faire
Visitors will also have access to proposals focused on the architecture of museums, their collections, and the crafts that contribute to their preservation.
All of the European Heritage Days programming in the City of Paris museums will be freely accessible on 19 and 20 September 2026, subject to the rules of each establishment.
Practical information and schedules are available on Paris Musées and on the sites of the various museums.
All of the European Heritage Days programming in the City of Paris museums will be freely accessible on 19 and 20 September 2026, subject to the rules of each establishment.
Practical information and schedules are available on Paris Musées and on the sites of the various museums.
