Sewers Museum: Another Paris Underneath
With a network of 1,615 miles of sewers, as Victor Hugo said in his book Les Misérables : 'Paris has another Paris underneath'.
Nowadays sewers are taken for granted. To the point we don't really know how people did before or how the sewers work nowadays. What is the job of sewers workers ? How do they clean this underground web where electricity is banished? What are the issues of sewers today? This tour answers all these questions and even more. Don't miss the most insolite museum of Paris!
Standard duration: 1 hr to 1.5 hrs
Price: 250€ (up to 10 people) Quote on request for larger groups.
Flat price. Tickets not included. Please contact me for an estimate.
We will see together: the sewers workers' job, the 19th century cleaning machines, the history of water and all the practical sides of what is curiously an obviousness for us
Other tours in the same area: Modern Paris, Hector Guimard
© Caroline Weber
From what age is the tour recommended?
This tour can easily be adapted for children. They generally have a lot of questions. Nevertheless they absolutely need to respect the safety instructions inside, like to not touch the walls. I recommend this tour from 8 years old.
How long is the tour?
It is possible to see everything in one hour in this small museum. Though people always have a lot of questions in this unusual place, so better to plan 1.5 hours just in case.
Is there a day we cannot visit the museum?
The museum is generally closed for the 1st half of January and open the rest of the year, except on Mondays and for some public holidays (May 1st and December 25th). The museum is closed in case of important floods.
Is this museum crowded?
The sewers museum is one of this typical off the beaten track spot! It is generally calm.
Is this visit wheelchair accesible ?
The sewers museum is almost entirely wheelchair accessible since the recent works. A readaptation might be necessary in one or two parts.
Good to know
Between real walls and not much human warmth, the problem of the sewers museum is the cold! (13°C or 55°F)
It is fresh at any time of the year. So don't hesitate to bring a jacket in summer.
If you are claustrophobic, one or two passages of the museum may make you feel ill-at-ease, but it depends on your level of phobia. I am claustrophobic myself and never had problems in this museum!
Once inside, it is better to not touch the walls, for your own safety. The museum is adapted to welcome the public but it is also a real piece of sewers. And sewers workers always have real equipment for good reasons!
No high heels! There are grids for many passages.