The 43rd European Heritage Days will take place on Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20, 2026. During this event, the museums of the City of Paris will open their doors free of charge to the public.
Two national themes will be highlighted: the Bicentenary of Photography and Heritage in Peril: Reviving, Resisting, Reimagining. For two days, visitors will be able to rediscover the collections and buildings of Parisian museums through specially designed formats.
Museums will highlight the professions of conservation, heritage-related skills, and new forms of mediation. Several establishments will offer appointments dedicated to the history and techniques of photography.
At the Musée de la Libération de Paris – Général Leclerc – Jean Moulin, an urban walk will allow visitors to follow the traces of Robert Capa and revisit the places associated with his famous photographs of the Liberation of Paris.
The second theme of this edition, dedicated to “heritage in peril,” will be addressed through experiences designed to renew the relationship between the public and the collections. The Musée Cernuschi will associate with the company Aika to present “Like a Wheel Within a Wheel,” an immersive experience in virtual reality.
This proposal aims to offer a contemporary reading of the works and heritage stories. A meeting with curator Martina Köppel-Yang and the Aika team will allow for discussion on the challenges of this approach.
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The European Heritage Days will also be an opportunity for families to discover the collections through practice. At the Musée Zadkine, workshops and interactive visits will allow visitors to explore certain emblematic works, such as L’Oiseau au plumage doré or La Tête aux yeux de plomb.
The Musée Bourdelle will offer activities around modeling, drawing, and material work. At the Musée de la Libération de Paris, children will be able to create their own diorama dedicated to the Liberation of Paris, accompanied by a lecturer.
Music, literature, and the performing arts will bring the collections into dialogue. At the Musée Bourdelle, the company Les Folies du temps will interpret Beethoven’s Sérénade opus 8, while musical visits will offer another reading of Antoine Bourdelle’s works.
Visitors will also be able to access proposals dedicated to the architecture of the museums, their collections, and the professions that contribute to their preservation. The entire program of the European Heritage Days in the museums of the City of Paris will be accessible free of charge on September 19 and 20, 2026, subject to the specific conditions of each establishment.
Practical information and schedules are available on Paris Musées and on the websites of the different museums.