The Panthéon rises on top of the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève in the Latin Quarter, its great dome visible from across Paris. It was built as a church but became a national mausoleum during the French Revolution, and today the crypt beneath the Panthéon holds the remains of writers, scientists and public figures that France has chosen to honour. With its soaring interior, its famous pendulum and its seasonal views from the colonnade, it is one of the most rewarding monuments on the Left Bank.
Why visit the Panthéon
King Louis XV ordered a new church dedicated to Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, and the architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot designed it in a neoclassical style inspired by ancient Rome. It was finished around the time of the Revolution, when it was turned into a resting place for great men, a role it has kept, with some changes, ever since. Today it honours women as well as men.
Entry into the Panthéon is a national decision, usually announced by the President of the Republic, and new transfers are rare events that draw large crowds and ceremonies. That makes the crypt a kind of running record of how France has chosen to tell its own story over more than two centuries.
The visit has two sides: the bright, vast nave with its painted murals of French history, and the crypt below, where long vaulted corridors lead from tomb to tomb. The contrast is striking.
Getting to the Panthéon by metro and RER
The nearest metro station is Cardinal Lemoine on line 10, a walk of about five to ten minutes uphill. Luxembourg on RER line B is a similar distance to the west, and it also puts you right by the Jardin du Luxembourg. Maubert-Mutualité, also on line 10, is another option slightly further downhill. Whichever you choose, expect a short climb: the Panthéon sits on one of the highest points of the Left Bank.
Panthéon tickets and opening hours
Entry to the nave and crypt is paid. The monument is managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux, and visitors under 18 and EU residents under 26 generally get in free; check the conditions. Access to the colonnade around the dome is seasonal, usually in the warmer months, and is offered as a guided climb in small groups with an extra charge. Places are limited, so book ahead if the view matters to you.
Opening hours differ between the seasons. For current prices, hours and colonnade availability, check the official website, paris-pantheon.fr.
Best time to visit and how long to stay
Morning is usually calmest. The Panthéon is rarely as crowded as the biggest Paris sights, but school groups do visit, especially on weekdays during term. Allow about an hour for the nave and crypt, and an extra 45 minutes or so if you are doing the colonnade climb. Clear days are best for the view, which takes in the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur and the rooftops of the Latin Quarter.
The Panthéon also works well as part of a Latin Quarter walk: start at the Jardin du Luxembourg, climb Rue Soufflot to the monument, then wander down to Rue Mouffetard for lunch.
Highlights inside the Panthéon
Foucault's pendulum
In 1851 the physicist Léon Foucault used a pendulum hung from the dome to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. A pendulum swings here again today, slowly changing direction through the day.
The crypt
Among those buried here are Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Alexandre Dumas, Marie Curie, Simone Veil and Josephine Baker, who has a memorial here. Each section has panels explaining who they were.
The murals
The walls of the nave are lined with large paintings, many showing the life of Saint Genevieve and scenes from early French history.
The colonnade
When open, the walk around the outside of the dome gives one of the best panoramas in central Paris.
Nearby on the same stop
- Saint-Étienne-du-Mont: the church next door, with a rare carved stone rood screen.
- Rue Mouffetard: a lively market street a few minutes south, good for lunch.
- Jardin du Luxembourg: the garden is down the hill to the west along Rue Soufflot.
- The Sorbonne: the historic university buildings just to the north-west.
To see more around the station, open the Panthéon on Around the Metro, or explore other stops on the Paris metro map.