The Tuileries Garden is the formal garden that stretches from the Louvre to the Place de la Concorde along the Right Bank of the Seine. It is the classic Paris garden: gravel paths, clipped trees, ponds where children sail toy boats, rows of statues and the famous green metal chairs. Entry is free, and because it sits between several major museums, it is one of the easiest places in the city to take a break.
Why visit the Tuileries Garden
The garden was first laid out in the 16th century for Catherine de' Medici's Tuileries Palace, and in the 1660s André Le Nôtre, the gardener later famous for Versailles, gave it the formal French layout it still largely follows. It opened to the public in the 17th century, making it one of the first royal gardens in Paris that ordinary people could walk in.
The palace itself burned during the Paris Commune of 1871 and was later demolished, but the garden survived. Today it forms part of the great historic axis that runs in a straight line from the Louvre through Concorde and up the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe.
The garden is also a lively part of daily life in Paris. Office workers eat lunch on the chairs around the ponds, runners use the long paths, and temporary art installations appear in some years. It is a good place to rest between museums.
Getting to the Tuileries Garden by metro
The nearest station is Tuileries on metro line 1, which opens onto Rue de Rivoli beside the middle of the garden. Line 1 runs east-west through central Paris, connecting the Bastille, the Marais, the Louvre and the Champs-Élysées.
Two other useful stations:
- Concorde, on lines 1, 8 and 12, at the western end by the Place de la Concorde and the Orangerie.
- Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre, on lines 1 and 7, at the eastern end by the Louvre and the Arc du Carrousel.
Opening hours and entry
The Tuileries Garden is free to enter. Like other public gardens in Paris, it has opening and closing times that change with the seasons, with later closing in summer. Check the official Louvre website, which manages the garden, for current hours.
The museums in and beside the garden charge separately. The Musée de l'Orangerie and the Jeu de Paume both have their own tickets and booking, and the Orangerie in particular can have queues, so book ahead online.
Best time to visit the Tuileries Garden
Spring and early summer are the prettiest seasons, with flower beds in bloom and fresh green trees. Summer evenings are lovely for a walk, and a funfair, the Fête des Tuileries, has been held along the Rue de Rivoli side in summer, with a Ferris wheel that gives views over the city. In autumn the chestnut trees turn gold.
Early mornings are quiet and good for photos. Allow at least an hour to walk end to end at a relaxed pace, and longer if you stop at a cafe or visit the Orangerie.
Highlights
The Grand Bassin Octogonal and Grand Bassin Rond
The two large ponds at either end of the main path, surrounded by the green chairs that Parisians drag into the sun. At the round pond near the Louvre end, children can rent small wooden sailboats in season.
The sculptures
Classical statues and modern works are spread through the garden, including a group of bronze figures by Aristide Maillol in the Carrousel Garden area near the Louvre.
The Musée de l'Orangerie
At the western end, overlooking the Seine, this museum is home to Monet's large Water Lilies panels in two oval rooms designed to show them.
The Arc du Carrousel
The smaller triumphal arch at the eastern end, built for Napoleon in the early 19th century, lines up with the obelisk at Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe in the distance.
Nearby on the same stop
- The Louvre: at the eastern end of the garden, through the Carrousel area.
- Place de la Concorde: the vast square with the Luxor Obelisk at the western end.
- Musée d'Orsay: across the Seine via the Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor footbridge.
- Rue de Rivoli: the arcaded street along the north side, home to Angelina, known for its hot chocolate.
For more around this station, open the Tuileries Garden on Around the Metro, or browse the full Paris metro map.