What is the Panthéon?
The Panthéon was built by Louis XV as a church to Sainte-Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, and finished in 1790, just as the Revolution began. The revolutionaries turned it into a mausoleum for the "great men" of France, and the inscription on its pediment still reads *Aux grands hommes, la patrie reconnaissante* (To great men, a grateful nation).
Today it's two visits in one: the nave, a vast neoclassical space with Foucault's pendulum, painted murals and the national monuments, and the crypt, where the people France has chosen to honour are buried. It sits on top of the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève in the Latin Quarter, with the Sorbonne and the Luxembourg Gardens a few minutes away.
It's one of the most underrated sights in Paris. Far fewer people visit than Notre-Dame or Sainte-Chapelle, so even in summer you can stand in the crypt beside Victor Hugo and Marie Curie with only a few others.
Panthéon ticket prices
The Panthéon has seasonal pricing, so check which period your visit falls in.
Under 16, not under 18
Most French national monuments are free for under 18s, but the Panthéon's rule is under 16, accompanied by an adult. A 16- or 17-year-old from outside the EU pays the full price.
Free first Sundays
Entry is free for everyone on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December. These are the most crowded days of the winter. Come at opening or after 4 pm.
Paris Museum Pass
The Panthéon is included in the Paris Museum Pass. It's worth it if you're seeing several paid sights over 2-6 days (the Louvre, Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, Versailles...). It isn't worth buying for the Panthéon alone.
Skip the inflated reseller tickets
The Panthéon rarely has a long ticket queue. A reseller "skip-the-line" ticket at €20-30 gets you nothing the official €13-16 e-ticket doesn't. Everyone goes through the same bag check.
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How busy is the Panthéon?
Crowds are moderate most of the year. The nave is so big that it rarely feels full. The crowding happens in the crypt's narrow corridors, especially around Victor Hugo, Zola and Dumas, and around Marie Curie, when tour groups arrive.
Crowd levels by time of day
By day and season
- Weekday mornings are the calmest time. Saturdays and free first Sundays are busiest.
How to skip the lines
- Buy the official e-ticket online from the Centre des monuments nationaux. You go straight to the bag check. Under 16s with an e-ticket holder walk straight in.
- Come at 10 am or after 4 pm, avoiding 1-4 pm.
- Avoid the first working Monday morning (it opens at noon) and free first Sundays.
- Leave food, drink and big bags at your hotel. Food and drinks aren't allowed in, and there's no cloakroom. Only standard backpacks are accepted.
- Visit the crypt first if you arrive mid-morning, before the groups reach it. Most visitors walk the nave, then go down.
The free-ticket shortcut for EU young people
EU nationals aged 16-25 are free but need to collect a ticket at the desk with ID. Bring your ID card or passport, not a photocopy.
What to see inside
1. The nave and dome
Built to rival St Peter's in Rome and St Paul's in London, the dome rises about 83 m. The nave is lined with 19th-century murals of French history, including the life of Sainte-Geneviève and Joan of Arc.
2. Foucault's pendulum
In 1851, physicist Léon Foucault hung a 67 m pendulum from the dome to show the Earth turning: over the hours, the plane of its swing appears to rotate. A copy still swings under the dome today (the original is at the Musée des Arts et Métiers). Stand by the rail for a few minutes and you can see it slowly shift against the scale.
3. The crypt
A maze of vaulted corridors under the building. Highlights:
- Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, facing each other at the entrance.
- Victor Hugo, Émile Zola and Alexandre Dumas, together in one vault.
- Marie and Pierre Curie. Marie Curie was the first woman honoured here for her own achievements.
- Jean Moulin, hero of the Resistance, and Simone Veil, Holocaust survivor and European Parliament president, with her husband.
- Joséphine Baker (a cenotaph, since 2021), Missak and Mélinée Manouchian (2024) and Robert Badinter, who abolished the death penalty (a cenotaph, 2025).
- , and dozens more.
Plans by visitor type
You have 45 minutes
Pendulum, then straight down to the crypt for Voltaire, Rousseau, Hugo, Zola, Dumas and the Curies. Skip the murals.
First-time visitors (90 minutes)
Arrive at 10 am, start in the crypt while it's empty, then walk the nave and murals with the audioguide. Have coffee on the Place du Panthéon and walk 5 minutes to the Luxembourg Gardens.
Families
Under 16s are free with an adult. Kids like the pendulum and finding famous names in the crypt (make it a treasure hunt: Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, Alexandre Dumas of *The Three Musketeers*). Strollers are allowed and there's step-free access.
Limited mobility
There's an outside ramp and a lift inside giving access to the whole nave. Disabled visitors and one companion are free. The colonnade is stairs only.
Photographers
Tripods and drones are banned. The best exterior shot is from the rue Soufflot, looking up from the Luxembourg Gardens, especially at sunset when the facade glows. Inside, the dome from directly under the pendulum is the classic shot.
Getting there and practical info
Insider tips
- Winter is cheaper. From October to March, the ticket is €13 instead of €16.
- Don't plan a Monday morning visit on the first working Monday of the month: it opens at noon.
- Check for special exhibitions in the crypt. After each new entry to the Panthéon, the crypt usually hosts an exhibition, included in your ticket.
- The Eurostar 2-for-1 is a great deal for visitors from London: bring your ticket.
- Go down first, look up later. The crypt gets busier through the day, the nave doesn't.
- Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, right behind the Panthéon, is free, has Paris's only surviving rood screen and is the church where Owen Wilson waits for the midnight car in *Midnight in Paris*.
- The Panthéon closes on ceremony days. Check the news if a pantheonisation has been announced for your dates.
Mistakes to avoid
- Paying for a 16- or 17-year-old from outside the EU and assuming they'd be free like elsewhere: only under 16s are.
- Bringing a water bottle or snacks: food and drink aren't allowed in.
- Planning a visit around the panorama while it's closed.
- Arriving on the first working Monday of the month before noon.
- Missing the crypt: the main part of the visit is downstairs.
Is the Panthéon worth it?
Yes. For €13-16 you get one of the grandest interiors in Paris, a famous physics experiment, and a walk through French history from Voltaire to the Resistance, usually without big crowds. It pairs perfectly with the Luxembourg Gardens and a Latin Quarter lunch.
🎟️ Included in the Paris Museum Pass. Could a pass save you money? Compare Paris tourist passes →
FAQs
How much does it cost to visit the Panthéon?
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€13 from October to March and €16 from June to September. Under 16s with an adult and EU residents aged 16-25 are free.
Is the Panthéon free on the first Sunday of the month?
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Yes, on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December. Expect bigger crowds.
Do I need to book the Panthéon in advance?
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It isn't required, and queues are usually short. Booking the e-ticket online lets you skip the ticket desk.
What are the Panthéon's opening hours?
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10 am to 6:30 pm from April to September and 10 am to 6 pm from October to March. Last entry is 45 minutes before closing. On the first working Monday of each month, it opens at noon.
Can you go up to the top of the Panthéon?
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The panoramic colonnade is currently closed to visitors. When open, it's a seasonal climb of around 200 steps with an extra fee. Check the official site.
Heading to Panthéon?
See how busy it is right now and the quietest hours for your date, then walk in when the line is short.
Check live crowds →Sources
How we research: every guide is written by the BeatTheCrowd team from official sources and recent traveller reports, cross-checked against each other, and dated so you know how fresh it is. Last checked 29 October 2026. Prices and rules change, so always confirm on the official site before you book.
