Sewer Museum: Another Paris Underneath
! Remain closed until the end of works (October 2020)!
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 do they really work. How is life for 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: 220€ (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
© Caroline Weber
From what age is the tour recommended?
This tour can easily be adapted for children. They generally have a lot 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 in January and opened the rest of the year, every days of the week except on some public holidays. Actually closed for works, the opening times of the museum might change at the end of the year.
Is this museum crowded?
The sewer museum is one of this typical off the beaten track spot! It is generally calm.
Is this visit wheelchair accesible ?
The sewer museum is not entirely wheelchair accessible but you can see a part of it. However, to go underneath, there are 42 steps. So if your disability allows you to walk a bit, it is possible to take your time to enter/exit and use a wheelchair inside. If not, I regret to inform you there is no elevator.
Good to know
Between real walls and not much human warmth, the problem of the sewer museum is the cold! 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 of 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 a public but it is also a real piece of sewers network. And sewers workers always have a real equipment for good reasons!