A church that became a tomb
Twenty-two Corinthian columns hold up the pediment. Above them, carved in capitals, is the line Aux grands hommes la patrie reconnaissante: “To its great men, a grateful nation.” Louis XV commissioned the building as a church for Sainte-Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris. The architect was Jacques-Germain Soufflot, who died in 1780. The Revolution turned the unfinished church into a national mausoleum in 1791.
The site is the summit of the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, the highest ground on the Left Bank. From the steps, rue Soufflot runs straight downhill toward the Jardin du Luxembourg, and on clear days the Eiffel Tower sits at the far end.
Inside the nave and down in the crypt
The interior is huge and mostly empty, built as a Greek cross under a central dome. Along the walls, murals by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes tell the life of Geneviève in pale, chalky colours. A pendulum hangs under the dome on a long wire. It recreates Léon Foucault’s 1851 experiment, which showed the Earth’s rotation to a Paris crowd in this same space.
The crypt is below, reached by stairs at the back of the nave. It’s a cool maze of vaulted stone corridors, with tombs set in small side chambers. Look for:
- Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, facing each other near the entrance
- Victor Hugo, Émile Zola and Alexandre Dumas, all in one shared chamber
- Marie Curie, buried with Pierre Curie
- Jean Moulin, leader of the Resistance
- Josephine Baker, whose cenotaph was added in 2021
Timing your visit around the crowds
The doors open at 10am every day, and the hour until 11am is the quietest window all week. At that time the crypt corridors are easy to walk through without stopping. On Saturdays and Sundays, stay away from 1pm to 6pm. That’s the busiest stretch, and queues build at the security check outside. Last entry comes before the 6:30pm closing, so a late-afternoon visit leaves you less time than you might think.
Allow about 90 minutes: half an hour in the nave, the rest in the crypt. Between spring and autumn there’s also a guided climb to the colonnade around the dome, which looks out over the rooftops of Paris. It runs only in season and has limited slots, so check the Centre des monuments nationaux website for dates and prices before you go.
Getting up the hill and what’s next door
The nearest station is Luxembourg (RER B), about a five-minute uphill walk along rue Soufflot. Metro Line 10 stops at Cardinal Lemoine and Maubert–Mutualité, and both leave you a steeper walk up through the Latin Quarter. Book a timed ticket online to skip the ticket desk, though you’ll still go through the bag check. The Paris Museum Pass is also accepted.
A few places are just a short walk away:
- Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, the church right beside it, which has Paris’s only surviving rood screen
- The Sorbonne, a block to the west
- Jardin du Luxembourg, at the bottom of rue Soufflot, a good spot to sit afterwards
- Rue Mouffetard, a sloping market street about ten minutes south, for lunch
Frequently asked questions
When is the quietest time to visit the Panthéon?
It's quietest from 10am to 11am, on weekdays and weekends alike. Try not to come between 1pm and 6pm at weekends, which is the busiest period.
What are the Panthéon's opening hours?
It's open every day from 10am to 6:30pm. Last entry is before closing time, so arrive well before 6:30pm.
How do I get to the Panthéon?
Take RER B to Luxembourg and walk about five minutes up rue Soufflot. On Metro Line 10, the nearest stops are Cardinal Lemoine and Maubert–Mutualité.
Who is buried in the Panthéon?
The crypt holds Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Alexandre Dumas, Marie and Pierre Curie and Jean Moulin. Josephine Baker's cenotaph was added in 2021.
Can you climb the Panthéon dome?
Between spring and autumn, a guided climb goes up to the colonnade around the dome. Slots are limited, so check dates and booking on the Centre des monuments nationaux website.
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