Our guides
Jardin des Plantes, Paris
The Jardin des Plantes in the 5th arrondissement — free garden hours until February 2027, greenhouse and gallery tickets, the closed palaeontology gallery and hotels nearby. Checked October 2026.
© Benh LIEU SONG, CC BY 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons
A medicinal garden that became a museum
The Jardin des Plantes lies between the Seine, at the Gare d’Austerlitz, and rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, and it is listed as a historic monument and as a “Jardin remarquable”. It began as a royal garden of medicinal plants, created by Louis XIII’s edict of 1626, and in 2026 the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle marks 400 years. The allées, the carrés of the perspective, the botanical school of about 2,500 species, the rose garden, the alpine garden and the maze are free; the galleries, the Grandes Serres and the Ménagerie are not.
Photo: Mbzt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What to see
- The Grandes Serres. Four greenhouses, for humid tropical forests, deserts and arid environments, New Caledonia, and the history of plants. In the New Caledonia house, 76% of the species grow nowhere else.
- The alpine garden. More than 2,000 mountain species, entered through a hidden entrance in the botanical school, open in the mornings only and closed from November to March.
- The rose garden. About 300 varieties.
- The Grande Galerie de l’Évolution. Open daily except Tuesday; its 2026 exhibition is the anniversary show listed above.
Photo: Arthur Weidmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Planning around the closures
The palaeontology gallery stays shut for works into 2027, so the museum visit now rests on the Grande Galerie and the geology gallery. The Tuesday closure applies to the Grandes Serres, the Grande Galerie and the geology gallery together, so on Tuesday only the garden itself is certain to be open; we have not read the Ménagerie’s opening days. From the end of October, the hours of both the garden and the greenhouses shorten by an hour.
Photo: FreCha, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Hotels near the Jardin des Plantes
The section below lists the hotels of our database nearest to the garden, in a straight line. Our list of hotels near the Jardin des Plantes gives the longer comparison. Among our guides, the points nearest to the garden in a straight line are the Grand Mosque of Paris, about 420 metres away, the Arènes de Lutèce, about 510 metres, and the Institut du monde arabe, about 575 metres; rue Mouffetard has no coordinates in our data. The museum side of the visit continues in our guide to the Natural History Museum and the Ménagerie.
History and distinctive features
- Louis XIII created a royal garden of medicinal plants by an edict of January 1626, at the initiative of his physician Guy de La Brosse; the land was bought in 1633 and the garden opened to the public in 1640. Source : mnhn.fr
- A decree of the Convention of 10 June 1793 turned the garden into the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, both a museum and a research centre. Source : mnhn.fr
- The cedar of Lebanon planted in 1734 at the request of Bernard de Jussieu is the oldest of its species in France, according to the garden; legend says Jussieu brought the young cedars back in his hat. Source : jardindesplantesdeparis.fr
- The present Grandes Serres were built between 1834 and 1876, in metal and glass, with a winter garden added in 1930 and the greenhouse of the deserts in 2005. Source : jardindesplantesdeparis.fr
- At the top of the maze, Buffon’s gloriette is presented by the Muséum as one of the oldest metal structures in the world. Source : jardindesplantesdeparis.fr
Hotels near the Jardin des Plantes
Other hotels
- Libertel Austerlitz Jardin des Plantes ★★★ 5 min walk · 400 m
- Hôtel du Jardin des Plantes ★★★ 6 min walk · 500 m
- Hôtel Orphée ★★★ 8 min walk · 600 m
- Hôtel Saint-Christophe ★★★ 9 min walk · 700 m
- Best Western Quartier Latin Panthéon ★★★ 9 min walk · 700 m
- Hôtel Monge ★★★★ 9 min walk · 700 m
Within 600 m as the crow flies, nearest first. Walking times are estimates: straight-line distance × 1.3, at 80 metres a minute, to the station, not to a specific exit.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Jardin des Plantes free?
The garden is: its alleys and gardens are free to enter all year. The Grandes Serres (€9), the Ménagerie (€13), the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution (€13) and the geology gallery (€9) are paid at the full rate.
What are the opening hours of the Jardin des Plantes?
Every day from 8 a.m., until 6.30 p.m. up to 24 October 2026 and until 5.30 p.m. from 25 October to 28 February 2027, with last entry 15 minutes before closing.
Which galleries are closed in 2026?
The Galerie de Paléontologie et d’Anatomie comparée, at 2 rue Buffon, has been closed for works since 19 January 2026, until some time in 2027. The Grandes Serres are also temporarily out of reach for wheelchair users, because the outside lift is out of order.
Is there a ticket covering all the sites?
No. Each site is sold separately; the “Découverte” offer gives a second site at the reduced rate, within three months of a full-price ticket.
What is on for the Muséum’s 400th anniversary?
“Artistes au Museum”, with more than 300 works, in the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution from 23 September 2026 to 7 March 2027; and “Automne tropical” in the Grandes Serres from 15 October to 23 November.
Which station should I use?
Jussieu (lines 7 and 10) is about 411 metres from the reference point of the garden in our data, and Gare d’Austerlitz (lines 5 and 10, RER C) about 431 metres; the garden also lists Censier-Daubenton on line 7 and buses 24, 57, 61, 63, 67, 89 and 91.
Is this the right garden, or are there others of the same name?
Several French cities have a jardin des plantes. This page covers the one in Paris, at 57 rue Cuvier, in the 5th arrondissement, which is the historic heart of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle.