Paris · 5th arrondissement · Monument
Panthéon Paris: Tickets, Crypt and Dome
France's national mausoleum on the hill of the Latin Quarter — Foucault's pendulum under the dome, Voltaire and Marie Curie in the crypt, and a colonnade view over Paris.
By the AllTrips Editorial Team ·
The Panthéon at a glance
Area: Latin Quarter, 5th arrondissement, on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève. Allow: 1 hour, or 1.5–2 hours with the dome climb. Entry: ticket required, around €13 for adults. Nearby: Luxembourg Garden, the Sorbonne, Saint-Étienne-du-Mont.
The Panthéon was begun as a church and finished as a republican monument. Inside, a vast neoclassical nave with painted chapels leads to the crypt where France buries the people it wants to remember — writers, scientists, resistance fighters and, since 2021, Joséphine Baker.
What is there to see?
Under the central dome swings a working copy of Foucault's pendulum, first hung here in 1851 to show that the Earth rotates. Around the nave, 19th-century mural cycles tell the story of Sainte Geneviève and the origins of France, and monumental sculpture groups mark the corners of the crossing.
Downstairs, the crypt is the reason most people come. Voltaire and Rousseau face each other near the entrance; further in lie Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Jean Moulin, Marie and Pierre Curie, Simone Veil and Joséphine Baker. In the warmer months a separate timed ticket opens the dome colonnade, reached by around 200 steps, with a full circle of rooftop views.
Tickets and booking
The Panthéon is run by the Centre des monuments nationaux. You can buy on the official site or at the door, and timed entry is the norm in busy months. The dome climb is seasonal, sold as an add-on and suspended in bad weather. Booking the two options together saves a second queue.
Official tickets
Paris Panthéon — official site
Book directly with the Centre des monuments nationaux for standard entry, the seasonal dome climb, reduced rates and free-admission conditions.
Official Panthéon ticketsAffiliate link
Panthéon entry on Tiqets
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A short history
Louis XV vowed to rebuild the ruined abbey church of Sainte-Geneviève if he recovered from illness; work began in 1758 to designs by Jacques-Germain Soufflot and finished in 1790, on the eve of the Revolution. The new regime converted the church into a temple to the nation's great figures and added the inscription on the pediment.
Through the 19th century the building swung between church and mausoleum as governments changed, and it was settled definitively as a secular Panthéon after Victor Hugo's state funeral in 1885. New burials are decided by the French president; recent ones include Simone Veil in 2018, Joséphine Baker in 2021 and Missak Manouchian in 2024.
Planning your visit
Mornings are the calmest, and the nave is at its best in low sun. The interior is unheated and can be cold even in mild weather, so bring a layer. The main floor and crypt are accessible by lift; the dome colonnade is stairs only.
Combine it with the Luxembourg Garden five minutes downhill and the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont next door, which holds the shrine of Sainte Geneviève and is free to enter. The Panthéon also sits on the walking route between the Latin Quarter and the Île de la Cité.
The Panthéon in photos
What is nearby?
The Luxembourg Garden is a five-minute walk downhill, and Saint-Germain-des-Prés continues west from there. The Musée d'Orsay is about 25 minutes on foot along the river. See how it all fits together on our Paris attractions map.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a ticket for the Panthéon in Paris?
Yes. The Panthéon is a paid monument managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux. Standard adult admission is around €13, with free entry for under-18s, EU residents aged 18–25 and on the free-admission Sundays the monument announces each winter. Check the official site for current prices.
Is the Panthéon dome climb worth it?
If the weather is clear, yes — the colonnade around the dome gives a 360° view over the Latin Quarter with the Eiffel Tower and Sacré-Cœur in the frame. It is a seasonal extra ticket, usually offered from spring to autumn, and involves around 200 steps with no lift.
Who is buried in the Panthéon?
More than 80 figures honoured by the French Republic, among them Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Émile Zola, Jean Moulin, Marie and Pierre Curie, Simone Veil and Joséphine Baker. Marie Curie was the first woman interred for her own achievements, in 1995.
What is Foucault's pendulum doing in the Panthéon?
Léon Foucault hung his pendulum under the dome in 1851 to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. A working copy swings in the nave today, and it remains one of the building's most popular sights.
How long does a visit to the Panthéon take?
Allow about an hour for the nave and the crypt. Add 30–45 minutes if you also climb to the dome colonnade, including the wait for the timed group.
Where is the Panthéon and how do I get there?
It stands on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève in the 5th arrondissement. RER B Luxembourg and metro Cardinal Lemoine (line 10) or Maubert–Mutualité (line 10) are each a short uphill walk away.
Official sources
Reviewed September 2026. Prices and dome-climb availability change by season; check the official site before travel.