Tuileries Garden

These beautiful gardens stretch along the River Seine from the Louvre Museum to the Place de la Concorde and are a popular promenade for Parisians and tourists alike. With more than 10 individual gardens—all named after kings—the Tuileries Gardens feature several fountains, numerous sculptures, and two museums. Their central location means they forms a part of the grand central horizontal axis in Paris which leads all the way from the Louvre to La Défense, the business district.

The gardens were conceived by Catherine de' Medici in 1559 after the death of her husband, Henry ll. She decided to build the Palais de Tuileries for herself and her son, François II. She commissioned a Florentine landscape architect to design an Italian Renaissance garden with fountains, a labyrinth, a grotto, and countless statues. The area acquired for the gardens had been previously occupied by workshops making tiles for roofs (tuileries), hence the name of the gardens.

In the 1660s, the garden was redesigned by André Le Nôtre—the same gardener who designed the gardens at Versailles Palace—in the French formal style. And it is this architectural splendor that remains to this day, with manicured lawns, neat rows of chestnut trees, and fantastic statues scattered throughout.

The Jardin des Tuileries was one of the first parks to open to the public and, even in the 18th century, had cafés, deck chairs, and public toilets. At this time, the gardens were enlarged and used for celebrations and public holidays and it soon became a place to be seen. By the 19th century, it became open to the wider public. But much unrest, including the Fourth French Revolution, the Paris Commune in 1871 in which the palace was destroyed, and two world wars, meant the gardens have been closed and reopened a number of times, most recently only becoming “free” again after the Second World War. They are in a constantly evolving state, with new statues still being added—each president contributing.

Two outstanding museums stand at the western end of the park near the Place de la Concorde; the Musée de l'Orangerie, displaying Monet's famous water lilies, and the Jeu de Paume, displaying various contemporary images. There are many restaurants serving lunch or tea throughout the gardens and plenty of space to wander, things to marvel at, and places to lounge in the Parisian atmosphere.

The gardens are situated on the rue de Rivoli from Place du Carrousel to Place de la Concorde and the closest Métro stops are Place de la Concorde, Tuileries, and Palais Royale-Musée du Louvre. Open daily, the gardens are not far from the Louvre Museum and the Musée d’Orsay, and will form a fantastic part of your stay in Paris.

Opening Hours

April - May: 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.
June - August: 7 a.m. - 11 p.m.
September - March: 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Admission

Admission is free.

• Tuileries Garden at Wikipedia