Archives
National Archives in Paris
The National Archives museum at the Hôtel de Soubise, 60 rue des Francs-Bourgeois — 2026 hours, free entry, gardens, the €8 guided tour, metro and nearby hotels. Checked October 2026.
© Guilhem Vellut, CC BY 2.0 — Wikimedia Commons
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A Marais palace you can walk into
The National Archives occupy the Hôtel de Soubise, the institution’s historic seat. No ticket is needed: the princely apartments, the permanent route and the exhibitions are free to enter. The entrance is at 60 rue des Francs-Bourgeois, and the courtyard colonnade was remodelled from 1705 to 1709.
Photo: Marko Kudjerski, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Before you go
- Tuesday. The museum is closed; on Saturday and Sunday it opens only at 2pm.
- The gardens. Open from 8am to 8pm until the last Saturday of October, then 8am to 5pm; there is a second way in from rue des Quatre-Fils.
- The guided tour. €8, booked on Affluences; booking opens 60 days before the date.
- Old prices. Exhibitions are announced as free: a source that still quotes an exhibition ticket is old.
One address, several centuries
The mansion goes back to the Hôtel de Clisson, bought in 1553 by François de Lorraine, Duke of Guise. François de Rohan-Soubise bought the Hôtel de Guise in 1700, and the architect Pierre-Alexis Delamair remodelled it from 1705 to 1709. The State acquired the Hôtel de Soubise and the Hôtel de Rohan in 1808, and Napoleon I assigned the Archives to them.
Photo: Daderot, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What to see
The route leads through the princely apartments, whose rococo decoration was designed by Germain Boffrand from the mid-1730s. Artists named for the interiors include François Boucher, Charles Natoire and Carle Van Loo. The oval salon of the princess keeps eight paintings by Natoire on the myth of Psyche, and the state bedroom of the princess carries mythological scenes.
The museum of the Archives presents the written monuments of French history, according to the official site. The “iron cupboard” (armoire de fer) was installed here in 1866, and the museum dates from 1867. The building has been a listed historic monument since 1862, with a further listing in 1992.
Accessibility
The Archives offer free guided visits in French sign language (up to 15 people), descriptive and tactile visits for blind and partially sighted visitors (6 visitors and 6 companions) and sensory or descriptive visits for people with a mental or psychological disability (20 people, companions included). Groups for the paid guided tour are limited to 20 people. Booking goes through Affluences, as for the standard guided visit.
Combining the visit with its neighbours
Distances are straight-line from the coordinates in our data; walking times apply 1.3 times the straight line at 80 metres a minute.
| Place | Straight line | On foot |
|---|---|---|
| Museum of Jewish Art and History | 163 m | 3 min |
| Museum of Hunting and Nature | 196 m | 3 min |
| Rue des Rosiers | 351 m | 6 min |
| Musée Cognacq-Jay | 364 m | 6 min |
| Picasso Museum | 385 m | 6 min |
| BHV Marais | 414 m | 7 min |
| Centre Pompidou | 450 m | 7 min |
Two museums are closest: the Museum of Jewish Art and History, in the Hôtel de Saint-Aignan, and the Museum of Hunting and Nature. The Archives are closed on Tuesday and the Picasso Museum on Monday, so a day that takes in both falls between Wednesday and Friday. The rue des Rosiers is the next stop on the walking tour.
Getting there
The official site names three stations: Hôtel de Ville (line 1), Rambuteau (line 11) and Arts et Métiers (line 3). Rambuteau is the closest, 310 m as the crow flies; Hôtel de Ville is 500 m away, Saint-Paul 590 m and Arts et Métiers 600 m.
Photo: Guilhem Vellut, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Metro, as the nearby hotels give it
Two hotels near the entrance give a walking reading of the stations.
- Hôtel du Vieux Marais, 160 m from the Hôtel de Soubise, lists Rambuteau (line 11) at 350 m, 4 min on foot; Hôtel de Ville (lines 1 and 11) at 450 m, 6 min on foot.
- Hôtel de la Bretonnerie, 178 m from the Hôtel de Soubise, lists Rambuteau (line 11) at 450 m, 6 min on foot; Hôtel de Ville (lines 1 and 11) at 450 m, 6 min on foot.
Where to stay near the Hôtel de Soubise
Four of our hotels lie within 235 m, as the crow flies: Hôtel du Vieux Marais at 161 m, Hôtel de la Bretonnerie at 178 m, 1er Étage Marais at 220 m and Hôtel Dupond-Smith at 231 m. To continue the walk, see the guide to Le Marais and the Carnavalet museum.
History and distinctive features
- The Hôtel de Soubise, historic home of the National Archives, goes back to the Hôtel de Clisson, bought in 1553 by François de Lorraine, Duke of Guise. Source : fr.wikipedia.org
- François de Rohan-Soubise bought the Hôtel de Guise in 1700; the architect Pierre-Alexis Delamair remodelled it from 1705 to 1709, including the façade and the colonnade of the courtyard. Source : fr.wikipedia.org
- The State acquired the Hôtel de Soubise and the Hôtel de Rohan in 1808, and Napoleon I assigned the Archives to them. Source : fr.wikipedia.org
Hotels near the Archives nationales
Other hotels
- Hôtel du Vieux Marais ★★★ 3 min walk · 200 m
- Hôtel de la Bretonnerie ★★★ 3 min walk · 250 m
- 1er Étage Marais Not classified by Atout France 4 min walk · 300 m
- Hôtel Dupond-Smith ★★★★★ 4 min walk · 300 m
- Hôtel Beaubourg ★★★ 4 min walk · 350 m
- Hôtel Bourg Tibourg ★★★★ 5 min walk · 400 m
Within 450 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 National Archives museum free?
Yes. The princely apartments, the permanent route and the exhibitions are free and open to all, and so are the gardens. Only the guided tour of the Hôtel de Soubise is paid, at €8 per person.
What are the museum’s opening hours?
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10am to 5:30pm, Saturday and Sunday 2pm to 5:30pm, closed on Tuesday.
Are the gardens open in October?
Yes: daily from 8am to 8pm until the last Saturday of October, then 8am to 5pm until the last Saturday of March.
Do exhibitions cost anything?
No, the official site now announces them as free. Some older third-party sources still quote €8 or €5; rely on the official site.
Where is the entrance?
At 60 rue des Francs-Bourgeois; the gardens also open at 11 rue des Quatre-Fils.
How long does a visit to the Hôtel de Soubise take?
Our sources give no duration. The museum closes at 5.30 p.m. and, on weekends, opens at 2 p.m., so the afternoon is the sensible slot on Saturday and Sunday.
Is the Hôtel de Soubise accessible to disabled visitors?
The Archives nationales offer free guided visits in French sign language, descriptive and tactile visits, and sensory visits, according to the official site. Ask them about step-free access before you go; our sources do not describe it.
What is the history of the building?
The mansion goes back to the Hôtel de Clisson, bought in 1553. François de Rohan-Soubise bought the Hôtel de Guise in 1700, and Germain Boffrand designed the interiors from the mid-1730s. The State acquired it in 1808.
Which metro station is nearest to the Archives nationales?
Rambuteau, on line 11, about 350 m on foot from the Hôtel du Vieux Marais, which is 160 m from the museum, and Hôtel de Ville (lines 1 and 11) at 450 m, according to the hotel’s page.