Saint-Paul
The Shoah Memorial in Paris
The Mémorial de la Shoah, 17 rue Geoffroy-l'Asnier — hours, free entry, Sunday guided tours, closed Saturdays, security check, metro and hotels nearby. Checked October 2026.
What you will find at 17 rue Geoffroy-l’Asnier
The Memorial stands in the 4th arrondissement. Its collections concern the persecution and murder of the Jews of Europe in the Second World War. The Wall of Names, the memorial to the children and the Wall of the Righteous are part of the building, as is a documentation centre for researchers and families.
The Memorial’s own site is the place to check visit length and the content of the temporary exhibitions.
The walls and the crypt
The Memorial’s best-known element is the Wall of Names. According to Wikipedia, it bears the names of 75,568 Jews, French and foreign, deported from France, among them 11,400 children, arranged by the year of the convoy from 1942 to 1944. President Jacques Chirac inaugurated it on 25 January 2005. The Wall of the Righteous, dedicated to the Righteous Among the Nations of France, displayed 3,853 names at its update in 2014, and the memorial to the children shows about 3,000 photographs of deported Jewish children.
In the crypt lies the tomb of the Unknown Jewish Martyr, in the shape of a Star of David, with an eternal flame and ashes together with soil from Israel. The monument dates from 1957, according to Wikipedia; in 2005 the whole site took the name Mémorial de la Shoah.
A documentation centre older than the building
The Centre de documentation juive contemporaine, the core of the Memorial, was founded in Grenoble in April 1943 by Isaac Schneersohn and Léon Poliakov, according to Wikipedia. It now holds more than 40 million pages of archives, 90,000 photographs and 80,000 books and periodicals. The Memorial opened a branch at the Drancy camp in 2012.
Getting there
Pont Marie (line 7) is about 155 metres from the entrance in a straight line, and Saint-Paul (line 1) about 342 metres. Hôtel de Ville (lines 1 and 11) is about 453 metres away and Sully-Morland (line 7) about 524 metres. The address is 17 rue Geoffroy-l’Asnier, in the 4th arrondissement.
Choosing your moment
Because the Memorial is closed on Saturdays and some Jewish holidays, a Sunday is the practical day; the free guided visit at 3 p.m. lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and needs no booking. Thursday evening is the quieter alternative to a daytime visit, with opening until 9 p.m. A security check is carried out at the entrance (Vigipirate), so arrive a few minutes before a tour. Groups must book even for a self-guided visit.
Combining the visit with a walk
Measured from the Memorial’s front door, the figures below are straight-line distances from our coordinates, with walking times at 80 metres a minute after a 1.3 detour factor.
- BHV Marais: 319 metres, about 6 minutes.
- Hôtel de Ville: 328 metres, about 6 minutes.
- Rue des Rosiers: 346 metres, about 6 minutes.
- Village Saint-Paul: 422 metres, about 7 minutes.
- Carnavalet Museum: 537 metres, about 9 minutes.
For the history that explains why the quarter looks as it does, read our Marais history.
The permanent exhibition and the visit
According to the Memorial, the permanent exhibition presents the history of the Jews in France during the Second World War, with documents, sound testimonies and film extracts. A guided visit of it lasts 1 hour 30 minutes. For families, the Memorial offers a route for children aged 8 to 12, with an accompanying booklet that spares them the most shocking images. A cloakroom, a bookshop and a café stop are on site, and the auditorium hosts screenings of testimonies.
Outside, the forecourt holds the Wall of Names of the Jews deported from France, and a bronze cylinder inscribed with names from the Warsaw ghetto and the camps.
The reading room
The documentation centre’s reading room is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., until 7.30 p.m. on Thursday, and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. It is closed on Saturday. These hours are those of the reading room only, not of the exhibitions.
Planning around the closing days
Two rhythms matter. The Memorial is closed on Saturdays, so a Sunday or a Thursday evening is easier, and the Thursday late opening runs until 9 p.m. The annual closures also include some Jewish holidays, which move from year to year; only three were published for 2026, the last being 22 May, so read the Memorial’s calendar for later dates before you plan a long trip around it.
Sunday afternoon is the one slot with a guided visit of the permanent exhibition every week, at 3 p.m. in French. The English tour comes once a month.
Walking from the neighbouring sights
From the place des Vosges the Memorial is about 878 metres on foot, an estimated 11 minutes. To go on into the quarter, the rue des Rosiers page and our guide to the Jewish quarter of Le Marais describe the neighbouring streets. For lunch afterwards, see falafel in Le Marais, keeping in mind that most of those addresses close for Shabbat.
Photo: Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Hotels near the Memorial
The hotels listed below are calculated from the Memorial’s coordinates. For more choice in the same corner of the district, compare hotels around rue Saint-Paul and hotels near the Hôtel de Ville.
Photo: Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
History and distinctive features
- Opened in January 2005 in the Marais, the Mémorial de la Shoah is a museum on the history of the Jews during the Second World War. It includes the Wall of Names, the memorial to the children, the Wall of the Righteous and the Centre de documentation juive contemporaine. Source : fr.wikipedia.org
- The Mémorial du Martyr juif inconnu was inaugurated in 1957; in January 2005 the whole site took the name Mémorial de la Shoah. Source : fr.wikipedia.org
Hotels near the Shoah Memorial
Other hotels
- Roi de Sicile Rivoli ★★★★ 3 min walk · 200 m
- Hôtel Caron de Beaumarchais ★★★ 3 min walk · 250 m
- Hôtel France Louvre ★★★ 3 min walk · 250 m
- Hôtel de Nice ★★★ 3 min walk · 250 m
- Hôtel 9Confidentiel ★★★★ 4 min walk · 300 m
- Hôtel Bourg Tibourg ★★★★ 4 min walk · 350 m
Within 500 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 Shoah Memorial in Paris free?
Yes, for individual visitors, with no ticket and no booking. The Memorial adds that guided visits of its exhibitions are free too, on reservation. Groups pay €99, except school groups.
What are the opening hours?
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Sunday to Friday, and until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. It does not open on Saturdays.
Can I join a tour in English?
A free guided tour of the permanent exhibition takes place in English on the second Sunday of each month at 3 p.m. The Sunday 3 p.m. tour every other week is in French, lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and needs no booking.
Do I need to book?
Not as an individual. Groups must reserve, even to visit on their own. Expect a security check at the door.
Which metro station is closest?
Pont Marie, on line 7, about 155 metres away. Saint-Paul on line 1 is about 342 metres away.
How many names are on the Wall of Names?
According to Wikipedia, 75,568 Jews deported from France, among them 11,400 children, grouped by year from 1942 to 1944. The Wall was inaugurated on 25 January 2005.
Is the Shoah Memorial suitable for children?
The Memorial offers a route for children aged 8 to 12, with a booklet that spares them the most shocking images. The memorial to the children shows about 3,000 photographs of deported children, so parents may want to look at it in advance.
Can I do research at the Memorial?
The documentation centre holds more than 40 million pages of archives, 90,000 photographs and 80,000 books and periodicals, according to Wikipedia. Check the Memorial's site for the reading-room conditions.
Where is the Wall of Names, and is the reading room open on Sunday?
According to the Memorial, the Wall of Names stands on the forecourt. The reading room of the documentation centre is open on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Is there a guided visit for families?
The Memorial offers a route for children aged 8 to 12 with an accompanying booklet. The free Sunday guided visit of the permanent exhibition lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and needs no booking.
Where is the Shoah Memorial?
At 17 rue Geoffroy-l'Asnier, in the 4th arrondissement; Pont Marie, on line 7, is about 155 metres away in a straight line.
Is the Shoah Memorial open on Sunday?
Yes, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a free guided visit of the permanent exhibition at 3 p.m. It is closed on Saturday.