Luxemburg Gardens, Paris

The Luxemburg Gardens is the 2nd largest park in Paris and covers 224,500m²; the park is the garden of the Luxembourg Palace where the French Senate is convened. The garden was established when the palace was under constructed in the 1600s at the request of Marie de Medici who wanted the garden to mirror the Boboli Garden in her home city of Florence, Italy. At the time there was extensive landscaping and planting including 2,000 elm trees. The garden was expanded and refined over the years including the addition of numerous statues in the 1800s and later English gardens, a marionette theatre, greenhouses, orangerie, orchard and rose garden.

Some of the stand out features of this park are the statues of French queens which look down from the balustrade terraces surrounding the Grand Bassin (large central pond); the bronze Fountain of Observatory with sculptures by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux; the Medici Fountain built in 1630; the Pavilion Davioud and the apiary (bee house). There are often musical performances in the gazebo and there are restaurants and cafes in the park.

Especially for Babies & Toddlers

• Poussin Vert is a beautiful enclosed playground with lots of kid friendly equipment. There are separate areas for 0-7 year olds and the 7+ age group. Open 10am-7pm in summer and until sunset in winter.
• The Poussin Vert playground has well maintained, clean toilets, changing tables and kid-size toilets and wash basins.
• The park is stroller friendly.

Especially for Children

• Poussin Vert playground for the 7+ age group.
• Le Theatre des Marionettes puppet show (Wednesday, Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30pm plus school holidays at 2:30pm, 3:30pm and 4:30pm daily).
• Le Manege Garner carousel built in 1879.
• Les Bateaux a Voiles rent a model sail boat to sail across the pond near Palais du Luxembourg.
• Pony and donkey rides (Wednesdays and weekends)
• Rent a vintage metal go-cart behind the Poussin Vert.

Especially for Teenagers

• Chess
• 6 tennis courts near the playground – bring your own racket.
• Basket ball and volley ball courts
• Enjoy over 100 statues in the park.
• See the bee house near the Rue Fleuris entrance where you can even take a bee keeping course.

Open Hours

• Open daily
• 7:30am/8:15am until dusk (4:45pm/9:45pm) depending on the season.

Price

• Entrance to the park is free!
• Poussin Vert €2.6 kids over 18 months, €1.6 adults
• Le Manege Garner carousel €2
• Les Bateaux a Voiles sailboat rental €2 for half hour
• Theatre des Marionettes du Jardin du Luxembourg marionette shows €4.7

Recommended amount of Time at Le Jardin du Luxembourg

• 1-3 hours

Directions:

• Jardin du Luxembourg, 75006, Paris, France
• Located on the left bank in the 6th arrondissement near the Sorbonne with a number of entrance points: Rue de Vaugirard, Boulevard St. Michel, Rue Auguste-Comte and Rue Guynemer.
• Metro: Line 10 – Mabillon stop, line 4 – Odeon stop, line 2 – Notre-Dame-des-Champs and line 4 – Saint Sulpice.
• Bus: 21, 27, 38, 58, 63, 85
• RER Trains: Line B – Luxembourg stop

Giggling Tourist Tips!

Visit the L'Avant Comptoir for crepes. The park is entirely outdoors so plan your trip according to the weather. You can include a trip to the Luxemburg Palace itself to see one of the regular temporary art exhibitions in the Musee du Luxembourg. In September the park hosts the two day Fete du Miel honey festival.

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