Val-de-Marne Heritage Days

Exceptional opening of remarkable heritage sites throughout Val-de-Marne

Créteil — Val-de-Marne (94)
Opera Drum and Bass Chocolate
Val-de-Marne Heritage Days
Edition
2026
Heritage Days 94

About Heritage Days 94

Every third weekend in September, the European Heritage Days open remarkable sites in Val-de-Marne to the public. Castles, parks, museums, artists' studios, industrial buildings, and memorial sites usually closed or not easily accessible reveal their secrets to visitors in a department rich in exceptional architectural, natural, and industrial heritage.
Dates 19 Sep — 20 Sep 2026
Location Créteil (94)
Prices Free
Status Confirmed
Edition 2026

Heritage Days 94 — edition 2026

On September 19th and 20th, 2026, the 43rd edition of the European Heritage Days will open 114 sites across 33 municipalities in the Val-de-Marne, offering over 220 tours, workshops, performances, and exhibitions. This year's themes are "Heritage of Photography," marking the bicentenary of Nicéphore Niépce's invention, and "Heritage in Peril: Revive, Resist, Reimagine." Admission is free at almost all locations.

2026 Edition

The 43rd edition of the European Heritage Days takes place on Saturday, September 19th, and Sunday, September 20th, 2026. The Ministry of Culture has selected two themes: "Heritage of Photography," celebrating the 1826 invention by Nicéphore Niépce, and "Heritage in Peril: Revive, Resist, Reimagine," chosen at the European level by the Council of Europe. On Friday, September 18th, the "Look Up!" initiative reserves sites for school groups, from kindergarten to high school.

In Val-de-Marne, the official ministry database lists 114 sites open across 33 municipalities and over 220 events as of mid-August. Saint-Maur-des-Fossés leads with 21 sites, followed by Ivry-sur-Seine (14), Sucy-en-Brie (11), Créteil (9), and Vincennes (7). Registration for sites remains open until the day before the event, so the final count will be even higher.

The Department's Five Key Sites

The Departmental Council is opening its own venues: the Departmental Archives in Créteil, featuring a tour of the silos and a cyanotype workshop aligned with the photography theme; the MAC VAL in Vitry-sur-Seine, open from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM both days, offering access to its usually private reserves; La Briqueterie, a choreographic development center in a former Vitry factory, with a dual-perspective tour by a CAUE 94 architect followed by the choral piece "Les Femmes" by Dalila Belaza; the Roseraie du Val-de-Marne in L'Haÿ-les-Roses, free all weekend; and the Adolphe-Chérioux estate in Vitry, a former orphanage turned university campus, open for tours on Saturday.

What's Opening Elsewhere

The rest of the program covers military and royal heritage (Château de Vincennes and its Robert Combas exhibition, Fort de Sucy, Fort de Bicêtre), grand private estates (Grosbois, Ormesson, Haute-Maison), river heritage along the Marne (dams at Saint-Maurice and Joinville-le-Pont, Voies navigables de France locks, historic boats on the Île des Loups), institutions usually closed to the public (Créteil Judicial Court, Prefecture, Banque de France in Vincennes, Bicêtre, Charles-Foix, and Émile-Roux hospitals), industrial and scientific heritage (City Gas Museum in Alfortville, École nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort and its Fragonard Museum, National Audiovisual Institute in Bry-sur-Marne, Éveha archaeological research office in Ivry), and 20th-century heritage (Gailhoustet and Renaudie buildings in Ivry, Domaine de la Peupleraie in Fresnes, Lavoir Numérique in Gentilly).

Several towns also offer treasure hunts and self-guided tours with no fixed schedule: eight circuits in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, a Baludik trail in Sucy-en-Brie and another in Fresnes, and audio-guided tours in Charenton-le-Pont.

Booking

Admission is free almost everywhere, but many guided tours have limited capacity: from 15 people at the Lavoir Numérique to 35 at La Briqueterie, 20 at the City Gas Museum, and 17 per tour at the Château de Vincennes. Some reservations open in advance, while others are handled on-site on the day. The full program, final schedules, and site-specific details are available on the Ministry of Culture portal: journeesdupatrimoine.culture.gouv.fr.

Highlights Heritage Days 94 2026

  • Château de Vincennes — Robert Combas exhibition "On dit que je suis grotesque…," fourteen paintings from the 1980s, free admission both days from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
  • MAC VAL, Vitry-sur-Seine — opening of the museum's usually closed reserves, and "Le Plancher," musical reading by Nicolas Dégremont and Zoé Saubat Saturday at 2:00 PM
  • La Briqueterie, Vitry-sur-Seine — "Les Femmes," choral composition by Dalila Belaza with fifteen women from the Petit Ivry neighborhood center, Saturday at 6:00 PM, free
  • Departmental Archives, Créteil — "Save the Archives" escape game and cyanotype workshop, echoing the national theme of photography
  • Fort de Sucy and Château de Sucy-en-Brie — eleven sites open in the municipality: fort, Confrérie des Coteaux cellars, vineyards, Maison blanche, beehives, antique weapon shooting club
  • Roseraie du Val-de-Marne, L'Haÿ-les-Roses — free admission to the world's first modern rose garden, 16,000 rose bushes
  • École nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort — Fragonard Museum and "260 years of Alfort" exhibition
  • Judicial Court of Créteil — justice careers forum and "Courtroom Costumes" exhibition, Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
  • Moulin de la Tour, Ivry-sur-Seine — the last remaining mill in the department
  • Domaine de Grosbois, Boissy-Saint-Léger — Forest Festival, Trot Museum, and costumed tour of the Wagram Princes' Residence, Saturday

Programme Heritage Days 94 2026

The 43rd edition of the European Heritage Days takes place on Saturday, September 19th, and Sunday, September 20th, 2026, under the themes "Heritage of Photography" and "Heritage in Peril: Revive, Resist, Reimagine." As of mid-August, the official Ministry of Culture database lists 114 open sites in 33 Val-de-Marne municipalities and over 220 events. Below are the highlights, town by town. The full list and booking details are at journeesdupatrimoine.culture.gouv.fr.

Departmental Sites

  • Val-de-Marne Departmental Archives, 10 rue des Archives, Créteil — Behind-the-scenes tour Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM, and 5:00 PM (1h15) · Workshop on early photo-printing methods, creating a cyanotype, Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM, ages 8+ · "Save the Archives" escape game Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM, and 5:00 PM, ages 12+, registration required ([email protected], 01 56 71 45 60)
  • MAC VAL, Museum of Contemporary Art of Val-de-Marne, place de la Libération, Vitry-sur-Seine — open Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM · 2:00 PM Saturday: "Le Plancher," musical reading by Nicolas Dégremont accompanied by cellist Zoé Saubat, based on the novel by Perrine Le Querrec · 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM both days: tour of the museum reserves, register at reception on the day · 3:00 PM both days: family tour of the "Le genre idéal" exhibition, ages 4+ · 3:00 PM Saturday: "Rouge Variation" artist book workshop with Céline Louvet, ages 5+ · 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM both days: "Les grandes mues" from SMITH's "Ici grand ouvert" exhibition, featuring Melissa Laveaux, Laure Murat, Matthieu Potte-Bonneville, Jean-Philippe Uzan, and Radio Levania on Saturday; Zoë Dubus, "Queer As Us – Our Story," and Radio Levania on Sunday · 10:00 AM Sunday: "Bébés au MAC VAL," ages 8 to 36 months, reservation required · 11:00 AM Sunday: "Constellations rêvées" workshop, ages 3+ · 2:00 PM Sunday: meeting between Armance Léger and Camille Paulhan regarding Michel Journiac's "Messe pour un corps" · 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM Sunday: continuous artist book workshops · 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM Sunday: architectural tour · 4:30 PM Sunday: guided tour "The Keys to Contemporary Art"
  • La Briqueterie – CDCN Val-de-Marne, 17 rue Robert-Degert, Vitry-sur-Seine — 2:00 PM and 4:30 PM Saturday: dual-perspective guided tours of the former Gournay brickworks, garden, and dance studios with Franca Malservisi, CAUE 94 architect, and a mediator (35 people per tour) · 6:00 PM Saturday: "Les Femmes," choral composition by Dalila Belaza based on the sung heritage of fifteen women from the Petit Ivry neighborhood center, free
  • Roseraie du Val-de-Marne, 1 rue Watel, L'Haÿ-les-Roses — free admission Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM to the world's first modern rose garden, founded in 1894 by Jules Gravereaux, featuring 3,100 species and 16,000 rose bushes
  • Domaine départemental Adolphe-Chérioux, 4 route de Fontainebleau, Vitry-sur-Seine — 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM Saturday: guided tour by Department staff of this early 20th-century former orphanage turned university campus. Reservation required, limited spots, not wheelchair accessible

Créteil

  • Judicial Court, place du Palais — 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday: justice careers forum, exhibitions "Courtroom Costumes: Heritage of Justice" and "The Court Revealed: From Blueprints to Screens," workshops "Draw Me Your Justice" and "Little Justice Explorers" with the CDAD · 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM: guided tours · 11:00 AM: lecture on the court's architecture in the work of Badani and Roux-Dorlut, followed at 11:45 AM by an architectural guided tour · 3:00 PM: lecture "Understanding Justice and How a Court Works"
  • Prefecture – Hôtel du Département, 21-29 avenue du Général-de-Gaulle — 2:00 PM Saturday: guided tour of the Val-de-Marne Prefecture
  • City Hall, place Salvador-Allende — 11:00 AM Saturday: guided tour
  • Notre-Dame Cathedral, 2 rue Pasteur-Vallery-Radot — 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM Saturday and Sunday: guided tours
  • Saint-Christophe Church, place de l'église — 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM Sunday, tour complemented by QR codes to scan on-site
  • Le Colombier, 17-19 villa du Petit-Parc — 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM Saturday: games to discover the medieval dovecote · 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM Sunday: "A tower among towers, but worth the detour" · 3:45 PM and 5:15 PM Sunday: "The Round of the Nesting Holes"
  • Maison du Combattant – former City Hall, place Henri-Dunant — 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM Saturday: exhibition "Viens plus près du Journ-al" by Soo Young Kwon · 2:30 PM: family workshop "Create your watercolor journal album"
  • Les Bleuets District, 21 rue Charles-Beuvin — 2:00 PM Sunday: tour of the district

Ivry-sur-Seine

  • Technochimie Workshops, 4 rue du Colombier — 2:30 PM Saturday: poetic and musical stroll through the workshops · 4:00 PM Saturday: "Et la démocratie bordel" by Oscar Castro · 8:00 PM Saturday: "Le Dîner chez les Français de V. Giscard d'Estaing" by Julien Campani and Léo Cohen-Paperman · 3:00 PM Sunday: "7 Minutes, Comité d'Usine" by Stefano Massini · 4:30 PM Sunday: songs by the Atelier volant. Pay-what-you-can, reservation mandatory, 30 spots
  • Le Crédac, contemporary art center, Manufacture des Œillets, 1 place Pierre-Gosnat — 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM Saturday and Sunday · 2:30 PM both days: presentation on the history and architecture of the Manufacture des Œillets
  • Théâtre des Quartiers d'Ivry, national dramatic center of Val-de-Marne — 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM, and 4:30 PM Saturday: behind-the-scenes, reservation required
  • Moulin de la Tour, place du 8-Mai-1945, the last remaining mill in the department — 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM Saturday, 11:00 AM to 5:30 PM Sunday
  • Charles-Foix Hospital, 7 avenue de la République — exhibition 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM both days, inauguration Saturday 3:00 PM, guided tour Sunday 3:00 PM, concert Sunday 4:30 PM
  • Madeleine Delbrêl House, 11 rue Raspail — self-guided tours 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM Saturday and 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM Sunday · screening Saturday 3:00 PM and Sunday 2:30 PM · reading workshop Sunday 5:00 PM
  • City Hall, esplanade Georges-Marrane — 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM, and 4:30 PM Sunday: guided tours
  • City Center Architecture11:00 AM Sunday: architectural walk · 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM Sunday: guided tours of terrace apartments, reservation at [email protected] · 3:00 PM Sunday: guided tour of the Gailhoustet and Renaudie buildings, departure from place Voltaire
  • Old Communal Cemetery, 8 rue Bernard-Palissy — 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Saturday and Sunday
  • City Observatory, 76 avenue Georges-Gosnat — 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM Sunday
  • Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul Church — tours 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM Saturday and 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM Sunday, guided starting at 2:30 PM Sunday · organ presentation by the Friends of the Organ association Saturday 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM and Sunday 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
  • Sainte-Croix d'Ivry-Port Church, 41 rue Lénine — self-guided tours 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM Saturday and 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM Sunday · guided tours Sunday 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM
  • Éveha, archaeological research office, 161 avenue de Verdun — open house Saturday 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, reservation mandatory, 10 spots per slot

Saint-Maur-des-Fossés

  • Former Saint-Maur Abbey, 4 rue de l'Abbaye — "The thousand-year history of the abbey, on the pilgrims' path" self-guided tour 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM both days, guided tour Saturday 4:00 PM and Sunday 2:30 PM · "Discovering the historical roots of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés" self-guided tour 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, guided tour Saturday 2:00 PM and Sunday 4:00 PM · meeting with the "Le Vieux Saint-Maur" history society 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM both days
  • City Hall, avenue Charles-de-Gaulle — guided tours Saturday 9:00 AM and 10:15 AM
  • Germaine-Tillion Media Library, 23 avenue Henri-Martin — "The Château de Saint-Maur" 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday · "What happened on September 16, 1982?" Saturday 11:30 AM and 4:30 PM
  • Municipal Archives, 23 avenue d'Arromanches — "Heritage in danger, archivists to the rescue!" Saturday 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
  • Les Ateliers d'Arts, former bathhouse, 5 ter avenue du Bac — 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday
  • Baudoin & Monique Workshop, 43 bis rue Viala — "The fragility of painted grisaille on stained glass," Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM, and 4:30 PM
  • Maison des arts et de la culture, 5 rue Saint-Hilaire, La Varenne — "Discovering the architecture of the Villa Médicis" Saturday 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM, with youth workshops at the same times
  • Nature House, 77 quai de la Pie — Citizen Sunday 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM · "Saint-Maur, garden city serving biodiversity" Sunday 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM
  • Educational Garden, 43 avenue Denfert-Rochereau — "Garden Party" Saturday 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM
  • Saint-Nicolas Church — self-guided tour Saturday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
  • Architectural trail "La Terrasse – Le Parc" — Sunday 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM, departure from Saint-Maur-Champigny RER station

Sucy-en-Brie

  • Château de Sucy, avenue Georges-Pompidou — guided tour 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM Saturday and Sunday · at the Orangerie, exhibition "Images of Sucy: From Village to City" 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM both days
  • Fort de Sucy, allée Séré-de-Rivières — guided tours Saturday and Sunday 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, and 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM · discover the Fort Mycologists Saturday 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM and Sunday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM · Kifékoi? Modeling workshop 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM both days · Fort beehives Sunday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM · Shooting Club, antique weapon shooting demonstration Saturday and Sunday 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM
  • Cellars and wineries of the Confrérie des Coteaux, Fort wine gallery, and Sucy vineyards, 12 rue des Remparts — Saturday 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
  • Maison blanche, rue Ludovic-Halévy — Saturday and Sunday 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM
  • Château de Haute-Maison, 7 rue Ludovic-Halévy — "De Sainte-Amaranthe, tout miser sur l'Amour," performance Saturday and Sunday 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM, €12 to €15
  • Saint-Martin Church 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Sainte-Jeanne-de-Chantal Church 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday
  • "Travel back in time in Sucy-en-Brie" — self-guided tour on the free Baludik app, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM both days, in adventurer mode for children or expert mode

Vincennes

  • Château de Vincennes, 1 avenue de Paris — Robert Combas exhibition "On dit que je suis grotesque…," fourteen paintings from the 1980s from the Didier Moiselet collection, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday and Sunday, free admission · association tours every half hour starting at 10:30 AM: "The Château de Vincennes and its history, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century" · "Charles V's Versailles" Saturday 3:00 PM, Sunday 11:00 AM · "1804, the Duke of Enghien affair" Saturday and Sunday 10:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 3:15 PM · "August 1944, on the eve of the Liberation, execution of resistance fighters" Saturday and Sunday 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM · "Little Architects" workshop 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM both days. Reservation on the day at the association stand in the main courtyard, tours limited to 17 people
  • City Hall, 53 bis rue de Fontenay — self-guided tours 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM both days · artistic creation workshops Saturday 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM, and 4:30 PM · lecture on the restoration of painted decorations Saturday 4:30 PM · family storytelling tours Sunday 2:30 PM, 3:30 PM, and 4:30 PM
  • City Hall Esplanade — 6th Creators' Days, 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM Saturday and Sunday
  • Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville — treasure hunt "The Animal Print Brigade needs you!," Sunday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
  • Banque de France, 19 rue de Montreuil — guided tours Saturday 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:30 PM, and 3:00 PM
  • Saint-Louis Church, 23 rue Céline-Robert — self-guided tours Saturday 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Sunday 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM · guided tours Saturday 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM, Sunday 3:00 PM

Châteaux and Grand Estates

  • Domaine de Grosbois, Boissy-Saint-Léger and Marolles-en-Brie — Saturday only. 10:30 AM: guided tour of an equestrian training center (€10, €5 for under 12s) · 11:00 AM: guided tour of the château (€10, €5 under 12s, free under 7s) · 11:30 AM: "The château told by puppets" (€10, reservation required) · 11:45 AM: costumed tour of the Wagram Princes' Residence (€10 / €5) · 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM: "The Château de Grosbois at your own pace" (€5, free under 12s) · 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM: Trot Museum self-guided tour, free, and Forest Festival, free park access, with "Grand zoom on the little creatures of Grosbois" and the "Become a forest guardian" passport · free walks by registration at the walk stand: "The Grosbois forest through history" 2:00 PM, "Story-walk" 2:00 PM, "We are cousins of the trees" 2:00 PM and 3:45 PM, forest and landscape walk 2:30 PM and 4:00 PM, sensory and ornithological walk 4:00 PM
  • Château d'Ormesson, Ormesson-sur-Marne — guided tours of the park and reception rooms Saturday and Sunday 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM, €8. Estate held by the same family since 1630, built in 1581, park designed after Le Nôtre

Marne Riverbanks and River Heritage

  • Saint-Maurice Dam, lock and fish pass, 28 quai Fernand-Saguet, Maisons-Alfort — Saturday 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM, reservation mandatory
  • Joinville-le-Pont Dam, 87 quai Gabriel-Péri — Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
  • Saint-Maur Lock, Voies navigables de France, avenue de la Villa-Antony, Saint-Maurice — Saturday 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM
  • Île des Loups, opposite 33 quai d'Artois, Le Perreux-sur-Marne — collection of historic Marne boats and restoration techniques, Saturday 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Sunday 10:15 AM to 6:00 PM
  • Hollywood-sur-Marne, Joinville-le-Pont Film Festival — Pierre-et-Jacques-Prévert Cinema, 23 rue de Paris: screenings Friday 8:00 PM, Saturday 3:15 PM and 8:30 PM, Sunday 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM · master class "History of the Joinville Studios" Saturday 6:00 PM, reservation required · photo exhibition on the Joinville-le-Pont bridge, Saturday and Sunday

Nogent-sur-Marne

  • Fondation des Artistes, 14 bis rue Charles-VII — guided tour of the history of the residences and park Saturday and Sunday 2:00 PM · Smith-Lesouëf Library self-guided tour 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM both days
  • Maison nationale des artistes, 14 rue Charles-VII — exhibition by Jeanne Smith, "Traversées photographiques, Paysages," 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM Saturday and Sunday
  • Nogent-sur-Marne Museum, 36 boulevard Gallieni — self-guided tour on the Marne riverbanks and plastic arts workshops, Saturday 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Sunday 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM · meeting with the plastic arts workshop Sunday 3:30 PM
  • Antoine-Watteau Theater, 1 place du Théâtre — tour Saturday 3:00 PM
  • Saint-Saturnin Church — Sunday 3:00 PM
  • Nogent Cemetery, 134 rue de la Paix — history and tour Saturday and Sunday 3:00 PM

Maisons-Alfort and Alfortville

  • École nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort, 7 avenue du Général-de-Gaulle — Fragonard Museum 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM both days · exhibition "260 years of Alfort" 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM · guided campus tours 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM, and 5:00 PM Saturday and Sunday · botanical garden 2:30 PM and 4:00 PM both days · library Saturday 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 4:30 PM · lecture with Christophe Degueurce and François Vallet on "Caring for Animals," Saturday 3:00 PM
  • Claude-Debussy Cinema-Theater, 116 avenue du Général-de-Gaulle — guided tours Saturday 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM
  • City Gas Museum, 25 quai de la Révolution, Alfortville — free guided tours Saturday and Sunday 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, 20 people per slot

Champigny-sur-Marne

  • National Resistance Museum, 40 quai Victor-Hugo — "Resisting time: behind the scenes of preserving Resistance archives," space open Saturday 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, tour Saturday 3:00 PM and Sunday 5:00 PM, lecture by the Atelier du Lys and the collections team Sunday 3:00 PM
  • House of History and Heritage, 15 rue de la Prévoyance — exhibition "On the trail of the Great War. From intimate memories to history," guided tour Saturday and Sunday 3:00 PM, workshops 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM both days
  • Parc du Plateau — "From the Plateau to the Marne, getaway on the Champigny hillsides," Saturday and Sunday 2:30 PM to 5:15 PM
  • Le Plant District — guided walk Saturday 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, free, 30 spots

Elsewhere in the Department

  • Arcueil — ETR Balistic graphic art studio-museum, 5 avenue de la Convention: open house Saturday 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM
  • Bry-sur-Marne — National Audiovisual Institute, 32 avenue des Frères-Lumière: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday and Sunday · catenary training center Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and guided tour of the town's historic center Saturday 2:30 PM, address provided upon registration
  • Cachan — Maison Raspail, 13 rue Gallieni: exhibition "Let's talk work with Raspail and Poulaille" Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM and Sunday 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM · readings "Work in proletarian literature from the Poulaille collection" Saturday 2:30 PM · public meeting "What future for the Maison Raspail?" Saturday 4:30 PM · vernissage Saturday 6:30 PM · lecture "Benjamin Raspail and the Invalids of Labor" Sunday 11:00 AM. Free admission, no reservation. At City Hall, "Chœur d'aventure" choir Saturday 8:00 PM
  • Charenton-le-Pont — Conflans Chapel, Conflans Park: self-guided tour Sunday 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, guided tours 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM, and 5:00 PM, exhibition 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM · City Hall, 48 rue de Paris: guided tour Saturday 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM · Quai Media Library: "Patronages and summer camps of Charenton-le-Pont in the 20th century" Saturday 4:00 PM, free with reservation
  • Choisy-le-Roi — former City Hall and park, place Gabriel-Péri, Sunday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM: photo exhibition "Choisy-le-Roi: looks at a lost or transformed heritage," exhibition "Angels in Choisy heritage," LEGO workshop "Brick by brick: let's rebuild the Château de Choisy," treasure hunt "The lost emblem" ages 8+, play and heritage mediation area
  • Fontenay-sous-Bois — La Fonderie, artistic creation center, 23 rue de Neuilly: discover the site 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM both days · "Passerelles photographiques… When art takes the air" 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM · Pegazz Festival Sunday 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
  • Fresnes — Domaine de la Peupleraie, rue du Docteur-Émile-Roux: site open 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM both days, guided tours of duplex apartments 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM · Ecomuseum, 41 rue Maurice-Ténine: "Visits to drink (without moderation and without alcohol)" Saturday 11:00 AM, 2:30 PM, and 4:30 PM, free without reservation · Baludik digital treasure hunt Saturday 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, snack offered at the Cottinville farm starting at 4:00 PM
  • Gentilly — Le Lavoir Numérique, former bathhouse, rue de Freiberg: guided tours Saturday 2:30 PM and 4:00 PM, reservation required, 15 people
  • Le Kremlin-Bicêtre — Bicêtre Hospital, 78 rue du Général-Leclerc: "Collections of the AP-HP museum, witnesses of today's hospital" Saturday 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM, free, 20 spots · Fort de Bicêtre, 21 avenue Charles-Gide: 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM Saturday and Sunday, ID required
  • Limeil-Brévannes — Émile-Roux Hospital: "From the Château de Brévannes to the Émile-Roux Hospital" Saturday 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, registration required · L'Atelier Coban, 3 rue Georges-Clemenceau, former home of poet Paul Coban: Sunday 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM
  • Mandres-les-Roses — Ferme de Monsieur, 4 rue du Général-Leclerc: guided tours Sunday 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM
  • Orly — Paris-Orly Environment and Territories House, rue de Rome: flight simulation workshops 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and screening of historical films on the ADP Group 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday, free admission and parking
  • Saint-Mandé — Institut Le Val Mandé, 7 rue Mongenot: guided tours of the Braille school Saturday 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 3:45 PM, and 5:30 PM
  • Thiais — Micro-Folie, 111 rue du Pavé-de-Grignon: micro-lecture "Chronophotography: capturing movement" Saturday 4:00 PM · Cluny Park: storytelling walk "Memories, memories… at Cluny" Saturday 2:30 PM and photo studio "Strike a pose" Saturday 3:30 PM, free with reservation
  • Works by Guillaume Bottazzi with free access — 10-meter solar painting in Alfortville (141 rue Étienne-Dolet), three works over three meters in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés (57 avenue du Bac), gustatory works in Rungis (17 and 21 rue du Marché), dreamlike ceramics in Vincennes (4 rue de la Bienfaisance), enameled work in Villiers-sur-Marne (16 boulevard Joséphine-Baker)

Friday, September 18, 2026

The day before the public opening, the national "Look Up!" operation reserves sites for school groups. Some open events are already scheduled in the Val-de-Marne:

  • 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM — City Gas Museum, Alfortville: morning reserved for school groups and afternoon for the Children of Heritage, sold out
  • 6:00 PM — Maison Raspail, Cachan: presentation of work by students from Victor-Hugo Middle School
  • 8:00 PM — Technochimie Workshops, Ivry-sur-Seine: "The Children" by Lucy Kirkwood, pay-what-you-can, reservation mandatory
  • 8:00 PM — Pierre-et-Jacques-Prévert Cinema, Joinville-le-Pont: first screening of Hollywood-sur-Marne

Continuous throughout the weekend

  • Treasure hunts in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés — Vieux-Saint-Maur (place d'Armes), Adamville north and east district, Mûriers district, Champignol (Auguste-Marin stadium), City Hall district, Observatory, La Varenne, Saint-Maur-Créteil station
  • Discovery trails in Saint-Maur — "The Southeast of Mûriers: between rurality and relaxation," "the Schaken district, the former little Venice of Saint-Maur," "the South of Champignol: millstone for all!," accessible from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM or 11:00 PM depending on the trail
  • Audio-guided tours of Charenton-le-Pont — free and open access all year round
  • "Travel back in time in Sucy-en-Brie" — children's trail and expert trail on the Baludik app, QR code at the château entrance

The program continues to be updated until the day before the event. The Ministry of Culture portal, journeesdupatrimoine.culture.gouv.fr, is the definitive source for final schedules, reservations, and last-minute additions.

Prices Heritage Days 94 2026

Admission is free at almost all sites in the Val-de-Marne, including the five departmental facilities: Archives, MAC VAL, La Briqueterie, Roseraie, and the Chérioux estate.
A few sites remain paid: Château d'Ormesson €8; Domaine de Grosbois, €10 for the guided tour of the château and €5 for the self-guided tour, €5 for under 12s and free for under 7s; performance "De Sainte-Amaranthe, tout miser sur l'Amour" at the Château de Haute-Maison in Sucy-en-Brie, €12 to €15; pay-what-you-can theater at the Technochimie Workshops in Ivry-sur-Seine.
Many free tours require reservation due to limited capacity.
Practical information

Practical information — Heritage Days 94

Practical Information

Dates

The European Heritage Days take place on the third weekend of September, on Saturday and Sunday. In 2026, the 43rd edition will be held on September 19th and 20th. On the preceding Friday, the national "Look Up!" initiative reserves sites for school groups, from kindergarten to high school.

Opening Hours

Each site sets its own hours. The most common window is 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, though some sites open as early as 9:00 AM, and performances, screenings, or exhibitions may run until 7:00 PM, 9:00 PM, or 11:00 PM. Please check each site individually: hours are listed on the specific page for each location on the national portal.

Sites and Locations

Over a hundred locations across thirty Val-de-Marne municipalities: châteaux, forts, churches, town halls, museums, archives, hospitals, converted factories, Marne dams and locks, and artist and artisan workshops.

Access

Most sites are accessible via public transport: RER lines A, B, C, and D, metro lines 1, 7, and 8, and RATP buses. Two examples: the Departmental Archives in Créteil are near the Créteil-Préfecture metro station (line 8) and bus lines 117, 181, 281, 308, and 317; the Roseraie du Val-de-Marne can be reached via RER B to Bourg-la-Reine followed by bus 172 or 192, or via the Porte d'Italie metro station followed by bus 186 or 184.

Admission

Free at almost all sites, including the five facilities managed by the Department. A few private estates may charge an entrance fee. Many guided tours and workshops have limited capacity and require booking, sometimes in advance or on-site on the day of the event.

Program

The national Ministry of Culture portal, journeesdupatrimoine.culture.gouv.fr, publishes the full program and booking details for each site. The Department also provides details on the programming for its five facilities at valdemarne.fr.

Heritage Days in Val-de-Marne

On the third weekend of September, over a hundred sites across thirty municipalities in Val-de-Marne open their doors to the public for free. The department is compact and densely populated, making it easy to visit several locations in a single day: Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Ivry-sur-Seine, Sucy-en-Brie, Créteil, and Vincennes alone account for nearly half of the participating sites.

A Diverse Heritage

Military and Royal History

The Château de Vincennes stands as France's largest royal fortress, featuring a 14th-century keep and gatehouse, the 14th and 16th-century Sainte-Chapelle, 17th-century royal pavilions, and 19th-century casemates. The defensive belt around Paris has left behind the Fort de Sucy, along the Séré-de-Rivières path, and the Fort de Bicêtre in Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, both of which are open to visitors thanks to local associations.

Châteaux and Estates

The Domaine de Grosbois, located between Boissy-Saint-Léger and Marolles-en-Brie, combines a château—the residence of the Princes of Wagram—with a horse training center and the Trot Museum. The Château d'Ormesson, built in 1581 and held by the same family since 1630, opens its park, which was designed following the style of Le Nôtre. The former Saint-Maur Abbey, the Maison Blanche, and the Château de Sucy complete the selection.

River Heritage

The Marne and Seine rivers define the department's landscape. Voies navigables de France opens the dams at Saint-Maurice and Joinville-le-Pont, along with their locks and fish ladders. In Le Perreux-sur-Marne, the Île des Loups showcases a collection of historic Marne boats and the techniques used to restore them.

Industrial and Scientific Legacy

Val-de-Marne was once a cradle of Parisian industry. The City Gas Museum in Alfortville, the technochemistry workshops and the Éveha archaeological research office in Ivry-sur-Seine, the École nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort with its Fragonard Museum, and the National Audiovisual Institute in Bry-sur-Marne all tell this story.

Botanical and Contemporary Treasures

The Roseraie du Val-de-Marne in L'Haÿ-les-Roses, the world's first modern rose garden created in 1894 by Jules Gravereaux, features 3,100 species and varieties across 16,000 rose bushes. In terms of contemporary creation, the MAC VAL in Vitry-sur-Seine is the only museum dedicated exclusively to the French art scene since the 1950s; La Briqueterie, a former factory in Gournay, has become a national choreographic development center; and the Crédac occupies the Manufacture des Œillets in Ivry.

Tours, Workshops, and Performances

Beyond guided tours, municipalities offer scavenger hunts, self-guided trails, children's workshops, archival exhibitions, concerts, and plays. The Department's heritage services, local towns, and associations collaborate to build this extensive program.

Where does it take place — Heritage Days 94

Sites patrimoniaux du Val-de-Marne
Département du Val-de-Marne, sites multiples, 94000 Créteil

Heritage Days 94 in brief

Opera Drum and Bass Chocolate Science Val-de-Marne

History of Heritage Days 94

Edition 2025 Sep 2025

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