The Jardin des Plantes in Paris (5th arrondissement) is open every day and admission is free: from 8 am to 6:30 pm until 24 October 2026, then from 8 am to 5:30 pm from 25 October 2026 to 28 February 2027. However, each of its paid sights (Grande Galerie de l’Évolution, Grandes Serres, Ménagerie, Galerie de Géologie et de Minéralogie) has its own ticket and its own hours, and there is no single ticket. This page gathers them in one table, suggests a route depending on your time, and shows, month by month, sunset time against closing time.
The garden fits easily into a stay in the capital: our guide to visiting Paris covers the neighborhoods, budget and month-by-month climate. To see marine animals in the capital, see our page on the Aquarium de Paris. For a larger zoo, our guide to the La Flèche Zoo covers hours and on-site accommodation.
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Jardin des Plantes: key facts
- Garden: open every day, free entry; 8 am–5:30 pm from 25 October 2026 to 28 February 2027, last entry 15 min before closing — checked on 23 October 2026 on jardindesplantesdeparis.fr
- Grande Galerie de l’Évolution: every day except Tuesday, 10 am–6 pm; permanent collection €13 (reduced €10); online booking mandatory during the All Saints’ 2026 school holidays — checked on 23 October 2026 on jardindesplantesdeparis.fr
- Ménagerie (zoo): every day except 25 December, 10 am–5 pm from 26 October 2026 to 28 February 2027; €13 (reduced €10) — checked on 23 October 2026 on jardindesplantesdeparis.fr
- Grandes Serres (greenhouses): every day except Tuesday, 10 am–5 pm in winter; €9 (reduced €7), online booking only — checked on 23 October 2026 on jardindesplantesdeparis.fr
- Galerie de Paléontologie et d’Anatomie comparée: closed for renovation until sometime in 2027.
- Address: 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris (entrances also on rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, rue Buffon and place Valhubert).
All the sights: hours and prices
The Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle runs the whole site. Its FAQ confirms it: each gallery, the Grandes Serres and the Ménagerie have their own ticket and hours. Here is the summary we put together from the official pages. For a larger animal park in eastern Paris, see our guide to the Vincennes Zoo (Parc zoologique de Paris).
| Sight | Opening days | Winter hours (26 Oct 2026 – 28 Feb 2027) | Full rate | Reduced rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden and its themed gardens | Every day | 8 am – 5:30 pm (last entry 15 min before) | Free | — |
| Grande Galerie de l’Évolution | Every day except Tuesday; closed 1 January, 1 May, 25 December | 10 am – 6 pm (last ticket desk entry 1 hour before) | €13 | €10 |
| Ménagerie, the Jardin des Plantes zoo | Every day, public holidays included, except 25 December | 10 am – 5 pm (last ticket desk entry 1 hour before) | €13 | €10 |
| Grandes Serres | Every day except Tuesday | 10 am – 5 pm (last entry 1 hour before) | €9 | €7 |
| Galerie de Géologie et de Minéralogie | Every day except Tuesday | 10 am – 5 pm (last entry 1 hour before) | €9 | €7 |
| Galerie de Paléontologie et d’Anatomie comparée | Closed for renovation until sometime in 2027 | — | — | — |
Official free entry and discounts
- Reduced rate (Greenhouses, Ménagerie): young people aged 3 to 25 inclusive, holders of the French Pass Éducation (teachers’ card), and holders of a full-price ticket less than 3 months old for another Jardin des Plantes site, the Musée de l’Homme or the Parc zoologique de Paris.
- Free: under 3, holders of the annual Muséum Pass, people with disabilities and their companion (MDPH proof, the French disability certificate), job seekers, recipients of French social-assistance benefits.
- Grande Galerie de l’Évolution: the official page indicates free entry for young people under 25 inclusive (EU and non-EU residents), with proof.
- Tribu family package: 2 adults + 2 young people aged 3 to 25, €28 at the Grandes Serres.
- Official tickets: the online ticket office is billetterie.jardindesplantesdeparis.fr; there is no combined ticket for all the sights.
What to see: a route for your time
The garden (free). Open to the public for almost 400 years, it was awarded the « Jardin remarquable » (Remarkable Garden) label in 2026. It includes the iris and perennial garden (during garden hours), the alpine garden (8 am to noon, closed from November to March) and the ecological garden, accessible by reservation only — official garden page.
The Grande Galerie de l’Évolution. Opened in 1994, it displays taxidermied animals (including the famous African caravan) and tells the story of biodiversity; it includes the Children’s Gallery. It is the busiest sight: during school holidays, online booking sometimes becomes mandatory.
The Ménagerie. This zoo in the heart of Paris features orangutans, flamingos, Przewalski’s horses and tree kangaroos, among others, with keeper talks — Ménagerie page.
The Grandes Serres. From primitive plants to desert vegetation, via the humid tropical forest greenhouse. They can close in bad weather or extreme heat. Note: they are temporarily inaccessible by wheelchair because of a breakdown of the outdoor lift (information recorded on 23 October 2026).
The Galerie de Géologie et de Minéralogie. Martian meteorites, giant crystals, rocks and minerals — official page. The dinosaurs and skeletons of the Paleontology Gallery, however, cannot be seen before the reopening planned for sometime in 2027.
| Time available | Suggested program |
|---|---|
| 1 hour | Free stroll in the garden: central perspective, iris garden, Grandes Serres entrance |
| Half a day | Garden + Grande Galerie de l’Évolution (or the Ménagerie with children) |
| A full day | Garden, Grande Galerie, Ménagerie and Grandes Serres; a break at the garden’s restaurants and kiosks |
| Rainy day | Grande Galerie de l’Évolution then Galerie de Géologie, both at 36 rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire |
Best time to visit: sun and closing time
The garden’s hours change twice a year, and so does the light. We calculated the sunset time on the 15th of each month at the Jardin des Plantes and compared it with the winter closing time (5:30 pm), alongside the number of rainy days at Paris-Montsouris published on our Paris page.
| Month (15th) | Sunset | Compared with 5:30 pm | Max °C (°F) | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5:21 pm | before | 7.6 (46) | 9.9 |
| February | 6:10 pm | after | 8.8 (48) | 9.1 |
| March | 6:55 pm | after | 12.8 (55) | 9.5 |
| April | 8:41 pm | after | 16.6 (62) | 8.6 |
| May | 9:25 pm | after | 20.2 (68) | 9.2 |
| June | 9:55 pm | after | 23.4 (74) | 8.3 |
| July | 9:49 pm | after | 25.7 (78) | 7.4 |
| August | 9:06 pm | after | 25.6 (78) | 8.1 |
| September | 8:04 pm | after | 21.5 (71) | 7.5 |
| October | 7:01 pm | after | 16.5 (62) | 9.5 |
| November | 5:10 pm | before | 11.1 (52) | 10.4 |
| December | 4:54 pm | before | 8.0 (46) | 11.4 |
How to read it: from November to January, the sun sets before 5:30 pm; the end of your visit takes place at nightfall. In spring and summer, the garden closes well before sunset: the garden’s summer hours are published during the year on the official website. Spring is the flowering season along the central perspective. Rainy days, frequent in winter, point you toward the covered galleries.
Getting there, accessibility and common mistakes
Metro and RER: line 5 (Gare d’Austerlitz, Quai de la Rapée or Saint-Marcel), line 7 (Censier-Daubenton), line 10 (Jussieu or Gare d’Austerlitz), RER C (Gare d’Austerlitz). Bus: lines 24, 57, 61, 63, 67, 89, 91. Batobus (river shuttle): Jardin des Plantes stop. Train: Gare d’Austerlitz and Gare de Lyon stations — access page. The Muséum lends wheelchairs (+33 1 40 79 56 01); the Grande Galerie has held the French Tourisme et Handicap label since 2004; free lockers are available in the galleries.
- Coming on a Tuesday for the galleries: the Grande Galerie, Grandes Serres and Galerie de Géologie are closed; only the garden and the Ménagerie are open.
- Looking for the dinosaurs: the Paleontology Gallery is closed until sometime in 2027.
- Arriving late: last ticket desk entry is 1 hour before closing for the Grande Galerie and the Ménagerie.
- Buying Greenhouse tickets on site: booking is through the online ticket office only.
- Ignoring the weather: in bad weather, the garden and the Greenhouses may close without notice.
What to see nearby
The garden is a few minutes from the Latin Quarter: the Panthéon is close by, and Notre-Dame de Paris and the Sainte-Chapelle can be reached by following the Seine. For another major museum, see the Louvre.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Jardin des Plantes free?
Yes, entry to the garden is free every day. The galleries, the Grandes Serres and the Ménagerie are paid, each with its own ticket.
What are the Jardin des Plantes opening hours?
From 25 October 2026 to 28 February 2027, 8 am to 5:30 pm every day, last entry 15 minutes before closing. Until 24 October 2026, 8 am to 6:30 pm.
How much does the Jardin des Plantes Ménagerie cost?
€13 at the full rate and €10 at the reduced rate (young people aged 3 to 25 inclusive, among others); free for children under 3.
Is there a single ticket for the Jardin des Plantes?
No, there is no combined ticket for all the sights. The Muséum offers annual passes, a Tribu family package (2 adults + 2 young people) and a Discovery offer.
Where can you see dinosaurs at the Jardin des Plantes?
In the Galerie de Paléontologie et d’Anatomie comparée, 2 rue Buffon, currently closed for renovation until sometime in 2027.
Is the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution open on Tuesdays?
No, it opens every day except Tuesday, from 10 am to 6 pm, and is closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
Our sources
- Jardin des Plantes de Paris – Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (jardindesplantesdeparis.fr): prices, hours and access, pages Jardin des Plantes, Grandes Serres, Ménagerie, Grande Galerie de l’Évolution, Galerie de Géologie et de Minéralogie, FAQ, Jardin remarquable label, consulted on 23 October 2026
- Météo-France: 1991–2020 normals, Paris-Montsouris station, taken from our Paris page
- Astronomical calculations: NOAA solar algorithm, IANA Europe/Paris time zone, applied by Destination de Voyage to the approximate coordinates of the garden (15th of each month, year 2027)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026.