No matter the season, on every trip I take to Paris, a stroll through the Tuileries Garden is a must. One of the most royal parks in Paris and certainly one of the best parks in Paris, it is filled with so much to see and enjoy. These magnificent public gardens have a wonderful history nearly five hundred years old and are one of the best places to enjoy a bit of respite while you explore Paris.
As the founder of En Route to Rêverie you will find me in Paris often curating new recommendations for my Rêverie in Paris clients. But no matter the length of my trip I always find time to squeeze in a visit to the Tuileries.
Tuileries Garden
The Tuileries Gardens are located in Central Paris and stretch from the Louvre Palace all the way to the famed square Place de la Concorde. It is framed on the Northern border by the famous Rue de Rivoli. On the Southern border you’ll find the Seine River.
From the gardens Western edge you can see all the way down the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe and La Defense.
All year long you will find the gardens home to tourists and Parisians alike. My favorite time to visit them is in the early mornings of summer and Fall. Before all of Paris has woken up and when the gardens are bathed in beautiful light on a sunny day.
The Tuileries are a wonderful place for families as they feature a playground and carousel. At the Grand Basin you’ll also find a fleet of little boats that, for a few Euros, children can pick and then drop into the water as they attempt to have it navigate the waters with a stick. This activity is iconic and historical. It dates back to 1850.
Tuileries Garden Facts
Olympics History
The gardens were the location of where, during the 1900 games, for the first time three medals of different colors were awarded.
Royal Playground
The Gardens once served as the playground for King Louis XIII who was said to have hunted quail and crows in the park. The son of Napoleon I, Napoleon II, is said to have played here as well.
Commune Rising
In 1871 during the Paris Commune uprising, rioters burned the Tuileries Palace down to protest against royal and imperial power. The palace itself was never rebuilt but the gardens have survived and gone onto flourish.
The Grand Carré
The section of the Tuileries Garden nearest to the Louvre palace was designed to be admired from its windows. Called the Grand Carré, it features ponds and intricate garden beds surrounded by low boxwood hedges. Nowadays the flower beds feature more simple flowers and plants. They are meticulously kept up seasonally.
The Grand Couvert
One of the most photogenic parts of the park in my opinion is Le Grand Couvert This is the shady, wooded part where Le Nôtre oversaw the planting of eight deciduous-tree groves, arranged symmetrically but each different in atmosphere. The Grande Allée intersects with the Grand Couvert and it is aligned with the Champs-Elysées. This part of Paris was also laid out by André Le Nôtre as an extension of the garden.
Goats
In the past, the gardeners have employed goats as lawnmowers in the gardens if you can believe it!
Tuileries Garden Pronunciation
It is a bit of a tricky one! too·lr·eez.
Museums
The gardens are home to two famous museums: the Musee de l’Orangerie which is home to some of Monet’s most famous works and the Jeu de Paume which is a museum dedicated to visual arts, particularly photography.
The Musee de Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay are also within a short walking distance from the park.
Tuileries Garden History
The gardens get their name from the tile factories which previously stood on the site where Queen Catherine de Medici built the Palais des Tuileries in 1564.
It was famous landscape architecht André Le Nôtre, hired by King Louis XIV, who re-landscaped the gardens in 1664 to give them the very time-honored French formal garden style they still hold today. They have been pubic gardens since 1871!
Tuileries Garden At Night
The ambiance before closing is laid back and beautiful. In winter months when the sun sets early in the evening, you can even catch the Eiffel Tower sparkling from the Eastern edge of the gardens.
Tuileries Garden Statues
Sculptures by famous French sculptors can be found throughout the park There are twenty works by Aristide Maillol alone. You will find them in the Carrousel Garden.
If you’re a fan of the sculptural work of Rodin or Giacometti, you’ll find pieces by them in the gardens as well. The French author Charles Perrault has a statue monument honoring him in the gardens as well.
Tuileries Garden Events
Fête des Tuileries
This summer festival sees a carnival of sorts set up from June through August. You can ride a variety of rides, play games and enjoy food from various vendors.
Matter and Shape
This newer design fair sets up in March within tents arranged for the exhibitions. It is a ticketed event.
Paris Fashion Week
Several times per year certain designers use space in the Tuileries Gardens such as DIOR around one of the fountains, to stage the presentations and runways of their collections.
Marché de Noel
Beginning in mid-November and carrying through early January, you’ll find a Christmas market of sorts in the Tuileries. I’m personally not a fan of it.
Is The Tuileries Garden Free?
The Tuileries Gardens are free all year round and the Tuileries garden hours range throughout the seasons. The gardens are open from 7am to 11pm in June, July and August. From the last Sunday in September to the last Sunday in March, the gardens are open from 7.30am to 7.30pm. From the last Sunday in March to the last Saturday in September, they are open from 7am to 9pm.
The public are asked to vacate the gardens around 30 minutes prior to closing.
Tuileries Garden Photos
The following are photos I have taken of the Tuileries Garden over the years during my frequent scouting trips to Paris for En Route to Rêverie.
Tuileries Garden Map
Before you head to Paris, I recommend you download Paris as an offline map on your phone so you can easily orient yourself to the Tuileries Garden map.
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Have you experienced the beauty of the Jardin des Tuileries?
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