The national library's historic Richelieu site. The oval reading room, begun in 1897 by Jean-Louis Pascal and inaugurated in 1936, is free and open to all, with 20,000 open-shelf books including 11,000 comics; the museum runs from the antiquities of the Salon Louis XV, with its rococo décor from the King's cabinet, through the baroque Galerie Mazarin, down to Voltaire's heart.
- Address
- 5 Rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris
- Hours
- Tue 10:00-20:00; Wed-Sun 10:00-18:00; closed Mon and public holidays (Salle Ovale opens 8 May, Ascension Thursday, 1 and 11 Nov)
- Best time to go
- Morning, Afternoon · About 1.5 h
- Price
- Salle Ovale free; BnF Museum EUR 15, EUR 18 with an exhibition (bnf.fr, 2026)
- Price level
- €
Details can change. Check hours and prices before you go.
Good to know
- Anyone can sit and read in the Salle Ovale for free, children included.
- Late opening on Tuesdays until 20:00.
- The Rotonde is closed 5-9 Oct 2026 and the Galerie Mazarin 11-20 Jan 2027 while works on paper are rotated.