Audio GuideParis Sewer Museum
Musée des Égouts de Paris
Underground passageways & exhibits on sanitation, plus tours of the city’s famed sewer network.
The Paris Sewer Museum invites you on a journey through the hidden arteries of one of the world's most iconic cities. Located in the historic sewers of Paris near Pont de l'Alma and Esplanade Habib-Bourguiba, the museum explains how the city's sewer system began in the fourteenth century under the guidance of Hugues Aubriot. In those early days, the city grew rapidly and the need for better sanitation became clear.
Over time, construction methods and engineering evolved significantly. The seventeenth through nineteenth centuries saw changes that transformed simple drainage into a complex network designed to protect the city from flooding and manage waste effectively. A major figure in this process was Eugène Belgrand, whose work in the nineteenth century modernized the system and integrated new water treatment processes.
Early tours of the sewers, beginning in eighteen sixty-seven, featured boat and wagon rides that offered visitors a unique perspective on the underground world. As you walk through the museum, you will see displays of operating spillway mechanisms, historical measurement stations, and tools once used by dedicated sewer workers. Stories of daily operations and maintenance highlight the efforts of those who kept the system running in a bustling metropolis.
Today, the museum connects the past with the modern urban experience. Enjoy this remarkable blend of engineering history and urban exploration in the heart of Paris.