Jardin des Serres d’auteuil

Updated April 15, 2024

Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil – Ville de Paris

## Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil (Paris): a greenhouse complex worth planning around

Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil sits at the edge of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris’s 16th arrondissement, built around a Belle Époque greenhouse ensemble plus newer “contemporary” greenhouses opened in 2019. It’s one of those Paris stops that feels quietly substantial: iron-and-glass architecture, serious botanical collections, and enough variety (tropical humidity, desert succulents, outdoor parterres) to make it work in almost any season.

Address (main listing): 3 avenue de la Porte-d’Auteuil, Paris 16e.
Alternate entrances: 1 avenue Gordon Bennett, 2 boulevard d’Auteuil, or via Square des Poètes (useful when event-day access changes apply).
Rating (given): 4.6 (tourist attraction)

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## What makes Serres d’Auteuil different from “just another Paris garden”

Most Paris gardens reward you with layout, fountains, and people-watching. Serres d’Auteuil adds a fourth layer: controlled climates—the kind you can walk into when the city is gray and still find orchids, tropical foliage, and warm air. The City of Paris describes the site as combining a formal central lawn/parterre, late-19th-century greenhouse architecture, and a botanical-garden approach to collections and interpretation.

Two details that matter for trip planning:

– It’s free to enter (garden + greenhouses).
– Access can change during major events nearby (Roland-Garros; Parc des Princes match days), so you sometimes need to use alternate entrances.

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## What to see on-site (and how to pace it)

### The historic greenhouses and the “palmarium” core
The City of Paris notes the greenhouses were designed under Jean-Camille Formigé; works began in 1895 and finished about three years later.
Inside, the experience is built around contrasting plant worlds—collections that the City highlights across the year (e.g., araceae, begonias, ficus, tropical ferns, and more).

The palmarium is singled out as a signature space and was renovated in 1999, with a warm “tropical” atmosphere and a basin that includes Japanese carp—a small detail, but it’s part of what makes the greenhouse feel alive rather than museum-still.

How to do it well:
– Start indoors first if it’s cold or raining—your lenses won’t fog as badly if you give your camera/phone a minute to acclimate.
– Slow down for signage: the City explicitly mentions botanical and ethnobotanical interpretation in the greenhouses.

### Outdoor rooms: formal parterre + different garden styles
Serres d’Auteuil isn’t only glasshouses. The City describes multiple “garden languages” on the same site: a formal central lawn, a more English-style landscaped area, plus Japanese-inspired and Mediterranean plantings.
If you’re traveling with mixed interests (some people want architecture, others want plants), this mix keeps everyone engaged.

### Contemporary greenhouses (opened 2019): four biotopes, four continents
In June 2019, new greenhouses designed by Marc Mimram opened and were integrated into the existing garden context.
These are described as holding 1,000+ plant species and reconstructing four biotopes representing South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australia, around the Simonne-Matthieu tennis court (5,000 seats).

Why this matters: it means your visit isn’t just “historic Paris,” it’s also a modern botany-and-design layer—useful if you’re building a Paris itinerary with variety beyond museums.

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## Practical visit info (hours, entry, closures, and getting there)

### Entry and cost
– Free entry to the garden and greenhouses.

### Opening hours: seasonal and changeable
The City of Paris publishes hours by date range (for example, it lists periods from late 2025 through 2026, with different daily schedules).
Because these are seasonal, treat any schedule you read elsewhere as secondary—check the City page close to your visit.

### Temporary closures to know about
At the time of the City listing, the Sahel greenhouse and the begonia greenhouse are closed to the public due to horticultural work.
That can change fast, so it’s worth checking again on the official page before you go.

### Event-day access constraints (this catches people out)
– During the Roland-Garros tournament, access via avenue Gordon Bennett and boulevard d’Auteuil is described as closed; other entrances (including Square des Poètes) remain accessible.
– On Parc des Princes match days, access via boulevard d’Auteuil is closed starting 4 hours before kickoff; other entrances remain accessible.

### Nearest transit (as listed)
The City listing names nearby stations: Porte d’Auteuil and Michel Ange–Molitor.

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## Accessibility and inclusivity notes (what’s actually useful on the ground)

The City states the site is accessible in multiple categories but also gives the nuance travelers need:

– Some areas have limited accessibility; the historic stairways at the main entrance are not to current standards, and some greenhouse corridors are not accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. The City recommends using sloped paths, secondary entrances, and having an accompanying person if you use a wheelchair.
– There’s an audio-guide app designed for visitors with visual impairments, including distance cues and obstacle notes (the City references this directly).

If you’re building an accessible Paris day: Serres d’Auteuil can work, but it’s not a “frictionless” site—plan your entrance and expect a few tight passages.

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## A simple 60–90 minute route that covers the highlights

1. Enter (choose the entrance that’s open that day)—especially important during Roland-Garros or match days.
2. Historic greenhouses → palmarium (warm climate first if the weather is bad).
3. Outdoor parterre loop for the garden design contrast.
4. Contemporary greenhouses for the four-biotopes experience.

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## Data checks and “what might be outdated”
– Opening hours are seasonal and published in date ranges by the City of Paris; verify near your visit.
– Specific greenhouse closures (Sahel + begonia) are listed as current at the time of the City page and may change.
– Event-day access restrictions (Roland-Garros / Parc des Princes) are real and can materially change how you enter.

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