Royal Memorial · 8th Arrondissement · Near Madeleine
Chapelle Expiatoire & the Paris Museum Pass
Built over the mass grave where Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were buried after their execution — a small Neoclassical jewel hidden in Square Louis XVI.
Individual ticket
€5
With Museum Pass
Included
Timed slot
Not required
Open
Thu–Sat (Oct–Mar) · Tue–Sat (Apr–Sep)
Hours
1pm–5pm (Oct–Mar) · 10am–6:30pm (Apr–Sep)
Last updated: February 2026 · Prices and details verified
Is the Chapelle Expiatoire included in the Paris Museum Pass?
Yes — the Paris Museum Pass covers full entry to the Chapelle Expiatoire, saving you €5 per person. No reservation required. Note the very limited opening hours — Thursday to Saturday only in low season, Tuesday to Saturday in summer.
Chapelle Expiatoire — Fast Facts
Address
29 Rue Pasquier — Square Louis XVI, 75008 Paris
Nearest Metro
Saint-Lazare (Metro 3, 12, 13, 14) — 5 min walk (Metro 3, 12, 13, 14)
Bus
32, 43, 49, 84, 94
Opening hours
October–March: Thursday–Saturday 1pm–5pm only · April–September: Tuesday–Saturday 10am–12:30pm and 1:30pm–6:30pm · Closed Sunday, Monday, 1 January, 1 May, 25 December
Closed
Sunday, Monday, and weekdays in low season · 1 January, 1 May, 25 December
Individual ticket
€5 (2026)
With Museum Pass
Free — included
What to Know Before You Visit
The Chapelle Expiatoire is one of the most historically charged and least-visited monuments in central Paris. It stands in Square Louis XVI — the former Madeleine Cemetery where Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were buried after their executions in 1793, alongside around 500 other victims of the Revolution’s guillotine. In 1815, Louis XVIII commissioned architect Pierre Fontaine to build a chapel of atonement on the exact spot. Their remains were later moved to the Basilica of Saint-Denis, but the chapel marks the original burial ground.
No reservation required. No reservation required. Walk in at Square Louis XVI (29 Rue Pasquier) during opening hours. Check the schedule carefully — opening hours are very limited, particularly in low season (Thursday–Saturday, 1pm–5pm only).
Note: Opening hours are very limited — Thursday to Saturday 1pm–5pm (October–March) and Tuesday to Saturday 10am–12:30pm and 1:30pm–6:30pm (April–September). Closed Sunday, Monday, and much of the week in low season. Always verify at chapelle-expiatoire-paris.fr before your visit. The visit takes approximately 45–60 minutes.
Collection Highlights
Small but historically extraordinary — two marble sculptures, the original burial ground, and a quiet garden hidden from the surrounding city.
Highlight 1
The marble sculpture of Louis XVI
François Joseph Bosio’s portrayal of the King guided to heaven by an angel, in the main chapel nave
Highlight 2
The marble sculpture of Marie-Antoinette
Jean-Pierre Cortot’s portrayal of the Queen supported by the figure of Religion, in the opposite alcove
Highlight 3
The crypt
the black marble altar marking the exact spot where Louis XVI’s body was found, with the original burial register and the tombstones of Swiss Guards killed on 10 August 1792
Visitor tip: The Chapelle Expiatoire is best combined with a visit to the Madeleine church (5 minutes walk, free) and the Place de la Concorde (10 minutes walk) — together they form a Revolutionary Paris circuit, from the church to the guillotine site to the burial ground. Visit the Chapelle in the afternoon in low season when it’s open.
Getting There
Metro 3, 12, 13, or 14 to Saint-Lazare — a 5-minute walk through Square Louis XVI. The entrance is on Rue Pasquier, off Boulevard Haussmann. An easy add-on when visiting the grands magasins area.
Ready to Visit Chapelle Expiatoire?
€5 entry included with the Museum Pass. Plus 50+ more venues across Paris.
The opening hours are very limited — particularly in low season (October–March) when the chapel is open only Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 1pm to 5pm. In high season (April–September) it opens Tuesday to Saturday, 10am–12:30pm and 1:30pm–6:30pm. Always check chapelle-expiatoire-paris.fr before your visit. Arriving to find it closed is the most common visitor complaint.
Their bodies were interred in the former Madeleine Cemetery (the site of the current chapel) immediately after their executions in 1793. In 1815, Louis XVIII ordered their remains exhumed and transferred to the Basilica of Saint-Denis — the traditional burial place of French monarchs. The Chapelle Expiatoire was then built as a memorial on the site of their original burial, not as their current resting place. Their remains are at Saint-Denis.
For anyone interested in the French Revolution, Marie-Antoinette, or the Restoration period, yes — it is historically extraordinary and the two marble sculptures are genuinely fine works of art. For casual tourists, the very limited opening hours and modest scale (visit takes 45 minutes) may not justify a special trip. It works well as an add-on to a morning at the Madeleine or an afternoon near Place de la Concorde.
