Discover Sceaux
Sceaux is part of the Greater Paris metropolis and is located about 5km south of Paris.
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Come to Sceaux
Discover Sceaux
Stay in Sceaux and visit the Paris region
The Sceaux Tourist Office
Come to Sceaux
From an airport
The town is only 10km away from Paris Orly airport and 38km from Paris Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, served like Sceaux by the RER B line. You can reach Sceaux by taxi or by renting a car at one of the airports.
From Paris Orly airport, you can easily come by public transport: the Orlyval shuttle service connects Orly airport to the Antony RER station, which is located just a few stops from Sceaux, on the RER line B.
By train and public transport
The town has three RER stations on the RER line B. The RER, a regional express network, is directly connected to the Paris metro and allows you to get to Sceaux from any train station in Paris.
If you want to reach Sceaux from a train station such as Gare du Nord, Gare Saint-Lazare or Gare de Lyon, just take the metro to a stop where you can connect to the RER line B, which goes to the three RER stations: Sceaux, Robinson and Parc de Sceaux. The Bourg-la-Reine stop is also close to the town.
To travel by public transport in the Paris region, you can prepare your trip using the website www.ratp.fr which will indicate the quickest route.
Tickets for travel can be purchased at automatic kiosks at all RER and metro stations.
By car
Sceaux is close to Paris and easily reached by road, taking the A86 or N20. The town's postcode is 92330. There are several car parks in the town, indicated by signs.
By bike
Sceaux is located between Paris and Versailles on the Veloscenic route, a cycling route linking Paris and Mont-Saint-Michel. The town is part of the Paris bike rental network Vélib' and has a "Territoire Vélo" (Bike Friendly) label. A basic emergency repair kit can therefore be found at the tourist office, and a free access repair station is located nearby.
Discover Sceaux
The rue Houdan and the markets
The rue Houdan was the first pedestrianised street in the Paris region, and the second in France. It is famous for its excellent culinary offerings including French bread, cakes and cheeses. This is where the French chocolate artist Patrick Roger opened his first store.
Sceaux's indoor market, located at 66 rue Houdan, is open Wednesday and Saturday mornings, 8:00am-1:30pm.
An organic market is held at 66 rue Houdan every Sunday morning, 8:00am-1:30pm.
The park and museum
This historic and listed site still bears the mark of its creator, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, and its very first gardener, André Le Nôtre. The park of the Domaine de Sceaux invites you to idle, stroll, jog or pedal through its French-style gardens every day of the year.
The 180 acres of Sceaux's park belong to the Hauts-de-Seine region. They are free and open to the public from sunrise to sunset. The opening hours are:
- in January, 8:00am-5:00pm;
- in February, 8:00am-6:00pm;
- in March, 7:30am-7:00pm, and then 8:30pm;
- in April, 7:30am-8:30pm;
- in May, June and July, 7:00am-9:00pm;
- in August, 7:00am-8:30pm;
- in September, 7:30am-8:00pm;
- in October, 8:00am-7:00pm, and then 5:00pm;
- in November December 8:00am-5:00pm.
The domain's park is made up of different spaces, among which we might highlight:
- the historic flowerbeds with their yew trees, designed by Le Nôtre;
- the Octogone lake, its jet of water and waterfalls;
- the Grand Canal;
- the north grove and its 150 Japanese cherry trees, which are almost 100 years old;
- several preserved natural areas;
- an area suitable for outdoor games: the "Plaine de la Patte d'Oie";
- a play area for children, near the "Plaine de l'Orangerie";
- a designated sports course running along 3.2km;
- an area where fishing is authorised: the Octogone lake and part of the Grand Canal;
- an area where model car amateurs can practice their hobby: the southern half of the Grand Canal;
- and several enclosed areas specially designed for dogs off the leash.
The Château de Sceaux, now a regional museum, was built in 1856 by the Duke of Trévise, on a site where the palace of Jean-Baptiste Colbert once stood. The museum's display retraces the history of the Domaine de Sceaux through its various owners and the history of the Île-de-France region since the 17th century.
The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 2:00pm-6:30pm from March to October, and 1:00pm-5:00pm from November to February. Tel: +33(0)1 41 87 29 50.
The "Pavillon de l'Aurore" is an exceptional garden pavilion dating back to the 17th century, with a dome painted by Charles Le Brun on the theme of Dawn ("l'Aurore"). It can be visited with a guide. The Orangery regularly hosts concerts, and it is also where the garden sculptures from Colbert's time can now be found. Both can be visited at weekends.
Colbert's stables, now restored, are used for temporary exhibitions.
Finally, the Petit château, 9 rue du docteur Berger, is a small temporary museum. It offers a glimpse of the futur museum (the "Grand Siècle" museum) that will open at Saint-Cloud in 2026. The museum’s rooms are open for free to discover amazing paintings, scluptures, drawings and furnitures. It's open from Wednesday to Sunday, from March to October from 14:00 to 18:30 and from November to February from 13:00 to 17:00.
Annual events
The town of Sceaux hosts many events throughout the year. Among the most popular:
- in February, the "Cross de Sceaux", a run organised by the town;
- in April, Hanami, with festivities accompanying the bloom of the Japanese cherry trees;
- in May, the "Printemps des transitions" (the festive event for sustainable development);
- in June, the Provençal market and festivities ("les fêtes félibréennes") and the "Feu de la Saint-Jean" bonfire;
- in July, the 14th July ball;
- in summer, the Orangery Festival, a chamber music festival that takes place in the Domaine de Sceaux's orangery, and Estivales, the contemporary art festival;
- in September, the heritage days during which many guided tours are organised;
- from October to April, the "Schubertiade de Sceaux" puts on a chamber music concert every month at the town hall;
- in October, the architecture days;
- in November, the wine fair;
- and in December, the Provençal nativity scene fair and the Christmas parade.
Highlights of Sceaux's history
In 1670, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the Finance Minister under Louis XIV, wanted to settle near Paris and Versailles and bought the barony of Sceaux.
Colbert purchased numerous parcels of land, and invited Louis XIV's gardener at Versailles, André Le Nôtre, to design the Octogone lake and waterfalls within this large estate. Colbert had the original estate, previously owned by the Potier de Gesvres family, transformed into a spacious palace made up of five buildings. He built the entrance pavilions, the Pavillion de l'Aurore, and made the "Petit Château" part of the estate.
In 1683, Colbert's son, the Marquis de Seignelay, inherited the Domaine de Sceaux and considerably developed the estate. He extended the park, dug the Grand Canal and built the Orangery.
In 1700, after the death of the Marquis de Seignelay and his wife, Colbert's heirs sold the Domaine de Sceaux to the Duke of Maine, son of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan, and his wife, of Condé lineage. The Duchess of Maine formed a literary court in Sceaux, frequented by Voltaire, philosopher of the Enlightenment. This was the era of the famous "Sceaux Nights".
The Domaine de Sceaux later belonged to the Duke of Penthièvre from 1775, then to his daughter, the Duchess of Orleans, before being nationalised following the French Revolution. It was converted into an agricultural college in 1794.
The estate was put up for sale in 1798 and acquired by Jean-François Hippolyte Lecomte, a wealthy merchant, who had the damaged palace buildings and menagerie pavilion taken apart to sell the materials.
In 1798, Sceaux hosted the wedding of Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte and Désirée Clary. He was to become Charles XIV John and Charles III John (Karl XIV Johan), King of Sweden and Norway in 1818.
The Duke of Trévise, son of Marshal of the Empire Mortier, married the daughter of Jean-Francois Hippolyte Lecomte, then owner of the estate. He had the park rebuilt according to the original design, and the current palace constructed in 1856.
In 1895, Pierre Curie married Marie Sklodowska at the town hall. The two scientists lived in Sceaux for several years and were buried there before being transferred to the Pantheon in 1995. Their daughter Irène and her husband Fréderic Joliot-Curie were laid to rest in the local cemetery.
Stay in Sceaux and visit the Paris region
The Ibis Paris Sud hotel
The Ibis Styles Sceaux Paris Sud hotel is ideally located in the town centre, a two-minute walk from the Sceaux RER Station, and a three-minute walk from the Domaine de Sceaux. It offers direct access to the restaurants and shops of the pedestrian centre.
The hotel has single, double or triple rooms, and serves a continental buffet breakfast. A covered car park by the hotel is available for a fee.
The hotel is located:
20 Avenue de Camberwell
92330 Sceaux
Tel: +33(0)1 46 60 02 21
E-mail: hb2x1@accor.com
Visiting Paris from Sceaux
The town has three RER stations on the RER line B. The RER, a regional express network, is directly connected to the Paris metro. Line B, which runs through Sceaux, takes you to a number of notable landmarks, such as the Pantheon, the Curie museum and Notre-Dame Cathedral, in approximately 20 minutes.
To travel by public transport in the Paris region, you can prepare your trip using the website www.ratp.fr which will indicate the quickest route.
Tickets for travel can be purchased at automatic kiosks at all RER and metro stations.
If you want to buy a tourist pass to visit Paris and its region, several offers exist: https://booking.parisinfo.com/il4-offer_i147-paris-passlib.aspx, https://www.visitparisregion.com/en/products/paris-region-pass.
If you wish to call a taxi, the G7 network is available throughout the Paris region and offers a booking service in English. More information at: https://www.g7.fr/en/how-to-book-your-taxi-g7.
Free wifi in Sceaux
If you are looking for a free internet connection, several municipal buildings offer free wifi : the town hall at 122 rue Houdan, the tourist office at 70 rue Houdan, the library at 7 rue Honoré-de-Balzac, the Blagis sports ground at 26 bis avenue Jean Jaurès, the "Garages" at 20 rue des Imbergères.
Emergencies
In case of emergency, the number to dial in Europe is 112.
The Sceaux Tourist Office
For more information
The Sceaux Tourist Office is available for all your enquiries.
We are located in the heart of the town in the Menagerie garden, 70 rue Houdan, 92330 Sceaux.
You can reach us by email at maisondutourisme@sceaux.fr or by phone on +33(0)1 46 61 19 03.
Ticket Office
If you wish to visit the Palace of Versailles, the Arc de Triomphe, the Orsay Museum or another tourist site, you can purchase advance tickets for these and hundreds of sites across France at the Sceaux Tourist Office, in cash only.