My husband and I are visiting Paris in March, and I was looking forward to visiting the Catacombs. Obvioulsy I was disappointed when I learned they have been closed indefinitely due to vandalism. Does anyone have any ideas about if and when they will be reopened or who I can contact to ask about reopening? I visited the official web site for the catatcombs, however, I could not find a link on the site to inquire about the length of the closure. I'm crossing my fingers it will be reopened by the time we get there, any help?
Posted by
Atlanta, Ga, USA
2023 posts
I have read of the closure on other travel boards and it is apparently true. We have been through the Catacombs several times--May 2008 was the most recent visit.They had gotten very strict about using flash and there were some new displays that we had not seen on a previous visit. I think the days of going through without a guide may be over--theft of bones and skulls has been a problem for a long time.
Posted by
Alpharetta, Georgia, USA
45 posts
I have also read in several places that the Catacombs are closed "indefinitely" until further notice. I have not seen it posted anywhere when they will reopen the Catacombs. From one article I read, several bones were scattered throughout the Catacombs and bones were also stolen. It truly is a shame. I hope it is back open for your visit! Good luck!
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
1 posts
We just posted about the catacombs, and when we were there in August there was a security guard as you left the catacombs checking bags. There were 5 skulls sitting on a filing cabinet and we asked him about it.. those were only from the day we were there. I guess theft of bones is a massive problem there and perhaps that's why they closed it down.
cheers
Scott
dreamalittledream.ca
Posted by
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
368 posts
Yah the catacombs were kind of boring after the first 100 feet or so. There were a few displays that were really cool, but eventually (and surprisingly) I became bored at looking at 'yet another skull'.
However, this is a shame that they closed due to vandalism... I guess this is why we just can't have nice things anymore.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
If you can't get in, you won't have missed much. It's repitive afer five minutes, boring after ten, and then you still have a half hour to go. Just stacks and stacks of bones. If you want to get underground in Paris, go see the Archaeological Crypt, it's at the other end of the square from Notre Dame (maybe three our four hundred feet straight out the entrance) but sort of hard to spot. If you want to get underground and offbeat, try the sewer system and museum (Quai d'Orsay at the south end of the Pont de l'Alma bridge).
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Paris catacombs: The final resting place of 7 million bodies dug up from Paris cemeteries, about two hundred years ago, and moved to the catacombs. Two hundred year old catacombs aren't like two thousand year old catacombs, the skeletons are still down there: about 7 million of them.
You can get an idea of what you'll see by watching the horror film Catacombs, preferably on Halloween--tedious at its running time of 90 minutes but after you tire of seeing the hapless victim running down endless corridors pursued by the usual heavy breathing monster, you can fast forward and get the running time down to about 45 minutes. With it being closed, that may be the closest you get to the real thing.
Posted by
Durham, NC
3 posts
Yes, they were closed due to some people going in and messing them up big-time. I'm here for a semester abroad, and was scheduled to go there for a history class. Obviously that didn't happen! As far as I know, they don't have a reopening date yet, but I was told that it would probably be at least after the New Year. Just keep checking back, and hope they're open for you!