# Hôtel de Ville, Paris > The Hôtel de Ville is the city hall of Paris, a lavish French Renaissance-style palace on the Right Bank of the Seine facing the Île de la Cité. The city government has met on this site since 1357, and the present building went up in 1873–1892, modelled on the 16th-century Renaissance hall. Its façades carry 338 statues of famous Parisians, and inside is a ballroom recalling the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. In winter an ice rink fills the square, and free exhibitions are held in its halls. Web page: https://yesgo.io/france/paris/hotel-de-ville - City: [Paris](https://yesgo.io/france/paris), France - YesGo score: 56/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 30 min - Opening hours: Square open 24 hours, halls on tours and exhibitions - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Square free, halls by tour - Exhibitions: Temporary, usually free - Ice rink: On the square in winter - Façade: 143 m, tower 50 m - Duration: ≈ 20–40 minutes - Location: 4th arrondissement, metro Hôtel de Ville - Coordinates: 48.85639, 2.35222 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1357** — city government has met here since (source: English Wikipedia) - **1892** — the present building completed (source: English Wikipedia) - **338** — statues of famous Parisians (source: English Wikipedia) - **143 m** — length of the main façade (source: English Wikipedia) ## About the Hôtel de Ville The Hôtel de Ville is the city hall of Paris, on Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville in the 4th arrondissement, by the Seine facing the Île de la Cité. The city government has met on this site since **1357**, and today the city council and the Mayor of Paris work here. The building is a French historic monument and one of the most ornate on the Right Bank. King **Francis I** began the first great Renaissance city hall in the 1530s, when Paris was the largest city in Europe. The Italian Domenico da Cortona, nicknamed Boccador, and the Frenchman Pierre Chambiges designed it, and it was completed under Henry IV and Louis XIII. The present palace was built in **1873–1892** by the architects Théodore Ballu and Édouard Deperthes, who copied the central façade from the 16th-century design and made the building larger. ## What to see - **The main façade** — Renaissance style, a clock tower and statues in niches. - **338 statues** — famous Parisians from many eras. - **The Salle des Fêtes** — a 'republican' Hall of Mirrors. - **Murals** — by Puvis de Chavannes and other masters. - **The square** — an ice rink in winter, events in summer. - **Tour Saint-Jacques** — a Gothic tower steps away. ## The façade and statues The **143-metre** main façade is decorated with columns, pilasters, mansard roofs with galleries and a 50-metre clock tower. Above the central doors beneath the clock stand allegorical figures of Art and Science. For the new building some 230 sculptors produced **338 statues** of famous Parisians, scientists, artists, writers and statesmen, for niches on every façade. Among them were noted academicians and the young **Auguste Rodin**. Walk all the way round: there are statues on the side façades too, and an equestrian statue of the merchant provost Étienne Marcel stands in the garden by the south wall. > **Getting inside** The state rooms can be seen on free guided tours booked in advance on the city's website, and during the European Heritage Days in September. A separate hall on the Rue de Rivoli side often hosts free temporary exhibitions on Paris history and life, which usually draw queues. In winter an ice rink is set up on the square, and in summer there are concerts and big-screen sports. ## The halls The interiors date entirely from the 1880s and are dazzling. The main one is the **Salle des Fêtes**, conceived as a 'republican' copy of the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles: a long hall of crystal chandeliers, gilding and frescoes depicting sixteen historic French provinces. Other rooms hold Puvis de Chavannes's The Seasons, a carved-oak formal dining room with statues and many paintings by late-19th-century artists. The city hall hosts grand receptions, state visits and civic celebrations. ## The square and celebrations Before the city hall lies the broad **Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville**, one of the main squares of Paris, cleared and enlarged in the 19th century under Baron Haussmann. It hosts city festivals, concerts and big-screen sports, and in winter a free **ice rink**. In 2024 the men's and women's **Olympic marathons** started here. From the square you look across the Seine to the Île de la Cité and [Notre-Dame](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/notre-dame-de-paris), five minutes' walk over the Pont d'Arcole. ## What's nearby About 150 metres west stands the **Tour Saint-Jacques**, a 16th-century Gothic bell tower, all that remains of an old church; the same architect, Ballu, restored it, and a garden surrounds it. To the east begins the [Marais](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/le-marais), with its mansions and museums. Next to the city hall are the large BHV department store, the shops of Rue de Rivoli and the Seine quays. It's a handy starting point for a walk through the Marais to the [Place des Vosges](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/place-des-vosges) or across to the Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis. ## How to get there 1. Metro lines 1 and 11 to **Hôtel de Ville**, exiting onto the square. 2. Metro and RER to **Châtelet**, a 5-minute walk. 3. From Notre-Dame, 5 minutes across the Pont d'Arcole. 4. Buses 67, 69, 72, 75 and 76 stop by the city hall. ## Tips for your visit From outside, 20 minutes is enough: walk round the façades and look at the statues. To see the Salle des Fêtes, book a tour ahead on the city's website, as places are limited. The city hall combines well with the Île de la Cité and the Marais. In the evening its façade is beautifully lit, a good time for photos from the square. Check whether a free exhibition is on in the hall on the Rue de Rivoli side; they often cover Paris history, photography or famous Parisians. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Look at the façade statues - [ ] Book a tour of the halls - [ ] Check for a free exhibition - [ ] Skate on the winter rink - [ ] Walk to the Tour Saint-Jacques ## Places in Paris: compare and choose Places in Paris rated by YesGo. - [The Louvre](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/louvre) — YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h 30 min · Timed ticket, online - [Hôtel de Ville](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/hotel-de-ville) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Square free, halls by tour - [Palais Garnier](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/opera-garnier) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 15 min · Visit ticket for the building - [Palais-Royal](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/palais-royal) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Garden and courtyard free - [Palace of Versailles](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/versailles) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 6 h · Timed ticket, online - [Château de Vincennes](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/chateau-de-vincennes) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Ticket for the keep and chapel - [Palace of Fontainebleau](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/fontainebleau) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Palace ticket, gardens free ## Don't mix it up The Hôtel de Ville isn't a hotel but the city hall: in French 'hôtel' also means a mansion or palace. ## Tips - Halls by booking. - Free exhibitions. - Ice rink in winter. - Lit at night. ## Questions ### Can I go inside the Paris city hall? The state rooms on free booked tours and Heritage Days; exhibitions are separate. ### Is it a hotel? No, the Hôtel de Ville is the city hall of Paris. ### How many statues are on the façade? 338 statues of famous Parisians. ### When is the ice rink open? Usually in winter, from December. ### How do I get to the Hôtel de Ville? By metro line 1 or 11 to Hôtel de Ville station. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. Tour, exhibition and ice-rink arrangements weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Hôtel de Ville, Paris - City of Paris website, paris.fr --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.