Are you looking for something to do on May 1st and are afraid that everything will be closed? Don’t worry, there are still plenty of activities available, even on Labour Day. Here is a list of places to visit and things to do that everyone in the family will like.
1) Museums
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While many museums close their doors on May 1st, not all of them do! Here are a few that remain open:
Grévin Museum
10 Boulevard Montmartre, 75009 Paris
You have probably heard about this unique museum where you can meet celebrities from all over the world, but with a twist: they are made of wax!
If you want to take a picture with Mbappé or even the President, the Grévin Museum makes it possible.
Hours: 9:30am to 7pm
Price: €26 per adult and €19 per child
>> Musée Grévin: information and booking
Musée en Herbe
23 Rue de l’Arbre Sec, 75001 Paris
If you are looking for a family experience, look no further than the Musée en Herbe.
Here, you are the hero! Put on your superhero cape and discover fun and unique exhibits that allow everyone to develop their curiosity and learn.
Hours: 10am to 7pm
Price: full price is €7.50, reduced price is €6.50
>> Musée en Herbe: information and booking (site in French)
Maillol Museum
59-61 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris
This museum is home to most of the works of Aristide Maillol, the artist who reinvented modern sculpture.
Every year, two huge temporary exhibitions are organized to pay tribute to the artistic movements of the 20th and 21th centuries.
Hours: 10:30am to 6:30pm, and until 10pm on Wednesdays
Price: €16.50 for full-price admission, €14.50 for reduced-price admission, and €12.50 for children.
>> Musée Maillol: information and booking (site in French)
Montmartre Museum
12 Rue Cortot, 75018 Paris
Founded in 1960 in one of the oldest buildings of the Hill, the Musée de Montmartre and its gardens invite you to come be inspired.
You will discover a unique collection of paintings, posters, and drawings by Toulouse-Lautrec, Modigliani, Kupka, Valadon, and Utrillo.
Hours: 10am to 7pm
Price: €15 for full-price admission, €10 for students (18 to 25 years), €8 for teenagers (10 to 17 years), and free for children under 10 years.
>> Montmartre Museum: information and booking
2) Market at place d’Aligre
Do you want to go out but don’t know where to go?
You could try to find a good deal in one of the stands that are open on May 1st.
It’s always free to go to a market, and you might even leave with fresh produce!
On May 1st, we recommend going to the market at place d’Aligre. It is open every day except Mondays (so you are out of luck if the public holiday is on a Monday).
3) Boat trip on the Seine River
Whether you want to take a typical cruise or have dinner on a boat, the boats are all open on May 1st.
Cruising the river is a timeless activity that allows you to admire the main buildings of the capital from the river.
If you decide to do a simple promenade on the Seine, here are our recommendations:
- Tourist river boats (Bateaux-mouches, site in French): this company has proven itself both reliable and trustworthy. They also offer the lowest prices and the most time slots.
- Paris’ speedboats (Vedettes de Paris, site in French): more intimate, this company owns the smallest cruise boats you will find on the Seine. They are perfect for enjoying an excursion in a small group with a real guide to narrate your voyage.
- Pont-Neuf speedboats (Vedettes du Pont-Neuf, site in French): we love that this company is committed to replacing their boats with more environmentally-friendly ones.
If you would prefer a dinner cruise on the Seine, we recommend:
- Tourist river boats (Bateaux-mouches, site in French): this company is very reliable, and we love their Prestige menu.
- Paris Yachts (Les Yachts de Paris): refinement, cuisine, luxury, ambiance, and comfort… this Michelin-starred restaurant on the Seine is simply the best.
- Paris Seine is the cheapest option, but still travels the same tour route as the other boats.
4) Disneyland Paris
Bd de Parc, 77700 Coupvray
Why not go to Disneyland on Labour Day?
Nearly everyone is already familiar with the marvelous universe that gathers all your favorite characters like Mickey Mouse, Stitch, Elsa, Cinderella, and many, many more.
The park welcomes the Avengers Campus until May 8th: do not miss all your favorite super heroes and super villains who await you for epic missions.
Or… see the dazzling Disney Dreams light show, which made its big comeback in April.
Hours: 10am to 7pm for both the Disney Park and the Studio Park
Price: €72 per person for the 1 day/1 park pack; €97 per person for the 1 day/2 parks pack.
>> Book your tickets for Disneyland
5) France Miniature
Bd André Malraux, 78990 Elancourt
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If you are looking for an unusual activity to enjoy on your free day, France Miniature won’t disappoint you.
The park lets you travel all around France in just one day.
With 2000 models and 117 buildings, you can see the Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, the port of La Rochelle, and the town of Carcassonne.
If all of these are not entertaining enough, the park also has roller coasters to give you your adrenaline shot.
Hours: 10am to 7pm
Price: €20
>> Book your tickets for France Miniature
6) The Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre
35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, 75018 Paris
The Sacré-Coeur Basilica is very impressive even if you aren’t interested in praying. You can visit to simply appreciate its architecture!
Opened in 1875, the Basilica is located on top of the Montmartre Hill and offers one of the best panoramic views of the capital from an elevation of 130 meters.
Its ceiling is decorated with the biggest mosaic of France in existence at 480 square meters.
You can also visit the Basilica Dome where you will have a 360° view of Paris!
Hours: 6:30am to 10:30pm
Price: free
7) The Jardin d’Acclimatation
Bois de Boulogne, Rte de la Porte Dauphine à la Porte des Sablons, 75116 Paris
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Do you need some fresh air and a walk?
If so, you should go to the Jardin d’Acclimatation, a theme park in Bois de Boulogne that is full of activities for children.
The park is open every day, so you can come to stretch your legs on Labour Day.
You will find roller coasters as well as animals such as birds, goats, rabbits, and more.
Of course, you can also come just to enjoy nature and relax.
Hours: 10am to 6pm Monday through Friday and 10am to 7pm on weekends, public holidays, and school breaks.
Price:
- Entry to the park: €7 for full-price admission, €5 for reduced-price admission, and free for children less than 80cm tall.
- Entry + roller coasters: €38 for a dated unlimited day pass
>> Book your tickets for the Jardin d’Acclimatation
8) Claude Monet’s House in Giverny
84 Rue Claude Monet, 27620 Giverny
If you have the soul of an artist, you will be happy to learn that the house of the famous painter Claude Monet is close enough to visit from Paris and that it’s open on Labour Day.
If you have never heard of him, Claude Monet was a French painter and one of the pioneers of impressionism.
By exploring his home in Giverny (where he lived for more than forty years until his passing in 1926), you will learn more about his life. He transformed his estate into a floral work of art that rivals any of his most beautiful paintings.
Hours: 9:30am to 6pm from April to November
Price: €21 for adults, €13.50 for students, €6.50 for children over 7 years old, and free for children under 7.
>> Book your half-day excursion from Paris (site in French)
9) Swimming pools
What about going for a swim on this public holiday? No, all swimming pools are not closed!
Some pools remain open on May 1st in case you need to float in the water for a while:
| Swimming pools open on May 1st | Hours |
| Suzanne Berlioux Swimming Pool 1st district |
9am-7pm on public holidays |
| Roger le Gall Swimming Pool 12th district |
8am-7pm on Sundays and public holidays |
| Pontoise Swimming Pool 15th district |
8am-7pm on public holidays |
| Keller Swimming Pool 15th district |
9am-7pm on public holidays |
| George Hermant Swimming Pool 19th district |
8:30am-7pm on public holidays |
| Espace Pailleron 19th district |
9:30am-7:30pm on public holidays |
| Georges Vallerey Swimming Pool 20th district |
11am-7pm on public holidays |
| Champeret Swimming Pool 17th district |
8am-6pm on public holidays |
10) Going to the movies
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A timeless activity that is perfect for any occasion, going to the movies is a great way to spend time with your partner, your friends, or even your family.
Most movie theaters are open on May 1st, so if you want to see a movie, do it on Labour Day!
UGC, Gaumont, Pathé… All you have to do is choose one from the list (site in French) of Paris’ movie theaters.
If you don’t know which one to pick, we recommend the Louxor (site in French), also known as the “Palais du Cinéma” (the Cinema Palace), for its Ancient Egyptian style.
11) Buy or sell lilies
Everyone knows that Labour Day is the day to buy and sell lilies.
If you like traditions, you can sell wild lilies on the streets of Paris under a few conditions: you must not disturb traffic and you must be at least 40 meters away from a store or a flower shop.
You can find lilies in several forests around Paris: the Fontainebleau Forest, Ferrières Forest, or Rambouillet Forest.
But why do we sell lilies on Labour Day?
During the 16th century, we used to celebrate love not on Valentine’s Day but on May 1st. King Charles IX received lilies at this time and decided that all the court ladies should receive this flower every year.
12) Paris Trade Fair
7 pl Porte de Versailles, 75015 Paris
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Every year since 1904, the Paris Trade Fair has welcomed multiple commercial exhibitors.
More than 400,000 visitors explore the different sections: home and habitat, fine crafts and world cultures, wellness, fashion and accessories, hobbies and practical life, and wine and cuisine.
Hundreds of exhibitors showcase their newest and best products in an effort to win customers.
Several competitions are organized every year during the Paris Fair, including:
- Concours Lépine, which honors and gives emphasis to invention, innovation, and creation.
- The Innovation Grand Prix, which rewards the most remarkable inventions every year and increases their visibility to consumers.
The Paris Trade Fair is a must-attend event for all new businesses.
Hours: 10am to 7pm
Price: €13 for full-price admission, €7 for children; children and anyone under 26 years of age can enter for free during the week
>> Book your tickets for the Paris Trade Fair
13) Breteuil Castle
Château de Breteuil, 78460 Choisel
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Would you like to see a beautiful monument outside Paris and get far away from the thousands of tourists in the city?
Then you should visit Breteuil Castle, located southwest of Paris, for a nice getaway surrounded by nature and near the capital.
The impressive architecture and furniture will take you back to the 17th and 18th centuries as you discover an important part of French history through the story of the Breteuil family.
You can stroll through 75 hectares of splendid gardens while pondering the history of this unique place.
Hours: 10am to 7pm (8pm in summer)
Price: €18.30 full-price admission, €16.30 reduced-price admission, and free for children under 5 years old.
>> Book your tickets for the Breteuil Castle (site in French)
14) The Foire du Trône (the Throne’s Fair)
Pelouse de Reuilly, 75012 Paris
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The Foire du Trône, which used to be known as the “Gingerhead Fair” (Foire aux Pains d’Epices), is the biggest itinerant fair in France.
It began in the year 957 and draws approximately 3 million visitors every year.
You will find multiple roller coasters, a Ferris wheel that has more lights than any other in Europe, and the longest ghost train in France.
There are thousands of rides, restaurants, and shops to entertain you during the two months the fair is open. Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy it with friends or family!
Hours: noon to 11pm every day, except Fridays, Saturdays and the days before public holidays, when the hours are noon to 1am
Price: admission is free, but you will be charged between €2 and €10 per ride
I aim to share my tips and recommendations for the beautiful country of France. My goal is to help you plan your next adventure, whether it’s a weekend getaway or a once-in-a-lifetime trip. From finding the best hotels and restaurants, to discovering unique activities and sights, I’ve got you covered!
