Overview:
Discover the incredible historical changes made to the Gothic monument by visiting the Conciergerie.
Highlights
- Explore the magnificent Conciergerie to get a glimpse of medieval Paris.
- Explore Marie-fabled Antoinette's jail as well as the revolutionary court's stunning architecture.
- Admire 14th-century Gothic architecture, visit prisoners' dungeons and prison cells, and visit the graves of French Revolution heroes
The museum is located in an old prison and is a really interesting building to wander through. It’s a little light on artefacts but has plenty of information panels explaining key events and figures of the revolution. Definitely an interesting spot to visit for those interested in French history, particularly the Revolution.
The sight itself is not essential on a Paris visit, but they have a new virtual reality tablet that is worthwhile in itself. It replaces the old audio guide. It allows you to get visual information on each room (it knows where you are and serves up specific content). But when you hold up the tablet to a wall, it presents a visual of what the room looked like 200 years ago. And has interactive links for more info. It is very well done.
We waited in a small line to visit the conciergerie (we bought a combined ticket with Sainte-Chapelle). Once inside you could go at your own pace so it didn't seem too crowded. Our kids really liked this as they have all heard of Marie Antoinette. Most of the museum was "History's Interpretation of Marie Antoinette". It was really interesting to walk around the conciergerie and think about the events of the French Revolution. If you like history, this is a really great museum.