Most Haunted Places in Paris, France

Most Haunted Places in Paris, France

Haunted Paris

Paris is a city of love and light. Though peeling backs its layers of history reveal dark undertones that make it an incredibly haunted city too. Below is a list as to where you can find the most haunted places in Paris, France.

8. Pere Lachaise

No ‘most haunted’ list is ever complete without featuring a local cemetery and it seems fitting to kick off this list with a rather exceptional burial place. The Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris is well known for containing many important historical figures, celebrities and just a couple of ghosts.

Graves of Pere Lachaise, haunted cemetery in Paris.
Exploring the many graves of the haunted Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France.

It has certainly stood the test of time dating back to the very beginning of the early 1800s. Since then it has managed to accumulate many, many graves. The precise number of which is not known, but is estimated to be between 300 thousand and 1 million.

Notable ghostly activity occurs around the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in a few areas. Many have reported feeling the sensation of tugging on their clothing as they walk past Aldolphe Theirs’ grave. It is believed that this former Prime Minister continues to haunt the area. On the other side of the cemetery an author, Marcel Proust, is said to rise from his grave each night. This is said to be in a tragic effort to be reunited with his lover in life, who was unfortunately buried in another cemetery. Finally, none other than Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors, is said to haunt Pere Lachaise. Many claim to have spotted the musician’s apparition wandering through the cemetery around the area of his grave. One person even claims to have possibly captured it in a photograph, though this is highly debated.

Jim Morrison buried at Pere Lachaise in Paris.
Jim Morrison’s grave in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery.

You can find the Pere Lachaise Cemetery at 16 Rue du Repos, 75020 Paris, France. Admission is free and the cemetery is open most days of the year.

7. Rue Des Chantres

Our next haunted Paris location is a rather inconspicuous one. The Rue Des Chantres lies in extremely close proximity to the Notre Dame Cathedral, yet is rarely walked down or even noticed. This narrow passageway does, however, hold a sinister story that solidifies its paranormal infamy.

Rue Des Chantres ghosts.
The haunted Rue Des Chantres.

During the early 1900s, this nondescript street held an Old Hotel. As the disease swept through Europe and engulfed Paris, this hotel was used as a makeshift quarantine station for sick children. It wasn’t uncommon for these children to be locked away in rooms on the lower floors of the building. This prevented them from interacting with and spreading the disease further throughout the general public.

Haunted Rue Des Chantres.
The Rue Des Chantres thought to be one of the most haunted places in Paris.

These children existed here for quite some time until a great storm swept through Paris. This storm allegedly caused the Seine River to break its banks, which caused extensive flooding within the Rue Des Chantres. Sadly, the ground floor rooms of the old hotel, where the children were locked, were flooded. The children locked within all died without a means of escape. To this day, many people claim those children still exist in the area. Reports of passers-by hearing disembodied sounds of children whispering and playing when there is no one around exist.

You’ll find Rue Des Chantres just behind the Notre Dame. This is an open residential road that can be accessed at any time.

6. Parc Montsouris

Parc Montsouris in no way looks like a spooky destination. It is a peaceful refuge from the bustling city and contains plenty of flower beds, greenery and a tranquil pond. Though, it is a serene place it does hold a particularly dark past that has given birth to a number of related ghost stories.

Haunted Parc Montsouris in Paris.
The tranquil but haunted Parc Montsouris.

Parc Montsouris is actually claimed to be the site where the initial test runs for the guillotine were conducted. These tests are rumored to have left behind stains of paranormal activity. Numerous people have claimed to sight headless apparitions wandering through the park, thought to be guillotine victims. In addition, Isaure De Montsouris, the man the park was named after, is also thought to haunt the area. He was supposedly killed here by a group of bandits and has stuck around in death.

Lake in Parc Montsouris.
Looking for the ghosts of Parc Montsouris.

Parc Montsouris is free to enter and can be located at 2 Rue Gazan, 75014 Paris, France.

5. Tuileries Garden

Tuileries Garden is today a magnificent park that adorns central Paris. It was, however, the royal garden to a grand palace that is no longer in existence. The Tuileries Palace burned down in 1871 and the gardens are all that remain.

Haunted evening at Tuileries Garden.
Looking for the ghosts of Tuileries Garden, Paris.

Legend has it that the gardens and palace were once haunted by an entity known as the Little Red Man. This was a spirit who was sometimes described as a ghost or a goblin and even a devil. Though it was always described as wearing a red suit. Supposedly this spirit showed himself to numerous prominent figures at the palace and in the gardens.

Tuileries Garden Paris, France.
A ghostly tree sitting peacefully in the Tuileries Garden.

Sightings of the Little Red Man were generally paired with death. People would claim to sight him before an execution, such as that of Marie Antionette. Though, he was also said to have consulted and interacted with Napoleon on an ongoing basis to inform his military strategies.

Tuileries Garden is free to enter and can be found at 113 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France.

4. Notre Dame

Notre Dame is certainly one of Paris’ most distinguishable landmarks. Yet, many do not realize the imposing Cathedral lined with sinister-looking gargoyles is also supposedly haunted.

Haunted Notre Dame.
Outside the haunted Notre Dame Cathedral.

It is rumored that various kings and monks walk the halls of Notre Dame in ghost form. Additionally, there are a few stories that tell of women committing suicide from the top of the cathedral. This is said to have left behind some form of paranormal energy. Some people have claimed to see women walking around on the top of Notre Dame before disappearing into thin air. Adding to sinister tales about this holy place are claims that the front door of the cathedral may have been made by the devil himself.

Notre Dame, Paris.
Inside shot of the grand cathedral, Notre Dame.

Notre Dame is free to enter at certain times and can be found at 6 Parvis Notre-Dame – Pl. Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, France.

UpdateNotre Dame was engulfed in flames in April of 2019. Although it is expected to be restored after the disaster, many of its wooden interiors were destroyed. It is not clear when the cathedral will be open again to the public. For more information, keep an eye out on the official Notre Dame Website.

3. Old Gallows Montfaucon

The next haunted destination on this list is actually no longer in existence. It is a place that would have seen vast amounts of death in its time though.

Gibet De Montfaucon sign.
Signpost indicating the existence of old gallows in Paris.

Today, the Old Gallows Montfaucon is only signaled by a small signpost declaring they once stood in the general area. These gallows were the main place for executions of criminals within Paris during their lifetime. Once the condemned were hanged, their bodies were then left to slowly rot and decay on display. This was done to act as a deterrent to other possible wrongdoers. The gallows were constructed and used for executions from the early 13th century to the 1600s, before being dismantled due to rot in the 1700s.

Execution in Paris.
An illustration of the execution device that once stood in this area.

Although the gallows no longer stand and no trace can be seen of them, they remain a frightening omen to the city’s past. To this day, many people claim to hear the disembodied sounds of past executed prisoners. These have mostly been described as moans and rattling chains and are usually heard in the dead of night when no one else is around.

You will find the signpost for the Old Gallows Montfaucon at 18 Rue Boy-Zelensky, 75010 Paris, France.

2. Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is a sight not to be missed for anyone visiting Paris. It is certainly the most recognizable landmark in the city and some say, one of the most haunted.

The haunted Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower looking especially spooky.

There are some ghost stories that have circulated about the Eiffel Tower. The first speaks of a man who attempted to propose to his girlfriend at the top of the tower. After she refused his proposal, he grew so angered that he pushed her in a fit of rage. This caused her to fall back to her death over the railing. A second story tells of a man who, again, attempted to propose to his girlfriend. In this story, the woman was caught so off guard and backed away in shock. She stumbled, lost her footing and allegedly fell over the railing.

Paris skyline and Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower lighting up the Paris skyline.

These stories seem to date back to the 1920s. Some have claimed to sight the apparition of a woman wearing 20s style clothing walking around the top of the tower, before completely disappearing. More disturbingly, others have claimed to hear the shrieks of a woman, as if falling from the tower.

You’ll find this famous Paris landmark at Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris, France. The tower can also be viewed from multiple places around the city and even ascended for a fee.

Special Spooky Mention: Palace of Versailles

Though lying just outside of the city of Paris, the Palace of Versailles deserves a special mention on this haunted list.

Palace of Versailles haunted.
Exterior view of the Palace of Versailles.

Most visitors to Paris will make the journey out to see this magnificent former royal residence. Though, the palace is famed for many reasons it is also thought to hold a number of ghosts. The most famed of these ghosts being Queen Marie Antionette.

Inside the Palace of Versailles.
Walking the haunted halls of the Palace of Versailles.

Visits to the Palace of Versailles from Paris are easy. The metro is a quick option for transport and the palace can be explored by purchasing a ticket online or in person. The palace exists at Place d’Armes, 78000 Versailles, France.

1. Paris Catacombs

The Paris Catacombs are undoubtedly the most haunted place in Paris. They consist of underground tunnels spanning hundreds of kilometers underneath Paris. The tunnels have been filled with the bones of some 6 million dead people. These bones had to be extracted from overflowing cemeteries since the plague brought so much death to Paris. It likely comes as no surprise then, that there are numerous ghost stories circulating about the Paris Catacombs.

Skulls in Paris Catacombs.
Skulls on display to visitors of the Paris Catacombs.

Part of the Catacombs can be accessed for a fee from 1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris, France. Though there are many more areas of the catacombs to explore, they are difficult to access, dangerous and completely forbidden.

Forbidden Paris Catacombs.
Somewhere deep underneath Paris exploring the forbidden side of the Paris Catacombs.

If you enjoyed this haunted city list, you may also like my article on the most haunted places in Prague.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

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About Amy

Amy is a world traveller and explorer of creepy locations. She has visited some of the most famously haunted places around the world in search of evidence of the paranormal. Follow Amy's Journey:

Comments (3)

  • Padma

    Posted by Padma on November 24, 2020

    fascinating

      Amy

      Posted by Amy on November 27, 2020

      Thanks for reading.

  • dabossconiac

    Posted by dabossconiac on October 29, 2022

    👍

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