The Tuileries Garden: A Haunted Park in Paris

Tuileries Garden

The Tuileries Garden is a central and frequently visited park within the heart of Paris, France. It sat in the midst of a turbulent string of historical events that shaped modern-day Paris. Today, it is all that remains of the Tuileries Palace, which once sat proudly on the grounds before burning down into complete destruction in 1871. Darker aspects of the Tuileries’ past speak of supernatural presences within the palace and garden, which begs the question, does the Tuileries Garden remain to be a haunted park in Paris?

Haunted Stories of Tuileries Garden

Numerous stories describe a presence existing within the Tuileries Palace and Gardens known as The Red Man. This entity has been documented as far back as the 16th Century and is usually described as either a ghost, goblin or devil and always wearing a red suit.

Haunted park in Paris. — Trees shedding their leaves in a supposedly haunted park in Paris

The apparition of The Red Man tends to be sighted at times associated with death. Many reports of his appearances correlate with executions. With those unlucky enough to capture a glimpse of him generally dying soon after. Marie Antionette was said to have sighted this devilish ghost in the lead up to her beheading. Additional sightings of The Red Man occurred before the deaths of both Henry IV and King Louis XVI. Though it seems this mysterious entity was not always a bringer of death for the people who sighted it. Legend has it that Napoleon interacted with this ghost on an ongoing basis, even deriving military advice from The Red Man.

Tuileries Garden by night. — Darkness has fallen over Tuileries Garden with the sky illuminated by distance city lights.

Origins of The Red Man

Whilst no one is certain where this Red Man of Tuileries may have come from, there are a few stories that suggest his origin.

Looking for the Red Man in Paris. — Discovering the legend of Paris’ Red Man.

The first of these stories was triggered by the death of Henry II. Following his death, Catherine de Medici – the King’s wife, took swift political action having her enemies assassinated. Things got a little more complex once the assassin learned of many of the queen’s dirty secrets, so he was also killed. His murder was committed in the Tuileries Garden and the man’s body mysteriously went missing just after. Following these events, it was prophecized that Tuileries has been cursed, all within it would meet a terrible fate and the soul of this murdered man would haunt Tuileries until it was destroyed. Many from then on would theorize that this was the reason why The Red Man would always appear at desperate times of death.

Tuileries Garden in Paris at night time. — Glimmering lights illuminating the dark Tuileries Garden.

Another story suggesting the origins of The Red Man states that the entity may have already inhabited the grounds that the Tuileries Palace was built upon. It has even been told that the entity came into contact with the Queen and described to her some aspects of her own death.

Statue in park of Paris. — Another statue watching over the park.

Does this Red Man continue to haunt the Tuileries Garden? Or, has the entity been set free since the destruction of the Palace? This part of the story remains a mystery, though sightings of the death foretelling apparition haven’t been reported in a long, long time.

Is the Tuileries Garden in Paris haunted? — Exploring the ghostly legends of the Tuileries Garden in Paris.

Visiting The Haunted Tuileries Garden

A stroll through the Tuileries Garden is well worth the time if you are exploring Paris. It lies in very close proximity to the Louvre and the Arc De Triomphe. The park is open every day during the day time and into the early evening. Entry is free and there are some nice cafes and a carousel to check out.