The Palais de la Porte Dorée

The Public Institution of the Palais de la Porte Dorée is responsible for developing scientific and cultural projects for the Tropical Aquarium and the Musée national de l'histoire de l'immigration as well as enhancing the comprehensive heritage of the Palais de la Porte Dorée.

The Palace

The Palais de la Porte Dorée was built for the International Exposition of 1931: its first vocation was to be a museum of the colonies to represent the territories, the history of colonial conquest and its effect on the arts. The former function hall and the reception halls of Marshall Lyautey, General Curator of the exposition, and Paul Reynaud, Minister of the Colonies still reflect this past today.
The Palace then changed attributions several times, while maintaining the Tropical Aquarium that had been there since 1931, to finally house the Musée de l’histoire de l’immigration in 2007.

The Museum

The Musée national de l'histoire de l'immigration (National Museum of the History of Immigration) is a multidisciplinary cultural, scientific and educational institution: exhibition spaces, theater, cinema, a site for reflection and debate as well as artistic activities.

The mission of the Musée national de l'histoire de l'immigration is to assemble, protect, enhance and make the history of immigration accessible to the greatest number of people, to communicate and recognize the role of immigration in the construction of France.

The responsibility of the Musée national de l'histoire de l'immigration is to constitute, preserve and present to the public a collection representative of the history, arts and cultures of immigration. This collection brings a new focus to the history of France, by showing the contribution of immigrants to the country’s economic development, social evolution and cultural life.

The Aquarium

The Tropical Aquarium is a unique historical site. It offers a fascinating voyage in space and time to discover a mysterious colorful world that has always attracted us, as is demonstrated in art and mythology.

The Tropical Aquarium was created on the occasion of the Colonial Exposition of 1931 to show the public the aquatic fauna of the colonies.

First with its integration into the Museum of Colonies, and later the Museum of Overseas France, the Aquarium followed the latter’s destiny.

In 1960, it was attached to the French Ministry of Culture.

The renovation of the Aquarium was undertaken in 1985: all the installations prior to 1968 were completely revamped, introducing current techniques while preserving the historic aspect of the site. 

These improvements made it possible to adopt a new policy for the acquisition of animals with very specific requirements for water quality. The new specimens were chosen according to the information they could provide, especially for young visitors, in the context of the Aquarium’s educational mission.

The collection numbers some 15,000 animals and 750 species, but these figures continually vary depending on reproduction, mortality, exchanges with other public aquariums, purchases and gifts.

ACCESSIBILITY

All areas of the Palais de la Porte Dorée are accessible to disabled persons. 

On the corner of place Edouard Renard and rue Armand Rousseau, a ramp offers access to persons with reduced mobility. A level pathway leads from the ramp to an elevator behind the administrative entrance. A map is available at the end of the ramp. 

HOW TO REACH

Metro : station Porte Dorée (line 8)
Bus : 46
Tramway : ligne T3
Vélib' Station 12032

ADMISSION

Palais Ticket (Musée national de l’histoire de l’immigration + Tropical Aquarium)
Adult
Without temporary exhibition: 8 €
With one temporary exhibition: 9 €
With two or more exhibitions: 10 €

2 +2*
Without temporary exhibition: 17 €
With one temporary exhibition: 20 €
With two or more exhibitions: 22 €

*The 2+2 rate includes 1 or 2 adult(s) accompanied by 1 or 2 children under 18.