# Deyrolle: A Famous Shop on Rue du Bac, and Paris Best Free Things to Do Nearby

The taxidermy cabinet at 46 Rue du Bac, how to walk through it, and what is actually free

By Finzi

Deyrolle, at 46 Rue du Bac in the 7th arrondissement, is a historic shop known for taxidermy, entomology cases, and a cabinet-of-curiosities interior that people come to see even when they do not plan to buy. Looking around the public rooms is one of the more unusual paris best free things to do on the Left Bank, as long as you treat it as a shop, not as a free museum with a guaranteed circuit. Staff are at work. Objects are for sale. A fire in 2008 damaged the premises, and the shop was later restored, which is part of its recent history, not a reason to handle anything on the shelves.

This guide explains how to visit without getting in the way, when the street is easier, and how to combine Deyrolle with other free or low-cost stops nearby. Hours follow shop hours, not museum hours, and they can change, so check before you make this the center of a morning.

# What Deyrolle is, and what it is not

Deyrolle has been associated with natural history display and teaching materials for a long time, and the upstairs rooms are famous for their animals, cases, and dense, old-fashioned arrangement. It is still a working business. You can often walk in and look. You cannot assume every room, every hour, is open as if it were a public collection. If a sign or a staff member limits access, follow that.

It is not a zoo, a natural history museum, or a children’s petting space. The animals are mounted specimens. Some visitors find the rooms beautiful. Some find them unsettling, especially younger children. Both reactions are normal. If someone in your group is uneasy, keep the visit short or skip it.

Photography, when it is allowed, should be discreet. This is a shop floor, not a set. Do not block a counter, move objects, or treat a display as a backdrop for a long posed session.

# Paris best free things to do on this stretch of the 7th

A visit here works because it is short and sits on a street you may already be walking. Paris best free things to do in the 7th are often outdoor, such as a river walk or a view of a monument. Deyrolle is the indoor exception: a look at a remarkable shop, then back to the sidewalk.

A simple loop:

• Arrive at Sèvres-Babylone and walk along Rue du Bac.
• Spend 15 to 30 minutes in Deyrolle, longer only if you are genuinely looking at objects for sale or at the rooms in detail.
• Continue toward the Seine for a free river walk, or stay on the street for shops and a café.

A chapel further along the same street is a separate, free church visit with its own rules and hours. The river and the Musée d’Orsay are not far, though the museum is ticketed. Do not try to make Deyrolle, a chapel, and a major museum feel like one short errand. They can share a morning if you keep Deyrolle brief.

If the shop is crowded, wait or come back later. A packed aisle is not a good time to linger with a large bag.

# How to visit the shop

Go in as you would any specialized shop that also happens to be a landmark. Say hello if that is natural, keep your voice down, and stay out of the way of people who are buying or asking questions. Twenty minutes is enough for a first look. Thirty to forty minutes is better if the rooms are open and calm.

Practical notes:

• It is free to browse the public areas unless a sign says otherwise. Purchases, of course, are not free.
• Children need a close adult. The rooms are full of fragile, valuable objects.
• Do not touch the specimens or lean on cases.
• Ask before you take photos, or follow posted rules, and never use flash if it might be a problem for others.

If you came only for pictures, you may be disappointed on a busy day, and you should still behave like a shop visitor. If you came to see the rooms, you will get more from a quieter weekday morning.

# Getting there

The shop stands at 46 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris, on the Left Bank, in the 7th, midway between the Sèvres-Babylone station and the river.

• Sèvres-Babylone (lines 10 and 12): usually the simplest station.
• Rue du Bac (line 12): a slightly longer walk if you already leave the train there.
• Walking: From the Musée d’Orsay it is roughly a quarter of an hour, and from Saint-Germain-des-Prés the time is similar.

The shopfront is on the street, so you do not need to hunt through a courtyard. If you walk too fast with a shopping list, you can still miss it, so watch the numbers.

# When to go

Weekday mornings are the most comfortable, with fewer people in the aisles and a better chance of seeing the rooms properly. Saturday afternoons can be tight. Sunday hours, if any, must be checked, because a shop is not a museum with a standard seven-day timetable.

Seasonal notes:

• Spring and autumn. Good months for a short shop visit plus a stroll toward the river afterward.
• Summer. Go early, before the street is at its busiest.
• Winter. A useful indoor pause on a wet day, as long as the shop is open. It will not occupy a whole rainy afternoon.

If you only have ten minutes, you can still go in, look at the first rooms, and leave. If you have an hour, spend part of it on the street and the river, not only inside.

# Pairing Deyrolle with the rest of the morning

Natural pairings include:

• A walk to the Seine or the Musée d’Orsay, if you still have museum energy and a ticket plan.
• Le Bon Marché or the Grande Épicerie, if you want a department store or food after the shop.
• A café on a side street, if you need a table before or after.
• A slow look at other shop windows on Rue du Bac, without turning the morning into a spending spree unless you want that.

A professional photo session does not belong in the aisles. If portraits are part of a later plan in this district, stay on the sidewalk, in a garden, or along the water, not in the aisles. A Paris photography session can start after a short stop like this, once you are back in ordinary daylight. Examples on photographers-paris.com show how Left Bank streets and river light usually look in finished pictures.

# Access, families and respect

The historic interior may include stairs and tight corners. If someone uses a wheelchair or has trouble with steps, ask at the door what is possible that day, and be ready to stay at street level if the upper rooms are not practical.

Families can visit if children can keep their hands to themselves and move carefully. This is not an interactive science museum. If a child is bored or frightened, leave rather than negotiating in the aisle.

There is no ticket, but that does not mean there is no limit. A large group should split up or come at a quieter time.

# Practical tips

• Check opening hours on the day. Shop timetables change around holidays.
• Keep bags compact and off the cases.
• Do not treat the animals as props.
• Have a second, truly outdoor free plan nearby, such as the river, if the shop is closed or too full.
• If you want to buy, ask staff for help rather than handling objects yourself.

# Who it is for, and who might skip it

Travelers who enjoy unusual interiors, natural-history display, and brief free indoor stops will get the most from Deyrolle. Anyone hoping for a park, a major museum, or a place where children can touch everything should pick a different address.

If you are already sleeping in the western Left Bank, the detour is tiny. If you are coming from the 18th or 20th, add the shop only when this neighborhood was already on the day’s route.

A practical test:

• The shop is open, and you are already on the street. Step inside.
• You have 20 calm minutes and a careful group. Step inside.
• You need a famous monument or a long guaranteed visit. Go to a museum, and return to Deyrolle only if the street is already on your way.

# Quick answers

Is Deyrolle free? Browsing the public shop rooms is typically free. It is a shop, not a ticketed museum, and anything you buy is separate.

Where is it? 46 Rue du Bac, in the 7th, a short walk from Sèvres-Babylone.

How long does a visit take? 15 to 30 minutes for a first look, a little longer if the rooms are calm.

Is it one of the best free things to do in Paris? It is one of the more distinctive free indoor stops, but it is short and not guaranteed at every hour. Pair it with a walk.

When is it quietest? Weekday mornings, outside holiday rushes.

Can you take photos? Only if the shop allows it that day, and then without blocking the rooms or using the displays as a studio.

# Sources

• Deyrolle: official shop information and hours, deyrolle.com
• Ville de Paris: Rue du Bac and 7th arrondissement context, paris.fr
• RATP: metro lines 10 and 12, station Sèvres-Babylone, ratp.fr
• photographers-paris.com: the sessions page and the homepage