Musée Départemental Albert-Kahn & Gardens
A visionary banker sent photographers to 60 countries between 1909 and 1931, and the astonishing result — 72,000 autochrome colour photographs and 100 hours of silent film — lives right here in Boulogne-Billancourt. Pair the UNESCO-listed archive with four hectares of Japanese, English, and French gardens designed by Kahn himself, and you have one of the most quietly extraordinary museum visits in
The Archives of the Planet
Albert Kahn was a philanthropist and humanist who dreamed of documenting the world before it changed forever. From his Boulogne-Billancourt property he dispatched operators to photograph and film more than 60 countries, creating what is now recognised as the world's largest collection of early colour photography.
The permanent exhibition unfolds inside a building designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, where the Plate Room preserves original autochrome boxes and a projection lantern throws century-old images onto the wall. In 2025, the Archives de la Planète were inscribed in UNESCO's World Memory Register, cementing their global importance.
Four Hectares of Garden Worlds
The 4-hectare grounds are a utopian garden manifesto: a raked Japanese garden sits beside a rose parterre, a conifer forest evokes Kahn's childhood Vosges, and a formal French allée leads to an English meadow — all within a single stroll.
Spring cherry blossom in the Japanese section and autumn colour in the Vosges forest make repeat visits genuinely different. Weekends fill up fast, so book your slot online in advance.
Practical Know-How
The museum reopened after a five-year renovation and feels brand new while honouring its archival soul. Entry is free for EU residents under 26 and on the first Sunday of every month — a rare gift in the Paris region.
Reach it on foot from Boulogne – Jean Jaurès metro station (Line 10) in about eight minutes. Allow at least two and a half hours to do justice to both the galleries and the gardens.
Musée Départemental Albert-Kahn & Gardens on video
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