Albert-Kahn Museum and Garden — Attraction in Boulogne-Billancourt

After seeing a very well made exhibition on Albert Kahn in Cologne years ago I waited long time for the museum in Paris to reopen. What a disappointment! The wonderful collection is showed with a very wrong museum concept. Most of the photos are showed as backlighted small images in the walls of the exhibit on the inside of the outer walls of the museum which form a triangle. This results in a multitude of images of the famous collection from floor to ceiling, impossible to see all and without any direction or guidance. It’s more a monument to Kahn than a museum presentation. In the middle of the are some large stations which are controllable by sliding tablets. These give little stories on the walls in texts, photos and movies with subjects as war, social protest, agriculture. The effect of the control tablets is that only one visitor is in control and that visitor is mostly a child who just runs through it as children do. There are in the back corridor also a few personal stations with chairs with some good stories on tourism and travel. This last ones are the best but no better than your computer or iPad at home. All in all too small and wrong concept. No answer to the question what was Albert Kahns work and why is this collection of the most historical importance. Not worth a visit, the...

The 4 hectares of gardens at the Albert Kahn Museum in Boulogne-Billancourt to the west of Paris are an extension of their creator, reflecting the diversity of cultures around the world. A banker by trade, Albert Kahn was above all a man of peace and philanthropist whose constant preoccupation was bringing people together and raising awareness of other ways of life. These gardens, a testament to plant-based art, invite you on a journey, taking you from west to east in just a few steps.

The English gardens, French formal gardens and the rose garden are laid out as "garden scenes" typical of the 19th century. The Japanese garden consists of two lodges straight from the Land of the Rising Sun. Colour also plays an important role in these spaces, in the three "ornamental woods", where the blue of the cedars sits alongside the pink of the rhododendrons, and the white of the birch trunks contrasts with the green of the silver fir.

The refurbished gardens are open to the public. Although the original gardens have been preserved, a new experience is on offer once night falls with 450 spotlights illuminating the paths. In 2021, you will be able to admire the whole site when the museum reopens its doors...

Beautiful garden. There's a field and a little stream, a Japanese garden section (the waterfall area is currently off for maintenance) with 2 beautiful wooden bridges and gorgeous cherry trees, a formal landscaped garden area (there's an indoor part that is closed right now for maintenance as well), and a forest area, as well.

I would say about half of the garden is NOT easily accessible (either in a wheelchair or a stroller), but people who do babywearing (either in a wrap type or a hiking chair type) should be fine. There are a few areas where you can climb, but you can avoid those easily if you want to.

Entry is currently 3€, normally 4€ (when they aren't doing maintenance and things aren't closed down), or you can get an annual pass for 25€, which gets you all the entries you want, plus 1 companion adult for every entry free. Kids under 18 are free as well.

There is no playground or play structure. It's not that kind of park - just a nice, quiet, peaceful area to be in nature (well, man-made, organized nature) - but it is definitely beautiful and...