RPR-FRA-007 · FRANCE
Palace of Fontainebleau
Plan Your Visit
Regular public visits
The official ticketing service advertises the palace visitor circuit and separate guided experiences. The main website could not be read in this review; ticket inventory was not tested.
Official source / visitor information
Source review: 2026-10-10. Published visitor information reviewed; daily availability is not guaranteed.
Royal / Imperial Palace
French name: Château de Fontainebleau
Type: Royal / Imperial Palace
Dates: medieval origins; major Renaissance rebuilding from François I onward
Status: Surviving / national palace museum
Provenance: Major residence of French kings and emperors
Geography
Geographic Path: France → Île-de-France → Seine-et-Marne → Fontainebleau
Local Place: Fontainebleau
Estate / Micro-location: Palace and royal forest
Browse France Palace Geography →
Rulers, Residents & Use by Reign
| Period | Ruler | Relationship | Notes | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1515–1547 | Francis I | royal residence / major patron | François I's Renaissance palace-building network. | High |
| 1547–1559 | Henry II | royal residence / patron | Henri II continued major Renaissance palace projects. | High |
| 1560–1574 | Charles IX | royal residence / court | Valois court used Paris and Fontainebleau residences. | High |
| 1804–1814/1815 | Napoleon I | imperial residence / patron | First Empire residence network. | High |
| 1852–1870 | Napoleon III | imperial residence / patron | Second Empire court and state-residence network. | High |
Useful Links
Important Interiors
Can You Visit?
Access status: open_regularly
Regular château admission includes the Grands Appartements and Musée Napoléon I; some spaces require special or guided access.
Official visitor information →
Visitor Statistics
| Year | Value | Unit | Scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 419,000 | admissions | Château interior / museum route | Interior château admissions; not whole domaine. |
| 2024 | 580,000 | admissions | Château interior / museum route | Official wording: more than 580,000. |
| 2024 | 1,900,000 | visits | Domaine national de Fontainebleau total visits, including gardens | Official Ministry summary; château interior itself exceeded 580,000 visits. |
| 2024 | 1,900,000 | visits | Domaine national de Fontainebleau total, including gardens | Different scope from château-interior admissions; stored separately. |
For the latest access review, see Plan Your Visit above.
Palace Profile & Official Website
Palace of Fontainebleau is recorded as Royal / Imperial Palace. Location: Fontainebleau. Major residence of French kings and emperors
Summary from the existing catalogue; the historical description has not been fully re-audited in this release.
Official source / visitor information
Access: The official ticketing service advertises the palace visitor circuit and separate guided experiences. The main website could not be read in this review; ticket inventory was not tested.
Sources
Annual Visitor Statistics
| Year | Reported figure | What is counted / notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 419,000 | Château interior / museum route; Interior château admissions; not whole domaine. Prior catalogue record; not reverified in this release. Precision: rounded. | Source |
| 2024 | 580,000 | Château interior / museum route; Official wording: more than 580,000. Prior catalogue record; not reverified in this release. Precision: rounded lower bound. | Source |
| 2024 | 1,900,000 | Domaine national de Fontainebleau total visits, including gardens; Official Ministry summary; château interior itself exceeded 580,000 visits. Prior catalogue record; not reverified in this release. Precision: rounded. | Source |
| 2024 | 1,900,000 | Domaine national de Fontainebleau total, including gardens; Different scope from château-interior admissions; stored separately. Prior catalogue record; not reverified in this release. Precision: rounded. | Source |
Historical illustrations
René Boyvin · n.d. · Engraving. Mythological composition associated with Fontainebleau; not a view of an existing room or surviving decoration.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 32.105; Gift of Junius S. Morgan, 1932. Collection record · CC0.