Statue of Liberty in Paris: All 5 Locations and How to See Them
Geography 6 min read
Paris has five Statues of Liberty. Here is exactly where each one stands — from the Île aux Cygnes near the Eiffel Tower to a tiny one hidden inside another sculpture — and how to see them all in a single afternoon.
Paris has five Statues of Liberty. You will find them on the Île aux Cygnes near the Eiffel Tower (the famous one), in the Jardin du Luxembourg, inside the Musée d'Orsay, at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, and hidden inside a sculpture on Place Michel Debré. Here is exactly where each one stands, and how to see them all in an afternoon.
Everyone knows the colossal figure in New York Harbor, but few realize she was born in Paris, built in the 17th arrondissement, and that she has five smaller sisters still living in the French capital. The Statue of Liberty isn't just an American icon; she's a Parisian native, created by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi with engineering by Gustave Eiffel. Today, you can trace her history through Paris by visiting these five locations—from the Seine to hidden museums—where her torch still burns, albeit on a more modest scale.
Île aux Cygnes: the famous one, near the Eiffel Tower
The most famous Parisian replica stands on the Île aux Cygnes, a man-made island in the Seine near the Eiffel Tower. This 11.5-meter bronze statue was a gift from the American community in Paris to France in 1889, celebrating the centennial of the French Revolution.
Originally, she faced east toward the Élysée Palace (to avoid turning her back on the president), which disappointed Bartholdi because she turned her back to her big sister in New York. In 1937, for the Universal Exposition, she was finally turned westward, facing the Atlantic and America—the orientation Bartholdi had always intended.
Where to see it: Pont de Grenelle (Métro Bir-Hakeim or Javel). Walk down to the tip of the island for the best view, or take a Seine cruise to pass right beneath her torch.
Musée d'Orsay: the original model
Inside the spectacular Musée d'Orsay stands a significant piece of history: one of the first bronze models Bartholdi cast for the Luxembourg Gardens. This statue stood outdoors in the Jardin du Luxembourg for over a century (from 1906 to 2012) before pollution and theft of her torch led to her relocation for protection.
She now resides safely in the museum's central nave, allowing you to examine the details of Bartholdi's work up close without weather damage. Her presence here connects the artistic masterpiece to the industrial feat.
Where to see it: Musée d'Orsay, typically in the central nave or 19th-century sculpture galleries.
Jardin du Luxembourg: the replacement
After the original model moved to the Musée d'Orsay in 2012, the Senate (which manages the garden) installed a new bronze replica in the exact same spot. Standing near the rue Guynemer entrance, this statue continues the tradition of Lady Liberty watching over Parisian joggers and students.
It serves as a tangible reminder of the friendship between France and the United States, positioned in a garden that has long been a center of Parisian intellectual and political life.
Where to see it: Jardin du Luxembourg, western side near the rue Guynemer entrance.
Musée des Arts et Métiers: the technical origins
This museum, dedicated to industrial design and technology, holds two Statues of Liberty. Inside, in the former church that serves as the museum's main hall, stands the original 1878 plaster model (1/16th scale) that Bartholdi used to finalize the design before scaling it up. This is the "mother" of all the statues—the definitive shape from which the New York colossus was mathematically enlarged.
Outside on the museum's forecourt stands a bronze cast made from this plaster model in 2010, welcoming visitors to the museum.
Where to see it: 60 Rue de Réaumur (Métro Arts et Métiers). The bronze is outside (free); the plaster model is inside (ticket required).
The hidden Centaur: the secret statue
The smallest and most elusive Statue of Liberty in Paris hides in plain sight on Place Michel Debré in the 6th arrondissement. The "Centaur"—a massive sculpture by the artist César—stands in the square. If you look closely at the centaur's chest, you'll see a tiny replica of the Statue of Liberty emerging from his torso. It's an artist's wink, a miniature homage concealed within a completely different work of art.
Where to see it: Place Michel Debré (Métro Sèvres-Babylone), embedded in the Centaur sculpture.
Visiting these statues reveals the French engineering and artistic vision behind the American symbol. From the technical models at Arts et Métiers to the diplomatic gift on the Seine, Paris offers a Liberty tour that tells the story of her creation before she ever reached New York Harbor.
Statue of Liberty in Paris: quick answers
How many Statues of Liberty are there in Paris?
Five, spread across the city: the famous bronze on the Île aux Cygnes near the Eiffel Tower, one in the Jardin du Luxembourg, one inside the Musée d'Orsay, the original 1878 plaster model at the Musée des Arts et Métiers (plus the bronze cast on its forecourt), and a tiny hidden one embedded in César's Centaur sculpture in the 6th arrondissement.
Where is the main Statue of Liberty in Paris?
On the Île aux Cygnes, a narrow man-made island in the Seine at the Pont de Grenelle. The 11.5-meter bronze faces west toward her big sister in New York. Closest métro: Bir-Hakeim or Javel.
Which Statue of Liberty is closest to the Eiffel Tower?
The Île aux Cygnes statue: from the tower, walk about twenty minutes downstream along the Seine, cross at the Pont de Grenelle and follow the tree-lined island to its tip. Seine cruises also pass right beneath her torch.
Can you see the Paris Statues of Liberty for free?
Three of the five are free: Île aux Cygnes, the Jardin du Luxembourg, and the bronze outside the Musée des Arts et Métiers. The Musée d'Orsay statue and the original plaster model inside Arts et Métiers require a museum ticket.
Why does Paris have Statues of Liberty?
Because she was born here: Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi sculpted her in Paris with Gustave Eiffel's engineering before she sailed to New York in 1885. The Île aux Cygnes replica was a thank-you gift from the American community in Paris in 1889.
Keep exploring: grand monuments of the Napoleonic empire · 15 hidden gems most tourists miss · Plan your Paris trip with a local
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Get the free guideSeeing All Five in One Afternoon
Updated for 2026: all five statues remain exactly where this guide places them, and you can still connect them in a single afternoon. The strategy that works: start with the indoor copies while the museums are open, then work toward the river, and save the Île aux Cygnes for last, when the late light hits the statue with the Eiffel Tower behind her, the one photograph from Paris that most visitors never get. The metro covers every hop in under twenty minutes.
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