The Sewer Museum is located in Paris near the Eiffel Tower. It explores the history of the sewer system in Paris, which began in the 13th century and now consists of over 2,100 km of tunnels. Visitors can tour the sewer tunnels and learn about their engineering through museum exhibits. One highlight is a large ball once used to clean sewer lines under the Seine River.

1. THE SEWER
MUSEUM

2. ●Location
The Sewer Museum is located in the
heart of Paris, 10 minutes away on foot
from the Eiffel Tower in the 7th
arrondissement.

3. ● History
Sewers have been draining wastewater in Paris since the beginning of the 13th
Century, when the city's streets were paved and drains were built on orders from
Philippe Auguste, the king of France from 1180 to 1223. Covered sewers were
introduced during the reign of Napoléon Bonaparte, and today's network of more
than 2,100 km (1,312 miles) of sewer tunnels was begun in 1850.
The first tours of the sewers were offered in
1889. Initially, they did it by carts that were
suspended from the walkways along the
tunnel walls, later by carriages drawn by a
small locomotive, and until the 1970s, in
boats. Nowadays, the museum is prepared to
be visited on foot.

4. ●What you can see in the museum
The sewers are dark, damp, and quiet, and a great place to visit for those who are
interested in the history of engineering or who just want to enjoy the bizarre, slightly
spooky atmosphere of the place. The sewer tunnels are a lot wider and more spacious
than you'd probably imagine; it's not at all claustrophobic in there, as the tunnels were
constructed to accommodate some really big machinery.
Several museum-like attractions have been
added throughout the tunnels you'll explore,
explaining the history and construction of the
sewer system. One of the most espectacular
things you get to see is a gigantic ball that was
used to clean out sewer lines underneath the
Seine.