CHANTILLY, France – The Château de Chantilly closed out 2025 with a truly historic year, welcoming a no less than 658,164 visitors. This is a remarkable +20% increase compared to 2024. The surge solidifies the estate’s position as one of France’s most captivating heritage destinations. The record-breaking year may be boosted by its election as Monument préféré des Français 2025.
Record attendance and exceptional success
The standout highlight was the landmark exhibition Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, often called the “Joconde des manuscrits” (Mona Lisa of manuscripts). This rare public display of the celebrated medieval illuminated masterpiece, conserved at the Musée Condé, drew an exceptional 75,127 visitors from around the world. Timed tickets, extended hours, and nocturnes helped accommodate the overwhelming demand for this once-in-a-lifetime showcase of one of the most precious treasures of the Middle Ages.
Excluding private events, 594,734 visitors explored the château, park, and Grandes Écuries (up from 475,068 in 2024). Over 70% were French, with growing numbers from the United States, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
A flamboyant cultural season
The year 2025 featured a rich program, including a poetic equestrian spectacle inspired by the Très Riches Heures manuscript, the returning hit Un jour à Paris, and the magical Christmas show L’Arche d’or. Popular events like the Journées des Plantes (spring and autumn editions broke attendance records), the ever-popular Pique-Nique en Blanc (sold out well in advance), and torch-lit Halloween night visits also drew enthusiastic crowds.
Education remains a core priority: a record 35,717 school pupils (+7% from 2024) participated in tailored programs, with further enhancements planned.
The estate also hosted high-profile public events, including the Triathlon de Chantilly, quality music programming, and 194 private functions (weddings, seminars, film shoots), reinforcing its status as a premier venue.
Commercial revenues from ticketing, privatizations, shops, and concessions reached €12.7 million (+20% from 2024), reflecting a successful diversification strategy. Combined with income from property and forests, the domaine achieved self-financing in operations.
Anne Miller, Administratrice générale du Château de Chantilly, commented: “The year 2025 will go down in history as exceptional in every respect. It confirms the very positive dynamic of the Château de Chantilly over recent years, thanks to a varied and high-quality program carried collectively by all components of the domaine. In 2026, ambitious new projects are on the horizon…”
“The year 2025 will go down in history as exceptional in every respect.”
Ambitious projects for 2026
In 2026, the Château de Chantilly will continue its momentum with an even richer, family-oriented program and Italian-themed exhibitions. Highlights include:
- Les Giotto from the Domaine de Chaalis (from 24 January)
- Restored treasures and tributes to bibliophile patrons in the Cabinet des Livres
- Drawings from the Seicento and Titian’s Ecce Homo
- Major exhibition De Naples à Chantilly: Les collections de la reine Caroline Murat (June–October)
- The long-lost Diamant rose de Chantilly on display (October 2026–February 2027)
- Rosa Bonheur et le Cheval and other thematic shows
Equestrian spectacles, seasonal events, and concerts will round out an accessible calendar. The return of Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille is scheduled for 13 September in a renewed format.
The Château de Chantilly’s 2025 triumph may be boosted by its election as Monument préféré des Français 2025. It underscores its enduring magic as a place where art, history, nature, and spectacle converge just north of Paris.
Major investments are needed
Despite the good attendance figures, there also seem to be problems. The French newspaper Le Parisien reports, “Chantilly can’t cope: €33 million urgently needed to save the castle.” According to a 2021 report by the Court of Auditors on the Institut de France, the owner of the estate, “the estate in the south rests on a precarious economic balance”. Major investments are needed to restore the château. Chantilly is not the only tourist attraction in France to suffer this fate. Earlier, the French media reported that the Château de Chambord is also facing major maintenance backlogs.
