Oscar Wilde's tomb

About Oscar Wilde's tomb

Oscar Wilde’s tomb is the classified funerary monument in division 89 of Père-Lachaise Cemetery. Wilde died in Paris in 1900, was first buried at Bagneux and moved here in 1909. The French heritage register identifies Jacob Epstein as the sculptor and dates the monument to 1911–1914. Its monumental winged form was inspired by an Assyrian winged bull, not designed as a conventional portrait.

The tomb was classified as a historic monument in 1995. A Petit Palais history records its 2012 restoration. Two-metre transparent panels were installed after lipstick kisses had covered the stone from the early 1990s. The barrier is conservation protection: do not mark it, climb on the grave or sit on neighbouring monuments. Père-Lachaise remains an active funerary site where ceremonies and grieving families take priority.

The grave has no independent opening hours. It can be reached only while Père-Lachaise admits visitors. For the current 16 March–5 November 2026 period, cemetery gates are open 08:00–18:00 Monday to Friday, 08:30–18:00 Saturday and 09:00–18:00 Sunday. Evacuation begins 15 minutes before closing and no further visitors are admitted then. These are cemetery gate hours, not a separate timetable for the tomb. Weather can cause exceptional closures, so check the live City page. Cemetery access is explicitly free; this does not establish a separate tomb admission product.

Use the official personalities map and division markers. The 20th-arrondissement City route recommends Porte Gambetta and Métro Gambetta for its division-89 sequence. Terrain across the 43-hectare cemetery is uneven, with old paving and dirt paths; the City does not certify a step-free route to Wilde’s tomb. Accessible toilets are available at the main, Repos and Gambetta gates, but they are cemetery facilities, not tomb amenities. Cycles, scooters and animals are prohibited.

Practical details

Website

https://www.paris.fr/pages/cimetiere-du-pere-lachaise-un-pantheon-a-ciel-ouvert-17726

Sources

• mairie20.paris.fr
• pop.culture.gouv.fr
• www.paris.fr
• www.paris.fr
• www.paris.fr
• www.petitpalais.paris.fr
• www.paris.fr

Checked 2026-09-06

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External links

• View on Wikidata