It’s been more than five years since a fire ripped through Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris on April 15, 2019. Reconstruction efforts on the 12th-century monument were painstaking, and Notre-Dame finally has an opening date: December 7, 2024.
“My job is to be ready to open this cathedral in 2024. And we will do it,” General Jean-Louis Georgelin, the army general leading the restoration project, told the Associated Press in March 2023. “We are fighting every day for that and we are on a good path.” Georgelin died at age 78 in August 2023, but his goal will be met. Experts familiar with medieval restoration work said it could take 15 to 20 years to rebuild the roof, spire, and parts of the stone vaulting, but Notre-Dame is opening on schedule in December—although renovations will continue.
How is the restoration work on Notre-Dame progressing?
In 2023, about 1,000 people worked on Notre-Dame’s restoration in Paris and throughout France. In order to rebuild with similar materials and techniques used when the rest of Notre-Dame was built in the 12th century, skilled artisans including quarry workers, carpenters, mortar makers, and master stonecutters were hired.
The cathedral won’t be 100 percent restored until 2026. The apse and sacristy will be finished sometime in 2025, and 2026 will see the installation of new stained glass windows. The existing windows, which date to the 19th century, will be moved to a museum, and the new windows will be designed by a contemporary French artist; more than 100 artists submitted their designs and, as of this writing, there are eight finalists, among them Daniel Buren, known for his black and white striped columns in the inner courtyard of the Palais Royal.
How to visit Notre-Dame after its reopening
At the end of November, the city’s tourism board will launch an app through which you can reserve free tickets. The cathedral will be open to individual visitors only—no big groups—starting in mid-December. Tickets to Notre-Dame are always free, so beware of any sites trying to sell them.
A look inside the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral
To get an idea of the work that needed to be done on Notre-Dame, take a look at these scenes from the cathedral before and immediately after the 2019 fire, as well as a few reconstruction updates from the past few years.
Before the fire (September 2018)
This photo, dated September 7, 2018, shows Notre-Dame’s roof and spire before they burned.
Photo by Katsiuba Volha / Shutterstock
After the fire (April 2019)
The cathedral lost its roof and spire in the April 2019 fire.
Photo by AP Photo/Christophe Ena
Before the fire (October 2017)
The interior of Notre-Dame in November 2017
Photo by Ninara/Flickr
After the fire (April 2019)
The interior of Notre-Dame immediately after the fire in April 2019
Photo by AP Photo/Christophe Petit Tesson
How much will it cost to restore Notre-Dame?
Immediately after the fire, around $1 billion in donations poured in from individual contributors, as well as companies like Apple and Disney. The wealthy French families behind LVMH and Kering pledged €200 million (US$226 million) and €100 million (US$113 million), respectively. LVMH owns several major French fashion houses, including Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, while Kering owns other luxury brands, such as Saint Laurent and Gucci.
As of this writing, the budget for Notre-Dame’s restoration is approximately €700 million (US$758 million); RFI reports that thus far, approximately €550 million (US$600 million) has been spent.
Reconstruction in progress on June 16, 2021
Photo by Thomas Samson, Pool FILE via AP
A behind-the-scenes look at the restoration process
Even if you can’t get a ticket to Notre-Dame in 2024, the free exhibit Notre-Dame de Paris: At the Heart of the Construction Site offers an inside look at this massive construction project.
Located in a cultural venue underneath the cathedral in a former parking garage, this installation will be on display through December 2024, providing an overview of the restoration project and the trades involved, alongside damaged artifacts pulled from the fire.
The same location also hosts a VR show, Eternal Notre-Dame, a 45-minute immersive experience that lets visitors dive into 850 years of the cathedral’s history.
This article was originally published in 2019 and most recently updated on October 18, 2024, with current information. Sophie Friedman and Mary Winston Nicklin contributed reporting to this story.
