Jim Morrison (1965 – 1971), was the legendary lead singer and songwriter of The Doors
Born on December 8, 1943, in Melbourne, Florida. He studied film at UCLA, where he met the members of what would become the Doors. In 1971, Morrison left the Doors to write poetry and moved to Paris where he died.
Jim Morrison’s Paris locations :
Le Bar Alexandre : Jim Morrison used to come to this bar. Bar Alexandre – 53 avenue Georges V 75008 – Metro Georges V (now a Louis Vuitton shop)
Hotel Georges V :The 11th of March 1971, Jim moved into the Georges V where Pamela Courson his « fiancée » were already staying. Georges V hotel : 31 avenue Georges V – Paris 8 – Metro Georges V – www.fourseasons.com
Basilique du Sacré Coeur (Montmartre) : Jim Morrison liked this place.
Sacré Coeur : 35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre 75018 Paris – M : Abbesses
Café de Flore : One of Pamela Courson’s favorite cafés where the couple used to go sometimes. That where the last Jim Morrison interview was made.
Café de Flore – 172 boulevard Saint Germain – Paris 6 – Métro Saint Germain
Les Deux Magots : Jim Morrison loves the Art Deco style of this café. He used to come here for dinner with the other members of The Doors. After Jim Morrison’s death, The Doors have kept on coming to this place.
Les Deux Magots – Paris 6 (St Germain des Prés)
Les Deux Magots – 6 place St Germain des Prés – Paris 6 – Métro St Germain des Prés
L’Hôtel : In May 1971, Pamela and Jim came to spend a few days in this hotel, at the 2d floor. Jim Morrison asked for the same room as the one where Oscar Wilde died. One day, Jim Morrison, drunk, fell from the room on a car parked just below and luckily wasn’t injured. Hôtel des Beaux Arts – 13 rue des Beaux Arts – Paris 6 – Métro Saint Germain des Prés. http://www.l-hotel.com
La Palette : One of Jim Morrison’s favorite bar . He liked the old paintings decorating the walls. In this bar used to come Paul Cezanne, Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway as well. This bar is a very nice and quaint place, but often crowded.
La Palette – Paris 6 (St Germain des Prés)
It is popular for its terrace that overlooks the street Jacques Callot. The restaurant’s façade and the interior of one of its salon are registered as historic monuments. It is traditionally a gathering place for Fine Arts students, gallery owners and artists. Nowadays, it is a place where Harrison Ford or Julia Roberts sometimes come. La Palette – 43 rue de Seine – Paris 6 – http://www.cafelapaletteparis.com/
Quai d’Anjou (on the north bank of the Saint Louis Island) : Jim Morrison likes to walk along the Seine, or rest on the Quai d’Anjou, to watch the boats and the people walking on the Pont Marie. He enjoys visiting the Hôtel de Lauzun, where Charles Beaudelaire, one of his favourite poets, used to come. Currently, this Hôtel, owned by the City, can’t be visited. Hôtel de Lauzun – 17 Quai d’Anjou – Paris 4 – Métro Sully Morland
17 rue Beautreillis (flat) : between st Paul street in the Marais and Bastille. Where Jim and Pamela have lived for a while at the 3d floor (French 3d floor – American 4th floor) . It’s where Jim Morrison wrote ‘Observations of America while on trial for Obscenity ». It’s the appartment where Jim Morrison supposedly died in 1971 at the age of 27, according to official reports. It says that he and his girl friend had been going the night before to the movies and returned home. In the middle of the night, Morrison awoke and took a bath, where his girl firend found him dead. The death certificate indicates a heart failure. The building is a Hausmannian-style apartment facade
17 rue Beautrellis – Paris 4
Le Beautreillis (restaurant) : a restaurant, nearby their apartment, where Jim used to come to eat with Pamela, his fiancée. Now it’s a restaurant called « Le Dindon en Laisse » – 16 rue Beautreillis – Paris 4 – Métro Sully Morland/Bastille
Vins des Pyrénées : a wine shop, close to where Jim Morrison used to live. He liked particularly white wine Bordeaux. It’s now a restaurant called the same name. Vin des Pyrénées – 25 rue Beautreillis – Paris 4 – Metro Sully Morland/Bastille
Rue saint Antoine : Where Jim Morrison liked to buy food. Rue Saint Antoine – Paris 4 – Metro St Paul/Bastille
Place des Vosges : One of Jim’s favorite places in Paris. It’s close to his flat, right in the center of the city. He comes there to write poetry, to rest on a bank. That’s where he wrote « Wilderness » and « La nuit Americaine ». Place des Vosges – 14 place des Vosges – Paris 4 – Chemin Vert
Place des Vosges – Paris 4
Père Lachaise cimetery (south-east of Paris – Where Jim Morrison’s grave is located). Jim Morrison spent half a day on Père Lachaise, less than a week before he died and saw the graves of Oscar Wolde, Edith Piaf, Balzac and Chopin. He was with a friend and told him that he would like to be buried in this cemetery. His funeral took place on the July the 7th 1971. The funeral was disgraceful : About 10 persons only where there. 10 minutes long. No priest was present, no prayer was said. No speech. Just a few final words by Agnès Varda. Everybody left in a hurry and never returned. A white statue has been put not before 1981, stolen in 1988.
Two cameras (video) now, are constantly watching the grave 24 hours a day. Jim Morrison’s grave is one of the top tourist destination : the 4th most visited Paris location (after the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and Beaubourg Center)
Père Lachaise cimetery – Rue du Repos – 75020 Paris – Metro: Philippe Auguste (better than Metro Père Lachaise) – Opened Monday-Friday form 7.30am – 6pm, on Saturdays : 8.30 – 6pm Sunday : 9am – 6 pm
My advice :
- Follow Pierre Bayle street up right next to Le Celtic bar. It leads to the walls of Père Lachaise. You turn left into Rue du Repos until you see a smal gate on your right. You get into the cemetery ghrough this gate and follow the way on your right.
- Ji’m’s grave is in the 6th division, second line.
- A lot of visitors, guided tours, tourists. So for a quiet time, you should be there very early.
