The list of things deposited here resembles a Prévert poem : A scooter, a folding bicycle, a tool box, an artificial limb, skulls, a funeral urn, even military documents marked « Top Secret » !

The lost and found holds over 70,000 objects forgotten by their owners, with more arriving at the rate of 700-800 daily from Taxis, the métro, the airports, and police stations around town.

The service was first created in 1850 under Prefect Louis Lépine when he decided to centralize all things found under one roof and make them available for their owners to pick up. It has been at its present location since 1939.

The RATP is the largest supplier of lost objects so, if you find something, give it to the station master (not the conductors) who will list it in a special register. It will stay 3 days at the station before being turned over to the lost and found.