Is the Château of Vincennes in Paris currently open to public? It seems there is some on-going restoration work, but does this mean it's closed, or too much under work to be a good visit? Is it within the larger park?

It is open to the public but there is ongoing restoration in some parts of it..at least there was last year. However the chapel was open and it's interesting just to walk around . It is not set "in a park" but just behind it is the Parc Floral de Paris.

The Parc Floral is a part of the sprawling Bois de Vincennes where there are literally miles and miles of walking trails - part of it contains the Paris Zoo.

In 1999 it (the Donjon tower) was closed for an extensive renovation. I had heard that it was complete and was open to the public again. Curious to know if this is the case?

I don't have my "Museum Pass" booklet from this summer, but I thought it said the tower was open in spring 2006?

When we were there in 1999, the 2 chateaux (Kings and Queen's?) were not "display homes" but appeared to be in use by the government for some sort of official functions. So really, all you could do was walk around inside the walls and visit the chapel, the shop, and one of the small outbuildings (?).

Then walk thru the woods to the pond where rowboats were for hire, and women were sunning topless in a seculded area of the park...

The donjon was not open last November..I'll check it out for you in a few eeks.

There is a zoo in Parc Floral but it is seriously underfunded and not nearly as interesting as the Menagerie at Le Jardin des Plantes at quai st Bernard