The Apartment in Paris Where Jim Morrison Died at 17 Rue Beautreillis

In Paris, between St. Paul in the Marais and Bastille, is the apartment where Jim Morrison supposedly died in 1971 at the age of 27, according to official reports. Located at 17 rue Beautreillis, the Hausmannian-style apartment facade stands out amidst the the buildings on this street, which date from an earlier time period. Morrison shared the third floor apartment (American 4th floor) with his girlfriend Pamela Courson, whose official police report of the evening had them going to the movies and returning home. In the middle of the night, Morrison awoke coughing and took a bath, where Courson found him dead. Official cause listed on the death certificate is heart failure.

The actual apartment is two floors above the curved stained glass window

Fans have long doubted this version, and alternate stories abound ranging from conspiracy theory, murder, to faking his own death. In 2007, Sam Bernett, a former New York Times Journalist and friend of Morrison’s wrote in his book  The End – Jim Morrison that the singer actually died from a heroin overdose in a bathroom stall of the Left Bank Nightclub, Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus. The club owners wanted to avoid a scandal, so authorities were not called and the body was moved to the apartment.

More photos of the apartment building:

Entrance

Interior Courtyard

Front Entrance

Interior Courtyard with unique curved window

Remnant of an art piece on the exterior

Morrison is buried in Père Lachaise cemetery and his grave is a popular destination for tourists and fans. The building at 17 rue Beautreillis is private and not open to the public.

Get in touch with the author @untappedmich.