Because of its historical importance for the French monarchy, the Palace of Tau was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991.

In recent years it has been the setting for Sciences Po Paris's RIMUN association's annual gala.

The first documented use of the name dates to 1131, and derives from the plan of the building, which resembles the letter Τ (tau, in the Greek alphabet).

The building was largely rebuilt in Gothic style between 1498 and 1509, and modified to its present Baroque appearance between 1671 and 1710 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Robert de Cotte.

[citation needed] The Palace of Tau, together with the Cathedral of Notre-Dame and the former Abbey of Saint-Remi, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.