Musée de la Bataille des Ardennes

About the museum

The Musée de la Bataille des Ardennes opened its doors on 1 July 1993 in La Roche-en-Ardenne. It was born from the passion of Michel Bouillon, who was twelve years old in 1944 and began gathering Second World War military equipment as early as the 1960s. His son Gilles, who had also started collecting at the age of ten, gradually converted into a museum the building where he had run a garage between 1988 and 2008.

Today the collection occupies nearly 2,000 m². It features more than 250 mannequins of American, British, German and Scottish soldiers with their equipment, a large collection of light and heavy weapons, documents, personal objects found on the battlefields and about twenty military vehicles. The museum's murals are the work of a local decorative painter, Marcel Delleur.

The museum stands out for its section on the British troops, which recalls the role of the Allied counter-offensive from 3 to 16 January 1945 and the liberation of La Roche on 11 January 1945 by the 51st Highland Division. It operates without public subsidy and lives only from its visitors; it is run by the Bouillon family.

Highlights

• More than 250 mannequins of American, British, German and Scottish soldiers in large dioramas
• The only British section among the Battle of the Ardennes museums, with uniforms donated by veterans
• Weapons room with about 90 rifles, pistols and revolvers, and an Enigma coding machine
• About twenty military vehicles, including a display in the museum's cellars
• Wall maps of the battle's stages and a film of period images on the liberation of La Roche in January 1945

Permanent exhibitions

• Collection permanente : la Bataille des Ardennes en dioramas – Mannequins of American, British, German and Scottish soldiers in situ, weapons, documents, field objects and vehicles, with a section dedicated to the British troops.
• Véhicules et armement dans les caves – Since 2025 the museum's cellars have housed a display of motor vehicles, motorcycles and period weaponry.

Founded

1993

Operated by

Privé (famille Bouillon)

Admission & discounts

2025 rates as shown on the official website and repeated by the tourist office.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the centre of La Roche-en-Ardenne, at the foot of the ruins of the medieval castle.

Amenities & dining

Car parks and hotels nearby, indicated on the museum's website.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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