Musée de l'Armée

About the museum

The Musée de l’Armée was founded in 1905 by merging two institutions already housed at the Invalides: the Artillery Museum, whose origins go back to the Revolution, and the Historical Army Museum, founded in 1896 by the society La Sabretache. It occupies part of the Hôtel national des Invalides, a complex built under Louis XIV to accommodate wounded and elderly soldiers.

The collections, comprising nearly 500,000 objects, trace the military history of France and its relations with the world. The route is organised by period: ancient weapons and armour from the 13th to the 17th century, the era from Louis XIV to Napoleon III, and then the two World Wars. There are also cabinets devoted to unusual objects, a presentation on the history of the site, and the Historial Charles de Gaulle.

The entrance ticket also gives access to the Dôme church, which houses the tomb of Napoleon I, as well as to the Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération and the Musée des Plans-Reliefs, which holds models of fortified towns. The museum is a public institution and welcomes more than a million visitors every year.

Highlights

• Tomb of Napoleon I under the Dôme des Invalides
• Ancient weapons and armour from the 13th to the 17th century
• Galleries devoted to the two World Wars
• Historial Charles de Gaulle
• Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération and Musée des Plans-Reliefs included in the ticket

Permanent exhibitions

• Les deux guerres mondiales – A route through the conflicts of the 20th century, with uniforms, weapons, documents and everyday objects.
• Armes et armures anciennes – Collection of armour, edged weapons and firearms from the Middle Ages to the early modern period.
• Le Dôme des Invalides – Church with a gilded dome housing the tomb of Napoleon I.

Founded

1905

Operated by

Établissement public du musée de l'Armée

Director

Alexandre d'Andoque de Sériège

Visitors per year

approx. 1,458,451 (2025)

Admission & discounts

The ticket covers the permanent collections, the current temporary exhibition, the Dôme church with the tomb of Napoleon I, the Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération and the Musée des Plans-Reliefs. At weekends, adults accompanied by visitors under 18 get the reduced rate. The Cour d’honneur and the Saint-Louis cathedral are accessible without a ticket. The Paris Museum Pass is accepted and sold at the ticket desks.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

All museum spaces have elevators, except the Dôme, which is not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility because of its steps. Wheelchairs and mobility seats (“flâneuses”) are lent free of charge at the reception desks against ID. Some parking spaces are reserved nearby; entry is recommended via 129 rue de Grenelle, or via Place Vauban between 14:00 and 18:00. Group tours can be adapted to different disabilities.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Kids’ birthday parties

Guided activities for children aged 3 to 6 and 7 to 12, birthday visits on Saturdays from 15:00 to 16:30 for children aged 6 to 12, and the free activity booklet “Cap aux Invalides”. Small strollers are allowed but not lent; there is a changing table in the toilets of the Orient wing.

Getting there & parking

Entrances: 129 rue de Grenelle (esplanade side) and 2 place Vauban (Dôme side). Vélib’ stations nearby.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Wi-Fi

Restaurant Quartier 1670 near the south reception (lunch from 11:00 to 15:00). Bookshop with a children’s area. Free cloakroom with a valid ticket (bags up to 55 × 35 × 25 cm). The “Musee_Armee” Wi-Fi network is available along the audio guide routes.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties

Grand salon, Turenne room, Cadets room, Invalides history room, Austerlitz auditorium and the Dôme courtyard. Caterers must be chosen from an approved list; dancing is allowed only in the Turenne room.

Plan your visit