Musée de la Légion d'honneur et des ordres de chevalerie

About the museum

The idea of a museum of decorations emerged after the 1889 Universal Exhibition, where the Grand Chancellery presented the history of the national orders for the first time. An exhibition in Paris in 1911, at the Musée des Arts décoratifs, was a great success and encouraged the creation of a museum inside the Palais de la Légion d'honneur.

After the First World War, the wing of the palace's former stables was converted into a museum, which opened in 1925. It was conceived as a place of remembrance for French people and foreigners affected by the war; its fittings were financed by a public subscription and by gifts from an American lawyer. The museum was expanded in 1932 to accommodate foreign orders.

In 2006, for the bicentenary of the Légion d'honneur, it was fully renovated and its exhibition space doubled. In 2008 it received, on long-term loan, the collection of a major Italian collector of orders and decorations. Two building campaigns, in 2016 and 2018, gave the route its current form, with interactive screens.

The museum is located on the forecourt of the Musée d'Orsay and displays about 5,000 objects of art and decorations, from medieval orders of chivalry to the Ordre national du Mérite created in 1963, along with decorations from more than 100 countries.

Highlights

• Route through religious and military orders of chivalry to the Ordre national du Mérite
• Légion d'honneur room, devoted to the order founded in 1802
• Mario Spada room: more than 400 orders and decorations from 122 states
• Original manuscript of the Chant des partisans
• Interactive screens on French decorated individuals since 1950

Permanent exhibition

• Parcours permanent : ordres de chevalerie, Légion d'honneur et décorations du monde – Five spaces display insignia, paintings, weapons, costumes and documents, from medieval orders to the Ordre national du Mérite.

Founded

1925

Operated by

Grande chancellerie de la Légion d'honneur

Visitors per year

approx. 46,619

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission, without reservation for individual visitors. For a tour with an external, accredited guide, museum admission is free of charge; the guide's fee varies.

Accessibility

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

Visitors with reduced mobility should check in with the reception staff at 2 rue de la Légion d'honneur; the venue is listed as wheelchair-accessible with assistance, and the restrooms are fitted with grab bars.

Kids & families

Great for kids & familiesRecommended for ages 8+

• Family tours & workshops

Family tours, by registration and free of charge, during school holidays and on some Wednesdays (from age 8); educational activities for school classes. Family visits are for children aged 8 and over.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located on the forecourt of the Musée d'Orsay, at 2 rue de la Légion d'honneur.

Amenities & dining

Free visit assistance on smartphone via the BloombergConnects app (podcasts, images and texts in French, English and Spanish).

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit