Napoleon's Tomb
Start under the Dôme with the red quartzite sarcophagus.
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Musée de l'Armée (Army Museum), Paris
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In short
The Musée de l'Armée in Les Invalides, Paris, is France's national military museum, with over 500,000 objects from medieval armour to the world wars and the Charles de Gaulle Historial. The €17 ticket, €12 reduced, includes Napoleon's tomb under the Dôme, and under-18s enter free. It opens daily 10:00 to 18:00, reopening 18:00 to 22:00 on first Fridays. Pick two or three sections across two to three hours.
The Musée de l'Armée in Paris is France's national army museum, housed in the Hôtel des Invalides at 129 rue de Grenelle in the 7th arrondissement. It covers arms, armour and military history from antiquity to the 21st century, and its ticket includes the Dôme with Napoleon's tomb. It suits history readers and families with older children who can give it half a day.
The museum was created on 1 August 1905 by merging two older institutions. The Musée d'Artillerie dated from the 1790s, and the Musée historique de l'Armée had been founded in 1896 after the Paris world's fair. Together they took over large parts of Les Invalides, the complex Louis XIV founded in 1670 for wounded and aged soldiers. Today the collection holds more than 500,000 objects, which makes it one of the largest museums of military history and art in the world.
Royal armour to Napoleon III, room by room
The rooms run in historical order around the courtyards. The ancient armour department shows suits of armour, helmets, swords and early firearms, including pieces made for French kings. The modern department runs from Louis XIV to Napoleon III, with a large section on Napoleon and his campaigns. The contemporary galleries follow the two world wars, from the trenches of 1914 to the Free French and the Liberation.
The Charles de Gaulle Historial opened in 2008 below ground. It uses films and archive material to tell the story of de Gaulle's life and his part in 20th-century French history. On the upper floor, the Musée des Plans-Reliefs displays scale models of fortified towns made for military planning, a collection begun in 1668 under Louis XIV. The Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération, devoted to the Resistance, is also on the ticket.
The Dôme church, with its gilded dome by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, holds Napoleon's tomb. The cour d'honneur, lined with cannons, is the best place to take in the scale of the building.
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Key information
🏛️Building: Hôtel des Invalides, founded by Louis XIV in 1670
⚔️Collection: Arms, armour, uniforms and artillery from antiquity to the 21st century
👑Dôme: Napoleon's Tomb under the gilded dome
🗺️Also: Musée des Plans-Reliefs (scale models of fortified towns)
💰Currency: Euro (€ EUR)
🕕Time Zone: Central European Time (UTC+1; UTC+2 in summer)
🎧Audio guide: 1 language
Explore the area
Musée Rodin 400 m
Pont Alexandre III 700 m
Eiffel Tower 1.8 km
Grand Palais 1 km
La Tour-Maubourg metro (Line 8) 300 m
✦
Plan your visit to Musée de l'Armée (Army Museum), Paris
Dates, opening hours and how to get there are below. Booking ahead secures your preferred day.
Highlights Include:
Collections
- Medieval and Renaissance armour
- Louis XIV to Napoleon III
- World Wars galleries
Dôme des Invalides
- Napoleon's Tomb
- Gilded dome by Jules Hardouin-Mansart
More
- Musée des Plans-Reliefs
- Cour d'honneur with cannons
What They Offer
One ticket
Collections, exhibitions, Dôme and Plans-Reliefs
Late opening
First Friday of the month until 10:00 PM
Audio guide
Audio guide available
Visit duration
2–3 hours; pick two or three sections if you have less than half a day
Timed entry required No
Armour galleries
See royal armour and weapons in the west wing.
First Friday nights
Late opening until 10:00 PM on the first Friday of the month.
Accessibility
Most areas accessible with lifts; contact the museum for help. Most areas have lifts; contact the museum ahead if you need help.
Age limits
None.
What to pack
Ticket on your phone, ID for reduced or free entry
What to wear
Comfortable shoes
Not allowed
Touching the works, food and drink in the galleries, flash photography, large bags, selfie sticks
Amenities
Café, shop, cloakroom, restrooms; café, shop and cloakroom
Tips for visiting Musée de l'Armée, Paris
- Buy tickets online to skip the ticket queue.
- Start with the Dôme and Napoleon's tomb early, before tour groups arrive.
- Use the first Friday late opening for a cheaper, quieter visit.
- Do not miss the Plans-Reliefs models on the top floor.
- Combine with the Musée Rodin nearby, as a joint ticket is sold.
Driving
Paid parking around Les Invalides.
Public transportation
Metro La Tour-Maubourg (Line 8), about 300 m away, Varenne (Line 13), Invalides (Lines 8, 13, RER C).
Address
The Musée de l'Armée is in the Hôtel national des Invalides, 129 rue de Grenelle, 7th arrondissement. The Musée Rodin is about 400 m away, Pont Alexandre III 700 m, the Grand Palais about 1 km and the Eiffel Tower about 1.8 km.
Opening Hours
- Monday10:00-18:00
- Tuesday10:00-18:00
- Wednesday10:00-18:00
- Thursday10:00-18:00
- Friday10:00-18:00
- Saturday10:00-18:00
- Sunday10:00-18:00
Last entry: About 30 minutes before closing
Closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
Open daily. On the first Friday of each month it reopens 6:00 – 10:00 PM with all areas open; the ticket office closes at 9:00 PM.
Special events
Temporary history exhibitions and First Friday evenings.
Best times to visit
Opening time; go to the Dôme first, before tour groups build up.
Best days to visit
Weekdays.
Best months to visit
Any time.
Admission tickets
Prices and how to get tickets.
Musée de l'Armée & Napoleon's Tomb
Official ticket for the collections, exhibitions, Dôme and Plans-Reliefs.
- Permanent collections
- Temporary exhibitions
- Dôme and Napoleon's Tomb
- Musée des Plans-Reliefs
Ticket prices
€17 full, €12 reduced, €10 first-Friday evening; €5 for EU residents aged 18–25; under 18s free
Opening hours
Closed now · 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM · Last entry About 30 minutes before closing
Visitor policy
Cancellation and prepayment
Tickets are generally non-refundable; check the museum's booking terms.
Children and admission
Under 18s free; EU nationals and residents aged 18–25 pay €5.
Groups
Groups must book in advance with the museum.
Pets
Only assistance dogs are admitted.
Photography
Personal photography without flash is generally allowed in the permanent collection; some temporary exhibitions forbid it.
Bags
Large bags and suitcases must be left in the cloakroom or are refused; bags are checked at the entrance.
Smoking
Not permitted inside the museum.
Accepted payment
Online or at the desk by card.
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Travelers are asking
Yes, the Dôme with Napoleon's Tomb is included in the museum ticket.
Yes, except 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
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Stay in France
Where to stay near Musée de l'Armée (Army Museum), Paris
Hotels closest to Musée de l'Armée (Army Museum), Paris, nearest first, so you spend less time on the road and more time there.
Paris
Hôtel Fabric4-star hotel
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from$230.00/ night
- Free WiFi
- Fitness center
- Air conditioning
5 Rooms available
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answers based on the Musée de l'Armée's official information.
What's included
The museum and exhibitions ticket covers the permanent collections, the Dôme with Napoleon's tomb, the current temporary exhibition, the Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération and the Musée des Plans-Reliefs. It costs 17 euros at full price and 12 euros reduced.
Timing & weather
Plan at least half a day to see the armour, the Napoleonic rooms, the world wars galleries and the Dôme. With less time, pick two or three sections.
Yes, it opens daily from 10:00 to 18:00, except 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. On the first Friday of the month it reopens from 18:00 to 22:00 for 10 euros.
It was created on 1 August 1905 by merging the Musée d'Artillerie and the Musée historique de l'Armée.
Prices & payment
Yes. Under-18s enter free, and EU nationals and residents aged 18 to 25 pay 5 euros for the permanent collections and the Dôme. They still collect a ticket at the desk.
General
It is an underground multimedia space opened in 2008 and devoted to Charles de Gaulle, leader of Free France and later president. Films and archive material trace his life and role in 20th-century French history.
Napoleon's tomb is in the Dôme church at Les Invalides, under the gilded dome designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart. Entry is included in the Army Museum ticket.
They are scale models of fortified towns built for military planning, a collection begun in 1668 under Louis XIV. They are displayed on the upper floor of Les Invalides.
La Tour-Maubourg on line 8 is about 300 metres away. Varenne on line 13 and Invalides on lines 8 and 13 and RER C are also within walking distance.
The Musée Rodin is about 400 metres away and Pont Alexandre III about 700 metres. The Grand Palais is about a kilometre away and the Eiffel Tower about 1.8 kilometres.
Comfortable shoes.
The closest hotel listed on bookingMentor is Hôtel Fabric, 4.4 km away.
bookingMentor lists 5 places to stay in France in all.
Booking
Yes, a combined Army Museum and Musée Rodin ticket costs 26 euros and is valid for three months.
Getting there
You can reach Musée de l'Armée (Army Museum), Paris by public transport or by car. Both routes are described under How to get there on this page.
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) is the airport for Musée de l'Armée (Army Museum), Paris, about 24 km away in a straight line.