The Army Museum, in four parts

It is not one museum, it is four stacked on top of each other. The arms and armour, the Louis XIV–Napoleon III department, the two World Wars department, and the Charles de Gaulle Historial in the basement — plus the relief maps under the roof and the Order of the Liberation. Everything is opened by the same ticket, and that is why visitors systematically underestimate how long it takes.

Created1905, by merging two museums

Armour13th to 17th century

Modern departmentLouis XIV to Napoleon III

Contemporary department1871-1945

In the basementCharles de Gaulle Historial

Under the roofMuseum of Relief Maps

The armour, west wing

This is one of the finest armour collections in Europe, and the most immediately legible part of the museum: full harnesses ranked under the vault, engraved and gilded parade armour, edged weapons and firearms from the 13th to the 17th century. Children stay in it naturally, and so do adults. Allow forty-five minutes, an hour if you read everything.

Louis XIV to Napoleon III

The department that continues from the Dôme. It follows the French army from the monarchy to the Empire: uniforms, colours, regulation weapons, and above all the Napoleonic objects themselves — the grey coat, the hat, the campaign and Saint Helena relics. If you came for Napoleon and have an hour left after the tomb, this is where to spend it.

The two World Wars

From 1871 to 1945, across several floors: the densest, longest and most demanding department. Maps, uniforms, weapons, personal objects, film. It asks for energy and attention, and it works badly at the end of a visit when you already have three hours in your legs — which is nonetheless where it almost always lands. If the subject matters to you, do it first on another day: the ticket is valid for a day, not a week, but nothing stops you coming back.

What people forget

Two things. First the relief maps, under the roof, which half of all visitors never see. Then the Museum of the Order of the Liberation, discreet and quietly devastating, and the Charles de Gaulle Historial in the basement, which needs a solid half hour in one sitting.

What works

Clear bilingual labels, among the best in Paris
Four very different collections on one ticket
The armour hall works with every age group
The Napoleonic objects follow on naturally from the Dôme

Worth knowing

The scale surprises people: the duration is always underestimated
The two World Wars department exhausts you if it comes last
Internal distances are real
No audio commentary is included in the ticket

Local tip

Take a plan at the entrance and decide straight away what you are not going to do. At Les Invalides, choosing to skip a department is what lets you see the others properly.

Book

The ticket below opens the whole museum, the Dôme and the two associated museums.

Check dates & book

A reminder: what you book above is the ticket that opens the Army Museum, the Dôme and the tomb. The great courtyard and the Saint-Louis cathedral stay free to enter, with no ticket at all.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the Army Museum included in the tomb ticket?

It is the same ticket: it opens the museum, the Dôme and the associated spaces.

Which part should you see first?

The armour if you are short of time, the Louis XIV–Napoleon III department if you came for Napoleon.

Are there temporary exhibitions?

Yes, and they are included in the entry ticket.