Visiting Les Invalides with children
The route I recommend
Start outside, with the moats and the battery of cannon: it is free, it is open air, they can run, and it establishes the scale of the place. Then the great courtyard, where the statue of the “little corporal” under the arch puts a face to the person whose tomb you are about to see.
Then the Dôme. The open crypt works very well with children because you look down into it like a well: they understand immediately that something unusual is going on. Tell them about the nested coffins — that is the detail that lands, and it is explained on this page.
Finally the armour hall. It is the part of the museum designed, without meaning to be, for children: complete knights, barded horses, swords. Thirty to forty minutes pass without effort.
The relief maps, worth a try
Depending on age, this either works wonderfully or not at all. The models of fortified towns look like giant construction sets; the room, on the other hand, is very dark and very quiet, which unsettles the youngest. Go up for ten minutes and see. See the relief-maps page.
What works
- Free for under-18s
- A lot of outdoor space, free and open
- The armour hall is a success with children
- The open crypt is spectacular without being frightening
Worth knowing
- The museum is big: fatigue comes quickly
- The two World Wars department does not suit younger children
- Many stairs, and pushchairs are awkward in the attics
- Few places to sit in the galleries
Break for lunch between the two halves of the visit. The ticket is valid all day, the rue Cler is ten minutes away and the Champ-de-Mars is just behind: an hour outside buys back the whole afternoon.
Book
Adult tickets can be booked below; children under 18 enter free on presentation of identification.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Do children pay?
No, under-18s enter free.
Which part do children like best?
The armour hall, and the cannon in the moats, which are free to walk among.
Are pushchairs allowed?
Yes, but the building has many stairs, particularly up to the relief maps.