Musée de l’Armée – Hôtel National des Invalides
129, rue de Grenelle, 7th
M° Latour-Maubourg, RER Invalides
Tel 01 44 42 37 72
http://www.invalides.org
This 17th-century building was commissioned under Louis XIV (the Sun King) to house disabled soldiers. Today it also houses a museum of armed forces presenting an extensive collection of arms and combat gear. Napoléon I’s tomb is in the church, Eglise du Dôme.
Opening Hours : Daily 10am-5pm (last admission at 4:30pm) from October 1-March 31, and 10am-6pm (last admission at 5:30pm). Closed first Monday of the month, January 1, May 1, November 1 and December 25. Open until 9pm on Tuesdays, reduced rate from 5:30pm. Dome open until 7pm in July and August.
Tickets: Entry to the Museum is €8 (audioguide included); reduced rate of €6 for student under 26.
Free Entrance: Kids under 18, disabled, art and art history students, and foreign and French members of the military.
Info and Services: Audioguide available in English. Cafeterie.
Heather’s tip: You could spend all day here! One ticket is good for the Army Museum (Antiquity to the Middle Ages; Ancien Régime to Napoléon III, World War I, World War II, Resistance and Order of the Liberation), the Museum of Scale Models (scale models of the fortresses of France), and the Eglise du Dôme (Napoléon I’s tomb). There’s a cafeteria on-site, but it’s not gourmet by any means. Bring a picnic to eat on the Esplanade or find a bistro around the metro Latour-Maubourg. You can visit the inner courtyard (decorated with cannons and a statue of Napoléon I) and gardens for free.
