Les Invalides: The Complex of Military Museums with Napoleon's Tomb

A ten-minute walk from the Pont Alexandre III, you will reach the Les Invalides complex, one of the most striking buildings in Paris. If you are passionate about military history, you can visit the Musée de l'Armée, the Army Museum, at the Hôtel National des Invalides. The complex also houses the Église du Dôme: its golden dome, under which Napoleon rests, stands out among the rooftops of Paris!

Address: 129 Rue de Grenelle 75007 Paris, France

Metro: Line 8 stop Latour Maubourg or Invalides, or Line 13 stop Invalides or Varenne RER C stop Invalides BUS 28, 63, 69, 80, 82, 83, 92.

Open daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and until 9:00 PM on Tuesdays. Closed on January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th. Last admission is 30 minutes before museum closing.

By purchasing a single ticket, you can access all the permanent collections of the Les Invalides complex, including: Musée de l'Armée, the Dome Church (with Napoleon Bonaparte's tomb), the Museum of Plans-Reliefs, and the Museum of the Order of Liberation. Temporary exhibitions are excluded.

The ticket, which can be booked online, guarantees skip-the-line entry. Just go to the Musée de l'Armée at the priority ticket entrance and show your voucher from your smartphone or a printout.

Also, please note that EU residents under 26 enter for free but must go to the ticket counters to pick up a free ticket even if accompanied by a priority ticket holder.

Special tour of areas of Les Invalides closed to the public: If you speak a bit of French, you can join a special guided tour... yes, it will take you to visit areas and rooms of Les Invalides that are usually closed to the public, such as the Grand Salon and the Caveau des Gouverneurs. It lasts about an hour and a half.

The impressive complex of buildings at Les Invalides is a true symbol of 17th-century Baroque classicist art. Here are its main and visitable areas:

The visit to the Hôtel National des Invalides begins at the main square, Cour d'Honneur, which leads to the other areas of the complex. Here you can admire a significant part of the national collection of artillery, which has over 200 years of history! The Cour d'Honneur also hosts national, civil, and military events and ceremonies.

L'Église Du Dôme is somewhat the heart of Les Invalides and houses the remains of Napoleon Bonaparte. It is located behind the Cathedral of Saint Louis des Invalides - from which it is separated by a large stained glass window - originally built as a palatine chapel, it was later repurposed as Napoleon's tomb.

Napoleon's tomb, a red quartzite sarcophagus, is placed on a green pedestal surrounded by twelve sculpted "Victories" that symbolize the military campaigns of the Emperor himself.

It must be said, the visit to Napoleon's tomb is for many the main reason for visiting this historic site in Paris!

It showcases one of the most complete collections of French and European military history. It is very large but well organized by historical periods: ancient department (armors and weapons from the 13th to the 17th century); modern department with artifacts from the reign of Louis XIV to Napoleon III; contemporary department (with memorabilia from the two World Wars).

It houses a historical collection of models of fortified French cities.

It recounts the history of the Free France movement (1940-1945). The Order of Liberation was created by General de Gaulle.