Les Invalides & Army Museum

Tickets, Napoleon's Tomb & Visitor Guide

⏱ 2-2.5 hours👤 All ages$$

Commissioned by Louis XIV in the 1670s as a hospital and retirement home for veteran soldiers (a function part of the complex still serves), the Hôtel des Invalides grew into a vast and majestic ensemble in the 7th arrondissement, crowned by the brilliant gilded dome of its royal church — one of the defining features of the Paris skyline.

Today the complex houses the Musée de l'Armée, France's national army museum and among the largest military history collections in the world. Its galleries trace warfare and French military history across the centuries — from a renowned collection of medieval and Renaissance arms and armor, through the age of Louis XIV and Napoleon, to detailed and moving exhibits on the First and Second World Wars (including the role of the French Resistance and Charles de Gaulle). It's a serious, well-presented museum that rewards history enthusiasts.

The complex's most visited feature lies beneath the Dôme des Invalides: the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte. The emperor's remains rest in a grand sarcophagus of red quartzite set within a circular crypt below the soaring, richly decorated dome — a monumental, solemn space. Allow a couple of hours for the museum and the tomb, more if military history is your passion. It's in the 7th near the Musée Rodin and the Eiffel Tower; the broad esplanade in front is a notable open space. Some areas keep their own hours, so check before visiting.