The vast complex of buildings with the main Cathedral and its typical golden dome will surely amaze you. The complex was originally founded by King Louis XIV in 1671 as a home for war veterans and as a military hospital. Hôpital des invalides, or hospital for invalids.
The Army Museum and the tomb of Napoleon
The dominant domed church is considered the pinnacle of French Baroque architecture and was modelled on St Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Today, the premises house a retirement home, a hospital and, more recently, the Musée de l'Armée, a military museum of the French army.
Here you will find the tombs of important personalities, among which the tomb of the famous Napoleon Bonaparte in the crypt under the dome is the most notable. The Museum of the Military and Army was placed in the Invalides after 1871.
Entrance fees and opening hours
The museum is open daily from 10:00-18:00.
Admission includes spaces for permanent and temporary exhibitions, the Dome Church and the Tomb of Napoleon.
- Adults - 15 eur
- Youth under 18 from all over the world - free.
- Youth under 26 from the EU - free
Every Friday, admission is discounted for adults between 18:00 and 22:00 at 10 eur.
Tickets can be purchased at the door or without queues online on the official website, but in this case you must select the exact time of your visit.
The museum organizes activities and workshops for children, youth and adults. For these, booking in advance on the official website is required.
For more information visit: musee-armee.fr.
How to get there
The Invalides can be found just off the banks of the Seine River, where an elongated park leads off. There are 2 entrances to the museum - the Esplanade entrance from the river and the Vauban entrance from the other side.
- RER C train - station Invalides (approx. 300 metres)
- Eiffel Tower, Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, Versailles
- Gare d'Austerlitz
- Metro 8 - stations Invalides (approx. 300 metres)
- Champ de Mars, Place de la Concorde, Tuileries Gardens, La Madeleine Church, Opera Garnier, Bastille, Zoo
- Metro 13 - stations Varenne (approx. 80 metres), the line also stops at the more distant Invalides station
- Champs-Elysées, Petit + Grand Palais, Moulin Rouge, Basilique Saint-Denis
- Gare Montparnasse, Gare Saint-Lazare
- Buses from the stop Esplanade des Invalides (approx. 120 metres)
- 69 - Champ de Mars, Musée d'Orsay, Louvre, Chatelet, Centre Pompidou, Bastille, Tuileries Gardens
- Buses from the stop Invalides la Tour Maubourg (approx. 120 metres)
- 28 - Champs-Elysées, Gare Montparnasse, Gare Saint-Lazare
- Buses from stop Vauban - Hôtel des Invalides (approx. 30 metres)
- 82 - Eiffel Tower, Trocadéro, Porte Maillot, Luxembourg Gardens, Gare Montparnasse
- 92 - Arc de Triomphe, Gare Montparnasse, Porte d'Orléans
What to see around
Discover all the places to see in Paris.
