Hours
The museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm. The ticket office closes 30 minutes before the galleries, and on-site counters sell until 5:30pm: arriving at 5:45pm hoping to buy a ticket won't work. The museum closes three days a year: January 1st, May 1st, and December 25th.
There are two exceptions to these hours, and they are the two best times to visit. On the first Friday of each month, the museum stays open until 10pm, with counters closing at 9pm. And from June 6th to July 11th, every Saturday, the Dôme and the temporary exhibition remain accessible until 8pm.
Prices, and what the ticket covers
The "Museums and Exhibitions" ticket is €17 at full price and €12 at reduced price. It's not a ticket for a single collection: it gives access to the Église du Dôme and the tomb of Napoleon I, the permanent collections of the Musée de l'Armée, the current temporary exhibition, the Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération, and the Musée des Plans-Reliefs. In other words, five things for one price.
The late-night rate is €10, making it the cheapest entry of the week.
If you're continuing on to the Musée Rodin, the combined Musée de l'Armée and Musée Rodin ticket is €26, with skip-the-line access on both sides. This is the combination we recommend most often, because both can be done in the same morning without rushing.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Full price, Museums and Exhibitions | €17 |
| Reduced price, conditions apply | €12 |
| Late-night, first Friday of the month | €10 |
| Combined Musée de l'Armée and Musée Rodin | €26 |
Those eligible for free admission must still obtain a ticket, online or at the counters, and present proof of eligibility at the entrance check.
What's free, without a ticket
Two areas can be visited freely: the Cour d'Honneur and the Cathédrale Saint-Louis des Invalides. No ticket, no queue. This is the answer we give to guests who only have an hour to spare, or who come back soaked from a walk and simply want to sit somewhere beautiful. The Cour d'Honneur, with its two levels of arcades and cannons lined up along the walls, can be crossed in ten minutes and costs nothing.
Be careful not to confuse them: the Cathédrale Saint-Louis is free, while the Église du Dôme, where Napoleon's tomb is located, requires a ticket.
The first Friday late-night opening
If your stay falls on a first Friday of the month, make it your time slot. Open until 10pm, entry at €10, and a crowd level that bears no comparison to a Saturday afternoon. The museum publishes a specific program for these evenings, to be checked on its website on the day itself. We mention it at reception when the date aligns well, because few visitors think of it.
Which entrance to use
Access is via 129 rue de Grenelle or via place Vauban. We are on avenue Duquesne, and it's the place Vauban entrance that we recommend: it's on the same side as us, and it's next to the South ticket office, near the Dôme. The rue de Grenelle entrance is the one on the esplanade, more convenient if you're arriving from the Seine quays or the Pont Alexandre III.
Book a time slot on the museum's official online ticket office if you want to avoid the counter. On site, the counters accept Visa or Mastercard, Chèques Vacances, and cash.
The audio guide is included
An audio guide is included in the ticket, free and without any download. Connect to the "Musee_Armee" wifi, available along the routes, then scan the QR codes in the galleries. Remember your earphones: it's the thing people forget most often. If you don't have any, the welcome desks lend a device free of charge from 10am to 4:45pm, subject to availability and against an ID card.
When we recommend going
At opening time, 10am, or during the late-night opening. In between, the Dôme attracts groups, and the tomb is better viewed without three rows of people in front of the balustrade. If you only have half a day, start with the Dôme, then go down towards the permanent collections rather than the other way around: the reverse direction means crossing the entire museum before reaching the part you came to see.
Allow a good half-day to do a proper tour. Two hours is enough if you're aiming for the Dôme and just one of the permanent collections.