France: Museums and Archives for WW1
Museums in France related to the battles of the First World War are mainly located in the areas of the fighting on the Western Front. The museums and archives vary from public, national collections to small, private museums.
WW1 Museums on the Western Front Battlefields
See our pages listing the museums on the Western Front battlefields of France:
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Musems on the French Flanders-Artois Battlefields
Museums on the Somme Battlefields
Museums on the Aisne & Oise Battlefields
Other Military Museums in France
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Le Fort de Douaumont
49.216450
5.438620
The fort is located on the right bank of the River Meuse on the battlefields of Verdun. It is the largest and highest fort in the ring of 19 defensive forts around the city of Verdun.
Opening hours:
January: annual closure
February & March: daily 10.00 - 17.00
April: daily 10.00 - 18.00
May & June: daily 10.00 - 18.30
July & August: daily 10.00 - 19.00
September: daily 10.00 - 18.00
October: daily 10.00 - 17.30
November: daily 10.00 - 17.00
December: daily 10.00 - 17.00
Admission charge and concessions for groups.
Address: Le Fort de Douaumont, 55100 Douaumont, France
Email (information): contact@tourisme-verdun.com
Website: www.verdun-tourisme.co Fort Vaux
Verdun Tourisme Telephone: +33 - (0)3 29 86 14 18
Verdun Tourisme Fax: +33 - (0)3 29 83 99 93
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Le Fort de Vaux
49.20027
5.47008
The fort is located on the right bank of the River Meuse on the battlefields of Verdun. It is one of the fortifications in the system of forts designed by Séré de Rivières.
Opening hours:
January: annual closure
February & March: daily 10.00 - 17.00
April: daily 10.00 - 17.30
May & June: daily 10.00 - 18.30
July & August: daily 10.00 - 19.00
September: daily 10.00 - 18.00
October: daily 10.00 - 17.30
November: daily 10.00 - 17.00
December: daily 10.00 - 16.30
Admission charge and concessions for groups.
Address: Le Fort de Vaux, 55400 Vaux-devant-Damloup, France
Email (information): contact@tourisme-verdun.com
Website: www.verdun-tourisme.co Fort Vaux
Verdun Tourisme Telephone: +33 - (0)3 29 86 14 18
Verdun Tourisme Fax: +33 - (0)3 29 83 99 93
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Fort de la Pompelle, Reims
49.21650011562776
4.129582643508911
The museum is inside the fort on the RN44 from Châlons-en-Champagne to Reims. It has a large, rare collection of uniforms, weapons, artillery, horse-drawn carriages and models. Fort de la Pompelle was the only fort defending the city of Reims which was not occupied by the German Army during 1914-1918.
Opening hours:
1 November - 31 March: daily except Tuesdays - 10.00 - 17.00
1 April - 31 October: weekdays except Tuesdays 11.00 - 18.00; weekends 11.00 - 19.00
Annual closure: 24 December to 6 January.
Admission charge and concessions for groups. Free admission for children under 10 years.
Information from: Siège de l'Association de Gestion du Musée de la Pompelle, 1, place Museux, 51100 Reims, France
Telephone: +33 (0)3.26.49.11.85
Address: Route de Châlons-en-Champagne
Website: www.ville-reims.fr Fort de la Pompelle
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Mémorial de Verdun
49.194934281964755
5.433439314365387
This national museum is located at the heart of the battlefields of Verdun.
Opening hours:
1 February to 14 March: daily 09.00 - 12.00 and 14.00 - 18.00
15 March - 11 November: daily 09.00 - 18.00
12 November - 19 December: daily 09.00 - 12.00 and 14.00 - 18.00
Annual closure: from 18.00 hours on 19 December to end January.
Admission charge and concessions for groups. Free admission for children under 11 years.
Address: Memorial de Verdun, 1, avenue du Corps Europééen, 55100 Fleury-devant-Douaumont France
Email (group reservations): reservation@memorial-verdun.fr
Email (information): communication@memorial-verdun.fr
Website: memorial-verdun.fr
Telephone: +33 - (0)3 29 84 35 34
Fax: +33 - (0)3 29 84 45 54
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Musée de l'Armée, Hôtel National des Invalides, Paris
48.85673499229558
2.312718629837036
This national museum is located in Paris. The exhibits and collections related to the First World War are located in the “Contemporary Department (1871-1945)”.
Opening hours: 10.00 - 17.00 (1 October to 31 March); 10.00 - 18.00 (1 April to 30 September). Tuesdays open until 21.00 from April to September.
Closed: first Monday of the month except July, August and September. Closed 1 January, 1 May, 1 November, 25 December.
Admission charge and concessions. Free entry for valid concessions.
Address: Musée de l'Armée, Hôtel National des Invalides, 129 rue de Grenelle, 75000 PARIS 07 SP, France
Email: accueilnord-ma@invalides.org
Website: www.invalides.org
Telephone: +33-(0)1 44 42 38 77 (Reception)
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Musée de l'Artillerie, Draguignan
43.527815
6.497042
The museum is part of the Ecole d'artillerie de Draguignan (Artillery College). It traces the technical and tactical history of artillery including its use during the First World War.
Address: Musée de l'Artillerie, Quartier Bonaparte, Avenue de la Grande Armée, BP 400 83007 Draguignan Cedex, France
Email: musee.artillerie@worldonline.fr
Website: musee.artillerie.asso.fr
Telephone: +33 (0)4 83 08 13 85 or (0)4 83 08 13 86
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Musée de la Grande Guerre, Meaux
48.970876
2.902558
A major new First World War museum. For information about the displays, educational activities, archives and more visit the website (in French, English & German).
Address: Musée de la Grande Guerre du Pays de Meaux, Rue Lazare Ponticelli, 77100 Meaux, France
Email: www.museedelagrandeguerre.eu contact form
Website: www.museedelagrandeguerre.eu
Telephone: +33 (1) 60 32 14 18
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Musée des Blindés (Tank Museum), Saumur
47.24361485450746
-0.07180273532867432
Created by the Ministry of Defence in 1965 the museum was established as The Armoured Vehicle Archive Centre. The aim was to preserve, restore and display exhibits related to the tank from the French military and also international military forces.
The exhibits related to the First World War are located in a gallery for 1914-1918 with four of the first French tanks to see service in the war: Schneider, Saint-Chamond, Camion Renault and Renault FT 17. The museum is located at Saumur in the Loire region of western France.
Opening hours: Monday - Thursday 10.00 - 17.00 (January - April); Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 11.00 - 18.00 (May, June, September); daily 9.30 - 18.30 (July and August).
Closed: 25 December and 1 January.
Admission charge and concessions. Free entry for children under 7 and serving French and international military personnel.
Address: Musée des Blindés ou Association des Amis du Musée des Blindés, 1043, route de Fontevraud, 49400 - Saumur, France
Email: museedesblindes@wanadoo.fr
Website: www.museedesblindes.fr
Telephone: +33-(0)2 41 83 69 95
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Musée Mémorial Le Linge 1914-1918, Orbey, Vosges
48.08367240189713
7.140204012393951
The museum is located on the mountain peak of Le Linge in the Val d'Orbey region of the Vosges mountain range. There are trench remains hewn into the rock and an excellent museum with display cabinets and a film show. The museum focuses on the battle for Le Linge between French and German forces in 1915.
Opening hours:
11 April to 11 November: daily 09.00 - 12.30 and 14.00 - 18.00
Annual closure: from 12 November to mid April.
Admission charge and concessions for groups (10 persons or more). Free admission for children under 16 years and serving military personnel in uniform.
Address: Museum Mémorial de Le Linge, 86 rue du General de Gaulle, 68370 ORBEY, France
Email: info@linge1915.com
Website: www.linge1915.com
Telephone: +33 (0)3 89 77 29 97
Fax: +33 (0)3 89 71 31 61