From 3 years old
Summer with the family at the Musée de l’Armée
- We like : activities for young audiences all summer long (storytelling, guided tours, workshops, etc.)
- Age: from 3 years old
- Price : €16.50 (adult) and €7 (child)
- Where : Musée de l’Armée -Invalides
- When : Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays
- Opening hours : at 11am or 2.30pm
- Duration : from 1 hour to 2 hours depending on the activities
- Please note: children must be accompanied by an adult during the activities
The main themes of the summer
During the months of July and August, the Museum’s mediators will take you back in time. Through the visits-games, workshops, guided and narrated, walk in the footsteps of the knights, Napoleon and Louis XIV, two emblematic figures of the Invalides site.
- Knights : July 1-16 / August 1-6 / August 22-27
- Louis XIV : from 4 to 9 July / from 25 to 30 July / from 15 to 20 August
- Napoleon : from 1 to 2 July / from 18 to 23 July / from 8 to 13 August / from 29 August to 3 September
- Les Invalides in 1 hour and with the family : 5 July, 19 July, 2 August, 16 August, 30 August
Activities for 3-6 year olds
(dates correspond to theme weeks)
Storytelling tours
Saturdays at 11am – Duration: 1 hour
Every Saturday morning, follow the adventures of the mischievous horse Vizir with your family. Through tales and nursery rhymes, browse the collections of the Musée de l’Armée and go back in time…
- 15 July, 5 August and 26 August : “Vizier in the time of the knights. Listen to the storyteller’s stories to follow the adventures of Vizier in the age of dragons, griffins and valiant warriors… RESERVE
- 8 July, 29 July and 19 August : “Vizier in the time of the Sun King“. Accompanied by a storyteller and in the footsteps of Vizier, meet Louis XIV, his court and this fascinating era! RESERVE
- 1 July, 22 July and 12 August : “Vizier in the time of Napoleon“. Follow the storyteller and discover imperial objects and animals thanks to Vizier, who was also Napoleon’s favorite horse! RESERVE
Visits-workshops
Sundays at 11am – Duration: 1 hour
Go in search of inspiration in the Museum’s collections with your family and in the company of a mediator. Then unleash your creativity in the workshop!
- July 9, August 20 Sunday : Les Invalides in pop-up! After a visit to the Invalides, fold, cut out, and invent your own Dome to better reveal its brilliance! RESERVE
- July 16, August 6, August 27: On guard knight! Create your shield! Follow the mediator to hunt for fantastic creatures hidden in the Museum’s collections. At the end of this quest, your young knights will make their magic shield during a workshop. RESERVE
- July 30 : Your royal mobile ! Walk through the Invalides and discover its architectural treasures before making your mobile crowned with the symbols of Louis XIV. RESERVE
- July 2, August 13 : My Napoleonic Soldier ! Accompanied by a mediator, set off with your child to discover the outfits of Napoleonic soldiers in the Museum’s collections. Then, imagine your own uniform during a creative workshop. Teddy bears, swords and jackets will no longer hold any secrets for you! RESERVE
- July 23rd : Napoleon and the animals ! Discover the animals hidden in the Museum’s collections with your family. Then, customize them, during a creative and fun workshop, using several techniques! RESERVE
Activities for 7+ year olds
(dates correspond to theme weeks)
Storytelling tours
Saturdays at 2:30 pm – duration: 1h30
- July 15, August 5, August 26 : In the time of the Renaissance: the story of the Chevalier de Montmorency ! Follow the adventures of the knight Anne de Montmorency, who was present alongside François I at the famous battle of Marignano in 1515. The storyteller will transport you to the heart of jousting, tournaments and the king’s court. RESERVE
- 8 July, 29 July, 19 August : In the time of Louis XIV: the story of Jacques, a resident at the Invalides ! Discover the site of Les Invalides at the time of Louis XIV as if you were there, listening to the fascinating story of the soldier Jacques Vallot de la Rosière, a resident of the royal hotel. RESERVE
- July 1st, July 22nd, August 12th: Napoleon Bonaparte: history and legend! On this tour, let yourself be carried away by the history of Napoleon Bonaparte through the Museum’s collections. You will be able to admire the trophies of the Egyptian campaign, the famous portrait made by Ingres, the Emperor’s personal belongings or the reconstruction of his field tent. RESERVE
Game visits
Thursdays or Sundays at 2:30 pm – duration: 1h30
The game tours take you to the heart of fascinating episodes of history through riddles, investigations, quizzes… and much more!
- July 13, August 1, August 6, August 27: Your knight’s coat of arms! Meet the knights and their coats of arms before creating your own coat of arms by choosing its colors and emblems. A playful introduction to the exciting and colorful world of heraldry! RESERVE
- July 6, July 25, July 30, August 20 : Les Invalides in miniature ! Set off with your family to discover the architectural secrets of the Musée de l’Armée in the company of a mediator. Then build your 3D model of Les Invalides! RESERVE
Guided tours
Wednesdays at 2:30 pm – duration: 1 hour
Come and share every Wednesday, for an hour and with your family, a moment of discovery of the monument and one of its great figures!
- July 19th, August 2nd, August 16th, August 30th: Invalides in 1 hour and with the family ! A journey back in time to learn the history of the Hôtel des Invalides with your family and admire all the richness of the collections of the Musée de l’Armée. RESERVE
- July 12, July 26, August 9, August 23: Napoleon in 1 hour and with the family ! Discover, with your family, the different facets of one of the most famous men in the world in the company of a mediator from the Museum. RESERVE
The Musée l’Armée – Invalides : a rich and fascinating museum
- In particular, there are rooms dedicated toNapoleon I and those that present a global approach to the military history of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
- The rooms on Napoleon mainly present his battles. And of course, you shouldn’t miss the tomb ofNapoleon I in the dome of the Invalides.
- The part of the museum dedicated to the two world wars allows you to see the “Grosse Bertha”, a taxi from the Marne, testimonies on the trenches, then the rise of Nazism, the appeal of General de Gaulle, the Battle of the Atlantic…
- Finally, the Historial Charles de Gaulle offers a fascinating interactive permanent exhibition to visit with headphones in your ears.
- 2 times a year, the Musée de l’Armée offers temporary exhibitions. They are generally very educational.