The Museum of the Prefecture of Police

The Police Museum traces the history of the Parisian police from the seventeenth century to the present day. The 2000 pieces presented, some of which are unique, evoke the events in which the police took part, memories of the history of Paris but also that of France. This museum is one of the few Parisian museums that is free for all.

A brand new space dedicated to technical and forensic science

The Police Museum was completely refurbished in 2020. It now presentsa new, exciting space dedicated to technical and scientific police from yesterday to today. 4 zones explain the adventure of the forensic police in a fun and educational way:

• Alphonse Bertillon, inventor of the forensic police
• Identification before bertilloning
• The revolution in forensic techniques with DNA, fingerprints
• New techniques such as odorology…

It is also called “The Museum of Crime”

• Regicides, blood crimes, murders by poison, trickery or swindling…
• The cases followed by the Parisian police over the centuries are exhibited in the windows of this atypical museum
• The Police Museum retraces the history of the greatest criminals or serial killers such as Henri-Désiré Landru or Doctor Petiot who have marked the minds and major criminal cases such as the story of Violette Nozières which the press has seized
• During a visit to the Police Museum, we discover how banal pieces of evidence have made it possible to solve major cases
• Murder weapons, exhibits, anecdotes… A museum full of crazy, dark, cruel and exciting stories

The great police officers who have marked the history of the police

• The Police Museum also presents the great men who have served the police for several centuries
• The lieutenant general of police Nicolas La Reynie who put an end to the Poison Affair, Eugène-François Vidocq the former head of Napoleon’s security brigade or Célestin Hennion the creator of the Tiger Brigades

A bit of history

• The Museum of the Prefecture of Police was inaugurated in 1909, 9 years after the Universal Exhibition. It was the prefect Louis Lépine who wanted it to be created
• Some important dates: the profound reorganisation of the Parisian police in 1789, the creation of the position of prefect in 1800, the creation of the corps of city sergeants in 1829, the appointment of Louis Lépine in 1893, the creation of the Directorate of the Judicial Police and that of the General Intelligence and the Games in 1913…
• This museum has enriched its collection with numerous acquisitions and donations