"Musée de l'Armée " Topic

The 17 year old son of one of my wife's work colleagues is going on a school trip to Paris at the end of this month. While his classmates are going to be going to the Musée d'Orsay, he hoped to slip away for a half day the visit the Musée de l'Armée. Now he somehow heard that the Musée de l'Armée was going to be closed for renovations at the end of March. I have visited the Musée de l'Armée web site and have found nothing to support this. However, can anyone offer some further explanation that hopefully will prove his fears to be unfounded?

They tend to close down a wing at a time instead of the whole thing. I went there once and the Mediaeval section was being renovated, then another time it was the 18th-19th Century wing. It's a huge complex (also encompassing Napoleon's tomb in the adjacent sepulchre and the incredible Musee des Plans-Reliefs in the attic), so I doubt that it'll be all closed down.

Make sure that he visits the Musee des Plans-Reliefs in the attic! It's the best bit and often overlooked.

The building dedicated to the Ordre de la Libération is closed until june 2015. It's a museum about French resistance and deportation. All others rooms are opened, including Napoléon's tomb and Vauban's Plans relief. Only parts of ww1 and 2 collections are removed for technical reasons. Until 31st March, gates are opened till 65pm, in April 6 pm. your son should come with his passport: entrance is free for youthes under 18.

It is a shame he has to choose. The Musee d'Orsey is also incredible. He should make sure he can link up with the group again. If the group is staying in central Paris this won't be so risky. I did this on my first group visit to Paris, but I was in my late 20's and an experienced traveler. My group was staying a long way from the center and missing a connection would have been very bad. It is a bit of a walk between the two, but not unreasonable. Landmarks help.

Thank you / merci gentlemen. I suspected he had been misinformed, but wanted to be sure. I'll pass this on, including the recommendation to see the Musée des Plans-Reliefs.

I've been fortunate to have been able to visit the Musée de l'Armée twice, the last time two years ago. It is indeed an amazing collection for anyone interested in military history.

Sorry artslave, our messages crossed. I agree with you about the Musée d'Orsey. My wife's great regret is that when we went two years ago the bulk of the Impressionist section was closed. I suppose that means another trip to Paris.

I myself only sacrificed the Musée Rodin. Fortunately it is only a short walk away from the Musée de l'Armée and it was much better my wife to go there instead of to Printemps.

Don't miss the musee d'Orsey but literally across the entrance plaza to the musee d'Orsey there is a great museum about the Legion d'Honor filled with medals, military paintings etc. Fascinating place.

A couple of years ago when I was in Paris with my eldest daughter, I took her in there and eventually left her near the front entrance as a bored teenager. The President of China was on a state visit at the time and he was passing along the road adjacent to the River Seine with all the police out riders etc. The staff locked the front door, asked my daughter if she would like to go on the main balcony with them over looking the river to see this.So she stood there waving like the Queen while all the tourists took photos of them. Highlight of the trip!

Guy,

That is a funny story. It is indeed a great museum, even if you are not really into medals etc. And no admission if memory serves. Speaking about members of the family, I dragged my mother into the museum after a visit to the Musee D'Orsay. Not quite your bored teenager, but still. The staff went out of their way to accommodate us and to point out interesting items. She loved the place.

I would look into it further, the Europeans tend to close things on a whim with no warning. We missed seeing the Sistine Chapel by 5 mins they had just changed the hours and did not post the new ones or update the information site.
As mentioned before they do close off sections for repair, and hopefully it won't be one he is interested in.
My son and I did the musee d'Orsay in 30 mins then headed over to army museum.

My wife does the Musee d'Orsay so I don't have to. I have however, endured Giverny TWICE – the payback being that it's right next to the assault-crossing location of Vernon…

The curator did get very excited when I showed him the account of a British officer who was billeted in Monet's house at Giverny and was given some of Monet's brushes by the widow Monet. The Memsahib wasn't impressed that I even managed to drag military history into Monet's house…

:)

"the Europeans tend to close things on a whim"
What, all of them?