Hôtel des Invalides is a monumental 17th-century complex in Paris built to house wounded and elderly soldiers, and today it holds the Musée de l’Armée along with the domed church that contains Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb.
Founded as a museum in 1905, the Army Museum’s collections trace French military history from the Middle Ages to the present through armor, weapons, uniforms, artillery, and personal artifacts of historical figures. The gilded Dôme des Invalides, visible across much of the Left Bank, remains one of the most recognizable silhouettes in the Paris skyline.
The museum is open daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM year-round, with late-night openings until 10:00 PM on the first Friday of each month. It’s closed only on January 1, May 1, and December 25.
