Napoleon’s tomb and the Army Museum on one ticket. Here is how to see both in two hours.
The short version
- Open every day 10:00 to 18:00, closed January 1, May 1 and December 25. The tills close at 17:30, so be in by then.
- One €17 ticket covers the Army Museum, the Dôme church with Napoleon’s tomb and the temporary exhibition. Book at musee-armee.fr, pick a slot and walk in. Free under 18; EEA residents under 26 get the permanent collections free and still collect a ticket at the till.
- Two entrances: 129 rue de Grenelle on the Esplanade side, 2 place Vauban on the Dôme side. If the tomb is the reason you came, go in at Vauban; the ticket desk there is open 10:00 to 17:30.
- On the first Friday of the month the whole place stays open until 22:00 and the evening ticket is €10. After 18:00 only the rue de Grenelle entrance is open.
- Two hours covers it: 40 minutes under the dome, the rest for the two World Wars galleries and the arms and armour.
- Metro La Tour-Maubourg or Invalides on line 8, Varenne on line 13, or RER C to Invalides.
Getting in
The €17 ticket is the only one most visitors need. It covers the permanent collections, the Dôme church and Napoleon I’s tomb, the current temporary exhibition, and the two smaller museums inside the complex, the Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération and the Musée des Plans-Reliefs. The reduced rate is €12 and the first-Friday evening ticket is €10.
Under 18 is free everywhere in the building with photo ID. If you’re under 26 and live in the EEA, the permanent collections and the Dôme are free too, and a €5 ticket adds the temporary exhibition. Free visitors still need a ticket from the till. The Paris Museum Pass works here with no booking.
- 129 rue de Grenelle. The Esplanade side, facing the river. The only entrance open after 18:00 on first Fridays, and the one for wheelchairs.
- 2 place Vauban. The Dôme side, at the back. The south ticket desk is next to the Dôme, open 10:00 to 17:30.
Buy online and you choose a time slot and skip the till. Or let us handle the getting there: our private Paris tour by car is four hours with a driver-guide from your hotel, any day of the week, and can end with a drop at a monument with admission arranged ahead.
The visit
Start under the dome. Napoleon died on Saint Helena in 1821, his remains came back to Paris in 1840, and the tomb has sat in the open crypt beneath the dome since 1861. You look down on the sarcophagus from the gallery rail first, then walk down to circle it. Give it 40 minutes with the side chapels.
The museum runs along the two sides of the main courtyard. Arms and armour from the 13th to the 17th century on one side; Louis XIV to Napoleon, then the two World Wars galleries, on the other. The World Wars rooms are the ones to keep time for. The Historial Charles de Gaulle is in the basement under the courtyard.
Through November 30, 2026 the American Season marks 250 years of American independence. The panels under the arcades of the main courtyard are free to see without a ticket; the exhibition in the Valenciennes corridor is on the €17 ticket.
A combined ticket with the Musée Rodin next door on the rue de Varenne is €26 instead of €30, and it stays valid for three months. If you were going to both anyway, buy that one.
When to go
The first Friday of the month, 18:00 to 22:00. Every area is open, the tills close at 21:00, and the ticket is €10. Use the rue de Grenelle entrance; it is the only one open in the evening.
Otherwise come at the 10:00 opening and do the dome first. The tills shut at 17:30, so a 17:00 arrival gets you the tomb and nothing else.
Closed January 1, May 1 and December 25, and open every other day of the year. In summer the Esplanade lawn in front fills with picnickers by lunchtime; the museum itself stays easy to walk through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Napoleon’s tomb included in the ticket?
Yes. The €17 ticket covers the Dôme church and the tomb along with the whole Army Museum and the temporary exhibition. There is no separate tomb ticket.
Do I need to book a time slot?
The museum doesn’t require one, but booking online has you pick a slot and skip the till, and the Paris Museum Pass gets you in with no booking at all. Free visitors, under-18s included, still collect a ticket at the desk.
Which entrance should I use?
Place Vauban if the tomb is the point: the Dôme is right there and the south ticket desk is next to it, open 10:00 to 17:30. Rue de Grenelle on the Esplanade side for the museum, for wheelchairs, and for first-Friday evenings, when it is the only entrance open.
Is Les Invalides ever free?
For under-18s, for EEA residents under 26 on the permanent collections, and for the panels under the courtyard arcades, which need no ticket. There is no free day for everyone; the cheapest adult ticket is the €10 first-Friday evening.
Is there a tour that includes it?
Our half-day Paris walking tour is about three hours with a private guide, start times between 9 and 6, routed around what you want to see. Put Les Invalides on the list and the guide builds the walk around it; you buy the museum ticket at the door or online.
Our Most Popular Day Trips From Paris
Half a day on foot with a private guide, routed around what you want to see.
Your own expert driver-guide for the entire day. Flexible routing for up to 6 people.
