The musée national de la Marine

The Musée national de la Marine is a public administrative establishment operating under the auspices of the Ministry of the Armed Forces. It is comprised of six sites open to the public and a conservation and resource centre.
It is a museum of art and history, science and technology, human adventures and popular traditions. It is also a maritime cultural centre open to all, which seeks to be a showcase and a heritage conservation centre for all navies.
It also aims to raise awareness among the public of the oceans’ current and future challenges by showcasing their heritage. To achieve this, the museum has the task of preserving, presenting, enhancing and expanding its collections in all marine-related fields, including those of the French Navy, the merchant navies, fishing, oceanographic research, water sports and pleasure boating. It can also organise or support the organisation of any exhibitions or events likely to maintain and encourage people’s love of maritime history.
The Musée national de la Marine is present in Paris but also along the Atlantic coast in Brest, Port-Louis and Rochefort — on two sites— in addition to the Mediterranean coast at Toulon. Along with its conservation and resource centre at Dugny, this network of six sites enables it to maintain strong links with local maritime cultures and to promote an active exhibition policy.

The Musée national de la Marine in Paris has one of the finest and oldest collections in the world, tracing back 300 years of French maritime and naval history. In 2015, it was tasked with undertaking an ambitious transformation project by the Minister of Defence. It is one of the last great French museums to undergo renovation and the last on the Palais de
Chaillot site. Drawing upon its own history and its collections, unique in their kind and dating back to 1748, it tells the story of the navy, of the sea and of sailors, moving on to explore the major maritime challenges of the 21st-century

In Brest the museum is located on the tip of the Brittany peninsula, Brest castle bears witness to a destiny closely linked to that of the sea, the story of a city, of a region and of our whole country. The museum’s collections trace back the history of the French Navy, exploring its close links with the city. A visit to the castle also provides an opportunity to discover some incredible views across the harbour, the Penfeld, the city and its ports.

In Port-Louis situated on the Atlantic coast at the entrance of Lorient’s harbour, the fortress of Port-Louis is a fascinating site built in 1618. Located in the heart of this fortress, the Musée national de la Marine presents an outstanding collection of vessels, antique navigation instruments and historical models. Its museum design and visit route, which is organised around two thematic areas – one dealing with the history of maritime rescue and the other with ships lost along the route to the Indies – make it a leading museum site.

In Rochefort, the museum is housed in a historical monument, the Hôtel de Cheusses, one of the town’s oldest civil buildings. Once home to the last Lord of Rochefort, it became the main place of residence of the squadron commanders when the arsenal was established in 1666. Both the collections on display and the building itself bear witness to the exciting
historical adventure of Rochefort’s arsenal. Since July 2019, the Musée national de la Marine in Rochefort has been part of the major “Arsenal des Mers” project which includes among others the Hermione and the Royal rope factory. The museum in Rochefort also offers the chance to discover the former Naval Medical School. Opened in 1722, it was the first of its kind in the world and can today still be viewed exactly as it was in the mid 19th-century. It serves as both a museum, a historical monument, a scientific library and a commemorative site.

A genuine memorial to the arsenal, the museum traces back the manner in which Toulon gradually emerged as the largest military port in the Mediterranean from the reign of Louis XIV onwards. Featuring huge models, relief maps, paintings and scientific instruments, it tells the story of the creation of its arsenal and the incredible destiny of the military port over the last 350 years.