National Museum of the Navy

The worldwide unique collection of the national museum of the Navy, evokes the maritime history of France and the history of those men who travelled through the seas. Because of its width and antiquity, the national Museum of the navy is one of the biggest maritime museums of Europe, with Greenwich, Barcelona and Amsterdam. The Museum is also acknowledged as a research centre in maritime history.

Seven Museums The museum exists in Palais de Chaillot, on the Atlantic littoral in Brest, Port-Louis, Rochefort (Hôtel de Cheusses et Ancienne Ecole de médecine navale) and on the Mediterranean littoral in Toulon and Saint-Tropez. Thus the museum forms a network of seven different establishments, which gives the opportunity to keep up strong relationships to the local maritime culture. From the Louvre to the Palais de Chaillot In 1748 the encyclopaedist and general inspector of the Navy, Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau, offers to king Louis XV an important collection of different boat models and harbour machines. A hall dedicated to the Navy was fitted out in the Louvre. It is used in particular for the pupil's education and for the construction engineers. Dispersed during the Revolution the collection is re-created in 1827. It is enriched by different ship models, a beautiful collection of paintings of the Navy and many ethnographic objects, coming from the different exploration journeys.
A documentation service, a library of the maritime history, with more then 60 000 volumes, and an important picture library allow to answer to the requests of information formulated by the researchers and the public in general. The museum has also a restoration workshop for historical models.
Address : National Museum of the Navy Palais de Chaillot 17, place du Trocadéro Paris 16ème Phone number. : 01.53.65.69.53. Timetable : Open every day, from 10 a.m. to 6p.m. except of Tuesday The cash desk closes at 5:15 p.m. Public transports: Subway : Trocadéro Bus : 22/30/32/63/72/82 Batobus : Tour Eiffel Tariffs : Adults full tariff : 7 ? - reduced tariffs for adults : 5,40? Tariffs from 6-18 years :3,85 ? (temporary exhibition) Crew ticket : 20? Free for children from 6 to 18 years (permanent collections) and for active soldiers.
The Navy museum in the provence
Brest Château de Brest Maritime History of Brest and visit of the medieval castle 29 240 Brest naval Phone number : 02.98.22.12.39.
Port-Louis Citadelle de Port-Louis The maritime inheritance, the under-water archaeology, the sea rescue (opening on 2004) see also : le musée de la compagnie des Indes 56 290 Port-Louis Phone number : 02.97.82.56.72
Rochefort Hôtel de Cheusses 1, place de la Galissonnière Construction navale et héritage maritime de Rochefort 17 300 Rochefort Ancient medicine school of the navy 25, rue de l'amiral Meyer 17 300 Rochefort Téléphone : 05.46.99.86.57.
Toulon Place Monsenergue Quai de Norfolk La marine française en méditerranée 83 000 Toulon Phone number : 04.94.02.02.01.