Musée de la Grande Guerre
Musée de la Grande Guerre
4.5
Monday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
About
With a collection of some 70,000 items and documents that tell of everyday military life during World War I, the Great War Museum in Meaux (Seine-et-Marne, France) is an opportunity to delve into the history of the First World War, also known as the Great War.
The Museum, which opened on 11 November 2011 on the site of the First Battle of the Marne in Meaux, is Europe’s biggest First World War museum. Spread across 3,000 square metres, it has one of the richest and most varied collections linked to the Great War, with attractive, innovative scenography.
The museum is closed every year the last three weeks of August; please consult the official website before to make a reservation to check the annual closing dates.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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from $11.16
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
774 reviews
Excellent
472
Very good
252
Average
35
Poor
10
Terrible
5
Adrienne C
28 contributions
Oct 2014 • Family
My colleagues and I teach in a bilingual, multicultural school in the western suburbs of Paris. The First World War is an important part of our history program, so last month we took our ninth-graders on a field trip to this museum. For homework, I asked my students to write up their impressions of the museum, so the comments you read here have been taken from the essays of 62 fourteen-year-olds!
The kids all loved the museum, using words like "awesome", “fantastic”, "rich", “informative”, and "fascinating" to describe their experience. What impressed them the most was the museum's hands-on approach, along with its "tactile" exhibits--they all loved being able to handle objects from the war and to really "feel" what the war was all about. A couple of kids specifically mentioned that the museum is so well laid-out that you have no trouble imagining the era’s zeitgeist or the true horror of the war. Another said she realized how “recent” the war is, and not “quite so distant”. Of particular note were the “exhaustive” exhibits that revolved around a soldier’s daily life, the weapons, an interactive naval battle and the uniforms--arranged so that one could feel as if s/he were actually marching alongside the soldiers on their way to battle. Additional popular highlights were the exhibits on propaganda, the “gueules cassées”, artificial limbs, and vehicles (such as the famous Battle of the Marne taxi). A short film about camouflage techniques and tricks was another big hit. In short, 99% of the students said that the museum is a “must-see” and worth the trip. All in all, the kids clearly learned a lot and it was a day well spent.
However, I must add a word regarding the awful attitude of some of the museum staff towards younger visitors. I’d be the first to admit that my students are not perfect angels and I know that some of them were boisterous during their visit. However, I was shocked by the language and tone of voice used by some of the staff to address (my) students that day. In one case, I was walking past when a hands-on exhibit--a uniform jacket--fell down as one of my students inspected it. A guard immediately rushed over, yelling that the young man had deliberately pulled the jacket off the wall. Even more absurd was that the guard and I then got into a “he-did-it-on purpose-no-he-didn’t” verbal scuffle over the presumed guilt of this kid. What an absolute waste of time and a blemish on an otherwise perfect field trip!
The kids all loved the museum, using words like "awesome", “fantastic”, "rich", “informative”, and "fascinating" to describe their experience. What impressed them the most was the museum's hands-on approach, along with its "tactile" exhibits--they all loved being able to handle objects from the war and to really "feel" what the war was all about. A couple of kids specifically mentioned that the museum is so well laid-out that you have no trouble imagining the era’s zeitgeist or the true horror of the war. Another said she realized how “recent” the war is, and not “quite so distant”. Of particular note were the “exhaustive” exhibits that revolved around a soldier’s daily life, the weapons, an interactive naval battle and the uniforms--arranged so that one could feel as if s/he were actually marching alongside the soldiers on their way to battle. Additional popular highlights were the exhibits on propaganda, the “gueules cassées”, artificial limbs, and vehicles (such as the famous Battle of the Marne taxi). A short film about camouflage techniques and tricks was another big hit. In short, 99% of the students said that the museum is a “must-see” and worth the trip. All in all, the kids clearly learned a lot and it was a day well spent.
However, I must add a word regarding the awful attitude of some of the museum staff towards younger visitors. I’d be the first to admit that my students are not perfect angels and I know that some of them were boisterous during their visit. However, I was shocked by the language and tone of voice used by some of the staff to address (my) students that day. In one case, I was walking past when a hands-on exhibit--a uniform jacket--fell down as one of my students inspected it. A guard immediately rushed over, yelling that the young man had deliberately pulled the jacket off the wall. Even more absurd was that the guard and I then got into a “he-did-it-on purpose-no-he-didn’t” verbal scuffle over the presumed guilt of this kid. What an absolute waste of time and a blemish on an otherwise perfect field trip!
Written November 21, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kjwootty
Northampton, UK9 contributions
Dec 2011 • Friends
An excellent museum covering The Great War with a huge amount of artefacts and information. Lots of written information and video clips illustrating not only the key events leading up to, during and after the war but also the everyday details of life in the trenches and on the front line. Most information is in French but useful amounts too in English and German. We did not use the audioguides but they were available. The museum had only just opened when we visited in December and there is clearly some work to complete outside on landscaping etc. Visually the building is striking with its cantilever chamber projecting out over the approach to the entrance. Although not overly busy when we were there the introduction section felt a bit cramped but once through this the main museum is open and easy to navigate. Could perhaps have done with a few more pointers on how to follow a "timeline" of the key events but this was not a major issue for us. Leave plenty of time for a visit, especially if you're more than casually interested in the subject, as there is a lot to see. We spent three hours there and could easily have taken longer although it's quite possible to scan around in an hour or so if you're pushed for time. You'll need to drive there or take a bus (plenty from Meaux centre) as it's outside the town. One minor issue which will probably be sorted out soon is that there was nowhere to get a drink or bite to eat on site (there was a small cafe kiosk which was not open yet). All in all very good place to learn about WW1.
Written January 5, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Margaret M
Campuzan France39 contributions
Jan 2016 • Family
Really this is a museum I had no idea existed. From the minute you step out of your car you are thrust into, what I can only say, into a war zone. As you approach the main building of which the size covers 3,000m2 you hear guns, cannons, soldiers crying-out and cavalry horses which snaps you immediately into some unimaginable sense of having to dive for cover. You are generously welcomed by the team who will give you all the guidance necessary making your visit so unforgettable. Down to the smallest detail you will see trenches, bunkers, transport, soldiers in uniform and so much more. The guides speak English for those who don't speak French. Absolutely incredible and to top it all it's only 20kms from Disney Paris so make it a "must" the next time you visit the Paris area. Suitable for families young and old; groups; students or even solo. Just for good info there are good hotels in the Meaux area.
Written January 14, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MZTParis
Paris298 contributions
Feb 2015 • Friends
A visit to the Great War Museum - Le Musée de la Grande Guerre - is a most interesting experience: a lesson of the folly of mankind.
Inaugurated on November 11, 2011 by France’s then President, Nicolas Sarkozy, the museum is a glass structure of 7000 sq.m. (75347 sq ft) on a plateau 5 kms (3.1 miles) north-east from the centre of the town of Meaux, 41 kms (25 miles) north-east of Paris. (Meaux is pronounced ‘mo’.)
Meaux is easy to get to from Paris. If you do not have a car, I recommend you buy a Mobilis day transport ticket at your starting point in Paris. The ticket is sold by Zones: Meaux falls in Zone 5 (the highest) and will cost you €16.60. The ticket is not cheap certainly, but it will be valid until midnight for all Métro (underground),bus and Transilien trains. This means that it will also be valid from Meaux to the museum and back to Meaux.
The train to Meaux leaves from Paris’s Gare de l’Est and it is the Transilien P train you need to take. It will take about 30 minutes to Meaux. Over the weekend there is just one train per hour to Meaux and two per hour weekdays.
The bus you have to take at Meaux is the M6 and it leaves from in front of the station and its end destination is indeed the museum. There is no way you will get lost because the bus stops beside a huge white memorial which was offered to the French by the Americans in 1936 in homage to WW1’s fallen - the Liberty Weeping monument by the American artist and sculptor, Frederick MacMonnies (1863-1937)
When you descend the bus you walk back the way the bus had come and towards the flags. You will in fact see the museum alongside the road. Reaching the flags, you are at the museum.
The museum is open every day but Tuesday, and opening hours are: October to April – 10 am to 5.30 pm; May to September – 9.30 am to 6.30 pm.
It will cost you €10 to go in and should you be 65 and older you will get a €3 discount.
You must allow yourself 3 hours for the visit: this is from the time you leave Meaux station and return to it at the end of your visit. (The bus ride takes about 10 minutes and it is pleasant as you will see something of the outskirts of Meaux.)
The museum has more than 50,000 items all connected with the Great War: most of these were donated by the French Great War historian, Jean Vernet. You will see a field hospital, a field kitchen, a messenger pigeon vehicle, bunkers, trenches, uniforms, rifles and ammunition and so much much more.
Do know that the museum is almost always packed with visitors. When I was there so was a coach-load of young men from a private Catholic school who were accompanied by a young priest in a long cassock. Neatly dressed, hair short and manners impeccable, they were no problem at all, but I know that if one happens to be there with a group of school children, a visit can be quite noisy.
There is a café on the ground floor – one has to pass it on one’s way out – which has very basic things like baguette sandwiches or pies and coffee. And as it has a captive clientele the prices are rather steep. At around 4.30 pm the staff starts packing up as the café keeps the same opening hours as the museum. Also, if you go to the café after 4 pm then you may well find that there is little left to eat.
Meaux itself is a charming town. If you go on a Saturday you can wander through the town's open-air market which stretches across several of the old stone bridges over the Marne River. Yes, Meaux is on the Marne: it divides the town's old town into a Northern Quarter and a Southern Quarter.
You can also visit the cathedral.
Do take not that the town has few cafés and no bistros like in Paris. There are restaurants yes but they will not serve you just a coffee or a drink. There is also a restaurant on the river but this too will politely (and not so politely too) tell you that they serve only meals.
So, if you want a drink and you see a café ahead of you, do not think that there will be others because there won't. You better go in and sit down.
Inaugurated on November 11, 2011 by France’s then President, Nicolas Sarkozy, the museum is a glass structure of 7000 sq.m. (75347 sq ft) on a plateau 5 kms (3.1 miles) north-east from the centre of the town of Meaux, 41 kms (25 miles) north-east of Paris. (Meaux is pronounced ‘mo’.)
Meaux is easy to get to from Paris. If you do not have a car, I recommend you buy a Mobilis day transport ticket at your starting point in Paris. The ticket is sold by Zones: Meaux falls in Zone 5 (the highest) and will cost you €16.60. The ticket is not cheap certainly, but it will be valid until midnight for all Métro (underground),bus and Transilien trains. This means that it will also be valid from Meaux to the museum and back to Meaux.
The train to Meaux leaves from Paris’s Gare de l’Est and it is the Transilien P train you need to take. It will take about 30 minutes to Meaux. Over the weekend there is just one train per hour to Meaux and two per hour weekdays.
The bus you have to take at Meaux is the M6 and it leaves from in front of the station and its end destination is indeed the museum. There is no way you will get lost because the bus stops beside a huge white memorial which was offered to the French by the Americans in 1936 in homage to WW1’s fallen - the Liberty Weeping monument by the American artist and sculptor, Frederick MacMonnies (1863-1937)
When you descend the bus you walk back the way the bus had come and towards the flags. You will in fact see the museum alongside the road. Reaching the flags, you are at the museum.
The museum is open every day but Tuesday, and opening hours are: October to April – 10 am to 5.30 pm; May to September – 9.30 am to 6.30 pm.
It will cost you €10 to go in and should you be 65 and older you will get a €3 discount.
You must allow yourself 3 hours for the visit: this is from the time you leave Meaux station and return to it at the end of your visit. (The bus ride takes about 10 minutes and it is pleasant as you will see something of the outskirts of Meaux.)
The museum has more than 50,000 items all connected with the Great War: most of these were donated by the French Great War historian, Jean Vernet. You will see a field hospital, a field kitchen, a messenger pigeon vehicle, bunkers, trenches, uniforms, rifles and ammunition and so much much more.
Do know that the museum is almost always packed with visitors. When I was there so was a coach-load of young men from a private Catholic school who were accompanied by a young priest in a long cassock. Neatly dressed, hair short and manners impeccable, they were no problem at all, but I know that if one happens to be there with a group of school children, a visit can be quite noisy.
There is a café on the ground floor – one has to pass it on one’s way out – which has very basic things like baguette sandwiches or pies and coffee. And as it has a captive clientele the prices are rather steep. At around 4.30 pm the staff starts packing up as the café keeps the same opening hours as the museum. Also, if you go to the café after 4 pm then you may well find that there is little left to eat.
Meaux itself is a charming town. If you go on a Saturday you can wander through the town's open-air market which stretches across several of the old stone bridges over the Marne River. Yes, Meaux is on the Marne: it divides the town's old town into a Northern Quarter and a Southern Quarter.
You can also visit the cathedral.
Do take not that the town has few cafés and no bistros like in Paris. There are restaurants yes but they will not serve you just a coffee or a drink. There is also a restaurant on the river but this too will politely (and not so politely too) tell you that they serve only meals.
So, if you want a drink and you see a café ahead of you, do not think that there will be others because there won't. You better go in and sit down.
Written February 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fringe_Gatherer
Chicago, IL164 contributions
Nov 2019
In our many trips to France I've wanted to explore the WWI historical ground a little, but always the major sites were a little too far from Paris, well beyond Reims. But the westernmost advances of the invasion were quite close to Paris. Here, in the area of Meaux, the French army turned and fought the invaders to a stand still, and a partial retreat. The relatively new and very modern Musee de la Grand Guerre provides an important destination and resource for WWI history. The main visit path concentrates on modest number of artifacts, but presented in engaging reconstructions of battle environments. Particularly notable is the use of historical video and sound in the background of simulated bunkers and trenches. A series of separate rooms provides more nearly "exhaustive" exhibits with large numbers of objects - imagine 50 different kinds of hand grenades - focussing on multiple themes of military experience. We spent 2 hours there. It is not possible to describe a museum about WWI as an uplifting experience, but it was very informative and interesting.
Written November 17, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adrienne C
28 contributions
Oct 2018 • Family
Visited this museum this past week, as I do every October, with my students. It is still an excellent museum and my students found it fascinating, getting a lot out of it. Note that most everything has explanations in French, English and German--useful to know if you're bringing a non-French school group. I have to add, however, that the museum guards are extremely prickly and uncomprehending when it comes to adolescents. Not all my students are perfect angels, but this one group was justifiably distressed to be the focus of the guard's wrath. Not only were they innocent but yelling isn't the way to earn a teenager's respect or cooperation. I now have taken to warning my students each year about the general prickliness of the museum staff, as a way of preparing them for the class visit.
Written October 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jobo49
Angers, France70 contributions
Mar 2017 • Friends
Sanitised and complacent view of this bloody war. Almost complete absence of mention of contemporary critics - the socialists, pacifists, strikers, mutineers, revolutionaries, poets, writers who opposed it during the war. No mention that Haig and Foch are viewed today by many as mere butchers. So much is missing. Don't visit this museum - our forefathers deserve better
Written March 11, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anthony F
Chicago, IL41 contributions
May 2015 • Friends
The true twentieth century began in 1914, with the outbreak of World War One: at its start, the old world order prevailed, but, by its conclusion, life had changed forever and the modern era had begun.
This is the philosophical foundation which forms the basic premise of this brilliantly conceived museum, which opened in 2011. With a compelling dramaturgical structure and narrative that should be the envy of other museums, we are taken back in time from the present to 1870. We are led on a journey that begins by exploring the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian war and the social and political environment that it generated. The assassination of Grand Duke Ferdinand was the excuse for the outbreak of World War One, not its cause. To emphasize this, the event is covered only by a single small panel in the museum. The world was ripe for war for a variety of complex reasons. But no-one expected the four year global conflagration that ensued.
Of all the war museums that I have visited, the Musée de la Grande Guerre is the most successful at providing us with a compelling narrative of the human dimensions of the conflict. Life at the fronts and in the trenches, the development of weaponry and protective equipment from the quasi-medieval in 1914 to the modern by 1918, and the role of women are among the many subjects covered with tremendous subtlety and sensitivity. This museum is not so much a battle by battle examination of the conflict, but rather an immersive drama about the world at war. As we re-enter contemporary life following the section about the Armistice, we watch an excellent short film about the post-war circumstances that led to the outbreak of World War Two, and poignant reminders of the relationships between the Great War and topical issues of our time.
This museum is an easy half-day trip from Paris. Allow at least two or three hours in the museum to do it justice. It is a powerful example of modern museum conception, design and execution at its best. Extremely compelling and satisfying.
This is the philosophical foundation which forms the basic premise of this brilliantly conceived museum, which opened in 2011. With a compelling dramaturgical structure and narrative that should be the envy of other museums, we are taken back in time from the present to 1870. We are led on a journey that begins by exploring the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian war and the social and political environment that it generated. The assassination of Grand Duke Ferdinand was the excuse for the outbreak of World War One, not its cause. To emphasize this, the event is covered only by a single small panel in the museum. The world was ripe for war for a variety of complex reasons. But no-one expected the four year global conflagration that ensued.
Of all the war museums that I have visited, the Musée de la Grande Guerre is the most successful at providing us with a compelling narrative of the human dimensions of the conflict. Life at the fronts and in the trenches, the development of weaponry and protective equipment from the quasi-medieval in 1914 to the modern by 1918, and the role of women are among the many subjects covered with tremendous subtlety and sensitivity. This museum is not so much a battle by battle examination of the conflict, but rather an immersive drama about the world at war. As we re-enter contemporary life following the section about the Armistice, we watch an excellent short film about the post-war circumstances that led to the outbreak of World War Two, and poignant reminders of the relationships between the Great War and topical issues of our time.
This museum is an easy half-day trip from Paris. Allow at least two or three hours in the museum to do it justice. It is a powerful example of modern museum conception, design and execution at its best. Extremely compelling and satisfying.
Written May 27, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane B
St. Albans, UK70 contributions
Sep 2013 • Couples
This First World War museum is absolutely worth visiting. Different from others because it seeks to show our common history, giving the background from ALL the countries at war, in a totally even-handed way. Not a speck of nationalism, and a huge wealth of detail from all aspects of society - children, animals, the role of women, as well as a huge selection of uniforms, soldiers' belongings, medical apparatus and much more. Lots of little film clips of actual footage, as well as larger projections, are very evocative, and I was left with an overwhelming sense of the futility of the loss of all that life.
Written September 8, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ceri S
Kimbolton, UK178 contributions
Jul 2020
Stunning WW1 museum. Excellent collection of so many WW1 artefacts, so much information and in various language. Visually stunning and educational. Really worth a visit, Covid safe and a good space to walk around, hardly anyone here.
Written July 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
M2GMeaux
Thank you for your visit and your comment. See you soon
Written July 22, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MAHE007
Paris, France
bonjour .
Je possède une pièce de théâtre intitulée: une nuit de noël en 1914
auteur : Alfred BAROUILLE DECRAON , soldat au 8ème Régiment de Génie
pièce en un acte, en vers
Biarritz Grande Imprimerie Moderne
20 pages
si ce document ne figure pas dans vos archives, voulez vous que je vous adresse une copie ?
Si oui, pouvez vous m'adresser votre mail ?
christian R
villeparisis218 contributions
Bonjour MAHE007y,
je vous fais la même réponse que les précédents intervenants.
Votre document a forcément un intérêt, mais il appartient à la conservatrice de ce musée d'en estimer la portée et de hiérarchiser les propositions au public.
Compte tenu des masses d'archives, tout ne peut être présenté, en tout cas pas en même temps.
Il est possible aussi, si le texte est représentatif, qu'il y ait une transmission à des personnes susceptibles de le faire travailler à des amateurs intéressés et le mettre en scène pour intervention ponctuelle.
Mais tout cela relève de la gestion et de l'autorité des responsables du musée.
Vous êtes donc encouragé à vous mettre en relation directement avec eux.
Bonne suite...
Christian.
westchicago
Carefree, AZ1,426 contributions
Can you tell me the best way to get from central Paris to Meaux to see this war museum?
Thank you
M2GMeaux
Meaux, France
Sorry for the delay.
Take the east station in Paris and a train for Meaux (express) or for ChateauThierry with a stop to Meaux.
Once to Meaux, take the shuttle M6 up to the Museum.
Cordially.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Musée de la Grande Guerre
- Musée de la Grande Guerre admission prices can vary. Entrance tickets currently cost $11.12, while a popular guided tour starts around $151.23 per person.
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