Musée National de la Marine & the Museum Pass 2026

Last updated: March 2026 · Reopening details and prices verified

Is the Musée National de la Marine included in the Paris Museum Pass?

Yes — full entry is included, saving you €15 per person. No reservation required. The museum is in the Palais de Chaillot at Trocadéro, directly opposite the Eiffel Tower. Fully reopened after a major renovation. Closed Tuesdays.

A Freshly Renovated Museum Worth Your Time in 2026

After a major multi-year renovation, the museum has reopened with a completely redesigned permanent collection. For 2026 pass holders, this makes it one of the freshest and most worthwhile inclusions on the list — the galleries are new, the displays are modern, and visitor numbers are still modest compared to the blockbuster venues.

Unlike many national museums that have been gradually updated in patches, the Marine Museum got a full rethink. The result is a coherent, well-paced experience that rewards the visit in a way the old layout didn’t always manage.

Marine Museum — Fast Facts

Address	Palais de Chaillot, 17 Place du Trocadéro, 75116 Paris
Nearest Metro	Trocadéro (lines 6 and 9)
Opening hours	Wednesday–Monday: 11am–7pm Thursdays: 11am–9pm (late opening)
Closed	Tuesdays · 1 January · 1 May · 25 December
Individual ticket	€15 (2026 price)
With Museum Pass	Free
Reservation required	No
Suggested visit time	1.5–2.5 hours
Status	Fully open — all galleries post-renovation

Why Visit in 2026? Newly Renovated

The Musée National de la Marine closed for a major renovation and has now fully reopened with a redesigned permanent collection. The renovation was one of the most ambitious in French maritime museum history — the galleries have been completely reimagined, with new display cases, updated interpretive content in French and English, and significantly improved visitor flow.

For pass holders, the timing is ideal. The museum is freshly presented, the queues are manageable, and the collection itself is genuinely impressive: more than 1,000 objects spanning French naval history from the age of sail to the 20th century. The scale models of historical warships alone are worth the visit — some are among the most detailed ship models in existence.

One of the best-value Museum Pass venues of 2026. The renovation has made this a top-tier museum in a way it wasn’t before. If you have a 4-day pass, the Marine Museum fits well on day 2 or 3, paired with the Cité de l’Architecture next door — both are in the Palais de Chaillot and both are included with the pass.

What to See

The collection covers the full sweep of French maritime history — from royal galleys and the age of exploration through Napoleon’s navy, the colonial period, and into the 20th century. The post-renovation display organises the collection thematically as well as chronologically, making it more navigable than the old arrangement.

Flagship Collection
Ship Models
Extraordinary scale models of French warships built by royal craftsmen — some dating to the 17th century and accurate to within millimetres.

Age of Exploration
Navigation Instruments
Astrolabes, sextants, chronometers, and charts from the great French voyages of discovery — including Bougainville’s circumnavigation.

Royal History
La Réale Galley
The ornate stern of Louis XIV’s royal galley — an extraordinary piece of 17th-century craftsmanship, among the museum’s most striking objects.

20th Century
Naval Warfare Galleries
Newly expanded galleries covering both World Wars, including submarine warfare, Atlantic convoys, and the liberation of France by sea.

Art Collection
Marine Paintings
An extensive collection of French marine paintings from the 17th to 19th centuries — a less well-known aspect of the museum’s holdings.

Contemporary
Ocean & Climate Gallery
A new gallery added in the renovation linking France’s maritime heritage to contemporary ocean science and climate themes.

Location and Getting There

The museum is in the right wing of the Palais de Chaillot, on the Place du Trocadéro — one of Paris’s most iconic viewpoints, directly across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. The location makes it an easy addition to any itinerary that includes the Eiffel Tower area.

Metro: Trocadéro (lines 6 and 9) — exit on the Place du Trocadéro, the museum entrance is immediately on your right
Bus: Lines 22, 30, 32, 63 — Trocadéro stop
On foot from the Eiffel Tower: Cross the Pont d’Iéna and walk up through the Trocadéro gardens — about 10–12 minutes
On foot from the Palais de Tokyo: 5 minutes along Avenue du Président Wilson

The Cité de l’Architecture is next door. Both the Marine Museum and the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine are housed in the Palais de Chaillot. Both are included in the Museum Pass. Combining them on the same day is efficient and the contrast is interesting — maritime history and architecture make for a full, varied afternoon.

Pairing with a 4-Day Pass Itinerary

The Marine Museum works well on day 2 or 3 of a 4-day pass — paired with the Cité de l’Architecture next door and, optionally, the Palais de Tokyo (not on the pass, separate ticket) or a walk through the Trocadéro gardens to the Eiffel Tower area.

For first-time visitors, the Trocadéro is worth seeing for the view of the Eiffel Tower alone. Combining the viewpoint with two genuinely good museum visits makes this one of the most efficient afternoons you can plan.

See our first-time visitor guide for a full suggested sequence, or the complete museum list for all 50+ pass venues.

Planning Your Paris Museum Pass Visit?

The Marine Museum is one of the standout 2026 inclusions. See how it fits into a 4-day or 6-day pass itinerary.

4-Day Itinerary → Buy the Museum Pass → Book Ticket Only →

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — particularly in 2026, following the renovation. The redesigned permanent collection is significantly better than the pre-closure version, the ship model collection is world-class, and the crowds are much lighter than at the Louvre or Orsay. If you’re interested in French history, naval history, or simply want a high-quality museum experience without the queues, it’s a very good choice.

Yes — 2026 is the first full year with all galleries open following the major renovation. The museum reopened in phases; by early 2026 the complete permanent collection is on display. Always check musee-marine.fr for any temporary closures or special exhibition schedules before your visit.

Yes — both are in the Palais de Chaillot and both are included in the Museum Pass. You can visit both on the same day with no additional charge. The Marine Museum typically takes 1.5–2 hours; the Cité de l’Architecture another 1.5–2 hours. A combined visit of 3–4 hours is comfortable.

Yes — the ship models in particular are popular with children, and the post-renovation display is more interactive and engaging than the old layout. There is a dedicated children’s activity area. The museum is notably less crowded than the Louvre or Pompidou, which makes it a more relaxed experience for families.

The museum entrance is in the right wing of the Palais de Chaillot as you face the building from Place du Trocadéro (i.e., on the western side). The Cité de l’Architecture is in the left wing. Both have separate entrances on the same terrace level.