- History National Museum of the Legion of Honor and Orders of Chivalry in Paris</ a>
- Curiosities around the National Museum of the Legion of Honor
- Transfer from the National Museum of the Legion of Honor and the Orders of Chivalry at Paris airports
History National Museum of the Legion of Honor and Orders of Chivalry in Paris
The National Museum of the Legion of Honor and the Orders of Chivalry is a large Parisian museum located at 2 rue de la Légion d’Honneur in the 7th arrondissement. It houses numerous collections of French and foreign decorations, medals and orders of chivalry, covering an area of one thousand square meters and including approximately twenty-eight thousand works. Inaugurated in 1925, the museum attracts around twenty thousand visitors each year. It is easily accessible via bus lines n° 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84, 94, the Solférino metro station and the Musée d’Orsay RER.
The idea for its construction came from the Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honor, French General Auguste Dubail, with the financial support of legionnaires and military medalists. Opened to the general public in 1925, its initial collections came mainly from the deposits of national museums and the funds of the Grand Chancellery, being enriched over time thanks to donations from collectors and prestigious acquisitions.
One of a kind, the museum is dedicated to phaleristics in a modern wing built between 1922 and 1925 on the site of the former stables of the Hôtel de Salm. Its permanent collections, spread over several levels, are dedicated to chivalric and religious orders, French royal orders, foreign orders, the history of the palace and the creation of the museum, the Legion of Honor, imperial orders and to memories of the First Empire, as well as to French orders of decorations and medals since 1789.
The museum enriches its cultural offering with large-scale temporary exhibitions, documents and audiovisual terminals illustrating the orders of chivalry and nobility of the Ancien Régime, medals and decorations. Notable exhibitions include “Napoleon and the Legion of Honor” in 1968, “The Order of Malta and France” between 1988 and 1989, and “Imperial Caskets, Diplomatic Splendors of the Second Empire” in 2011, which exhibited the decorations of Marshal Vaillant and the Empress, as well as those awarded to Napoleon III and his son.
In 2013, the museum presented “De Gaulle and Merit, Creation of a Republican Order”, an exhibition detailing the founding of the National Order of Merit on December 3 1963, enriched with numerous projects, archival documents, period films, letters and photographs, which ended on January 26, 2014.
Curiosities around the National Museum of the Legion of Honor
The National Museum of the Legion of Honor is located in an area rich in cultural and historical heritage. Right next door, the Musée d’Orsay exhibits Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in an exceptional architectural setting. The Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, famous for its literary cafés and lively nightlife, offers an authentic Parisian experience. The proximity of the Seine invites you to stroll along the quays, where second-hand booksellers sell old books and engravings.
For architecture lovers, a visit to Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, located a short distance away, is a must. Although partially damaged by a fire in 2019, its restoration is underway, and its history continues to fascinate. The Jardin des Tuileries, with its paths, its statues and its large pond, is a privileged place of relaxation for Parisians and tourists. The Louvre, the world’s largest art and history museum, is also nearby, offering a dive into millennia of artistic creations and historical objects.
Transfer from the National Museum of the Legion of Honor and Orders of Chivalry to Paris airports
For travel from Orly airport to the National Museum of the Legion of Honor and orders of chivalry in a VIP car, call our team. Orly Airport is located 22.3 km from Orly Airport, 33.4 km from Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport and 88.7 km from Beauvais Airport. Enjoy a comfortable and worry-free transfer, whether you arrive in Paris via Orly, Roissy Charles de Gaulle or Beauvais.