What is the Hôtel de la Marine?

An 18th-century palace on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, built between 1757 and 1774 and home to the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne, the royal office for the crown's furniture and jewels. It then served as the French Navy's ministry from 1789 until 2015, and reopened to visitors in 2021.

What does the ticket actually include?

The route described in this guide covers the intendant's apartments, the gilded state salons along the façade and the loggia over the Place de la Concorde, with a headset that plays spatialised 3D sound as you go. The Al Thani Collection is a separate exhibition with its own ticket.

Is this the building where the Crown Jewels were stolen?

Yes. In September 1792 thieves broke into the Garde-Meuble and made off with most of the Crown Jewels, including the Regent Diamond, which was recovered the following year and is held today at the Louvre. The Salon Diplomatique on the visit route was the room where the jewels were kept.

Is it suitable for children?

Generally yes. The visit is self-paced, and the 3D-sound headset tends to hold children's attention better than a traditional museum. Under-18s also enter free, as do EU residents aged 18 to 25 with ID.

How do I get to the Hôtel de la Marine?

It's at 2 Place de la Concorde, on the square's northern side. Métro Concorde (lines 1, 8 and 12) and Métro Madeleine (line 14) are both a short walk, and it sits a few minutes from the Tuileries Garden and the Louvre.

Every day, with a late opening on Fridays; it closes on a few public holidays. Times and last-entry rules can change, so check the palace's own site before you go.

Who runs the Hôtel de la Marine, and where do I book?

The palace is cared for by the Centre des monuments nationaux, a French public body, which sells entry and lists current exhibitions on its own site. This guide is independent of it; the entry links here go to a ticket for the apartments route on Viator.

← Hôtel de la Marine Salon Guide

Visiting the Hôtel de la Marine

By Anaïs Vasseur · Updated June 2026 · Writes about the rooms behind Paris's palace museums and what's worth knowing before you go.

Everything needed to plan the visit itself: getting to the square, choosing a slot, how long to set aside, the order the rooms come in, and what to carry with you.

Check availability & book ↗

Getting to the square

The palace stands on the north side of the Place de la Concorde, at number 2. Métro Concorde (lines 1, 8 and 12) lets out almost at the door, and Métro Madeleine on line 14 is a short walk round the back of the square. On foot, it's about fifteen minutes from the Louvre through the Tuileries Garden.

Choosing when to go

Entry runs by timed slot, booked in advance for a specific date and hour. Weekends are generally busier than weekdays, and an early or late slot tends to leave the rooms quieter. Fridays are the exception to the usual closing time, with a late opening into the evening.

How long to set aside

There's no fixed clock once you're inside: most visits run an hour to two hours, moving through the apartments, the salons and the loggia at a walking pace with the headset doing the narrating. Build in a few extra minutes either side for the walk from the Métro and for lingering on the loggia.

The order the rooms come in

The route starts in the private rooms of the Garde-Meuble's intendant, moves into the grander Salon d'Honneur and the Salon Diplomatique along the façade, and finishes outdoors on the loggia above the Place de la Concorde. Each stage is covered in more detail in the room-by-room guide below.

Accessibility

The palace offers wheelchair-accessible routes, but the intendant's apartments are laid out in a run of rooms too narrow for a wheelchair over 65cm wide, so it's worth checking ahead if that's a factor for your visit. Folding seats and tactile maps are also available.

What to bring

ID is worth carrying if you fall into one of the free-entry categories, under 18 or an EU resident aged 18 to 25, since you may be asked for it. Leave bags and suitcases behind if you can: they aren't allowed in, even small ones. The loggia is open to the weather, so a coat is sensible on a cold or wet day.

Before you book

The ticket covers the intendant's apartments, the state salons and the loggia described in this guide. The Al Thani Collection runs on a separate ticket and isn't part of this route, which is worth knowing before you choose which one to book.

Check availability & book ↗