Musée de la Grande Guerre du Pays de Meaux

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Musée de la Grande Guerre – the history of the First World War

The museum began thanks to the enthusiasm of one man, Jean-Pierre Verney, a passionate historian who, over a period of 50 years, amassed objects and documents recounting the history of the First World War. In 2005, the Pays de Meaux local authority bought the exceptional collection of more than 50,000 items and decided to build a museum to show it off ! Today the collection comprises 65,000 objects and documents ! The Musée de la Grande Guerre harbours a rich and varied collection which deals not only with technical and military aspects but also from a human and sociocultural perspective. Discover complete uniforms from most of the warring nations, weapons and artillery, heavy machinery, objects from everyday life on the frontline and behind the lines as well as a huge collection of documents and graphic art.
There are 2 ways of visiting the Musée de la Grande Guerre :
Chronological trail : The ‘Grande Nef’ : 1914-1918 : immersion in the heart of the conflict. Between the 1st Battle of the Marne in 1914 and the 2nd Battle of the Marne in 1918, see how the world changed from the 19th and 20th century. Between these two battles of tactical manoeuvres, siege warfare appeared in the guise of trench warfare.
Thematic trail : objects from the collection are exhibited by theme : women and society, everyday life in the trenches, globalisation of the war. You can go from the chronological trail to the thematic halls as you wish and choose what you would like to see according to what you are interested in !

The Museum takes you on an incredible trip back in time !

Visite Musée de la Grande Guerre de Meaux©Didier Pazery — Go back in time as far as 1870 to understand the pre-war situation. Then plunge into the 1914-1918 period : accompany soldiers leaving for the Front, look closely at replica trenches and French and German shelters, understand the everyday life of soldiers during the conflict. Rare, impressive collections : a Blériot XII-2 plane, a SPAD XIII plane, a Parisian taxi, two Berliet lorries including a pigeon carrier, a LATIL artillery tractor, pieces of artillery, an FT tank, around 200 uniforms…and the emotionally moving collection of items made by soldiers in the hell-on-earth of the trenches. 3000m² to explore and understand the origins of our modern world !
Musée de la Grande Guerre de Meaux – a fun museum
Another originality of the museum is that you can touch things ! Touch, see, hear, handle…Watch archive and fictional image projections, look at replicas of trenches, meet Léon the soldier and see what a French Poilu’s kit consisted of after 1915. Lift up his kitbag and the equipment he had to carry when on duty. There are objects from the period in every space, which you can touch : helmets, cans, mess tins, shells, etc.

A voir à faire autour du Musée de la Grande Guerre de Meaux

There are 5 good reasons to come here for a family outing : an educational treasure, a fun place to visit and accessible for all ages, a space dedicated to children where they can understand daily life during the war, use of various adapted media to understand the 1914-1918 war (activity booklets, audio guides, multimedia tools), workshops and guided tours to make the history of the First World War meaningful. In addition, there is a space with things to do for children (books, magazines and comic strips) while grownups have a break in the reading area !

For children who like to play games, there are uniforms and helmets to dress up in, writing and drawing workshops, things to play with.
Opening times : 09.30 – 18.00
Closed every Tuesday plus 1 May, 25 December and 1 January.

What to see and do near the Musée de la Grande Guerre de Meaux?
After visiting the museum, explore the Jardin Bossuet which backs onto Meaux Cathedral. This strictly ‘à la Française’ garden was created in the 17th century. Enjoy a walk in the Parc du Pâtis, the largest urban park in the Ile-de-France region, which is rich in wildlife. Finally, you can’t come to Meaux without tasting its excellent ""Brie de Meaux"" known as the King of Cheeses and the Cheese of Kings ! Plenty of cheese makers and Gites de France owners are delighted to share their favourite recipes for this delicious food.
Explore Seine-et-Marne with Gites de France Seine-et-Marne : Château de Fontainebleau Musée National, medieval town of Provins, Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, Musée de la Gendarmerie - Melun.