Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The National Marine Museum originated from the naval collection offered to the King by Duhamel de Monceau in 1748. This initial fund was enriched during the Revolution by model ships built in the arsenals since 1678, under the impetus of Colbert. These pieces, representing iconic ships of the Royal Navy, form the historical heart of the collections.

Founded officially in 1827 by Charles X, the museum was first placed under the administration of Fine Arts (1848-1919) before being attached to the Ministry of Marine. His collections, transferred to the Palais de Chaillot — built for the 1937 Universal Exhibition by architects Carlu, Boileau and Azema — were opened to the public on August 15, 1943. The museum covers a variety of fields: the National Navy (the Royal Navy), maritime trade, fishing, oceanography, and water sports.

Between 2017 and November 2023, the museum underwent a major renovation, combining an architectural project led by the architectural agencies H2o and Snøhetta, interventions on the Historical Monument by the chief architects Lionel Dubois and Pierre Bortollussi, and a scenography redesigned by Casson Mann. His flagship pieces include Napoleon I's canoe, the sculptures of the real galley, or models of legendary ships such as Normandy (1935) and France (1964).

The museum also covers cross-cutting themes, from decorative arts (ceramic, goldsmithy) to basic sciences (astronomy, navigation), ethnology and the memory of slavery. Its collections include military objects (arms, uniforms), archives, photographs, and works related to extra-European civilizations, reflecting the scale of maritime exchanges throughout the centuries.

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