Museum
Although the origins of the royal residence in Compiègne merge with those of the French monarchy, it was in 1751, under the reign of Louis XV, that work was begun according to plans drawn up by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, which would give the château its present shape. “Compiègnes”, visits by the Court to the Imperial residence for a month or a month and a half in the autumn, date from 1856. They became the “series” which Napoleon III and the Empress Eugénie organized there, assembling about 100 guests for a week. These would last until 1869 and in 1927 justified the opening of the château as a museum dedicated to the Second Empire. The château also houses a Cars and Tourism national museum displaying a significant collection of animal-drawn vehicles and automobiles, from the earliest times up to the First World War.
Useful information
Contact details
Musée de Compiègne
Place du Général de Gaulle
60200 Compiègne
Switchboard
Tel: +33(0)3 44 38 47 00
Fax: +33(0)3 44 38 47 01
Send an email
Information, reservations for groups and guided tours
Tel: +33(0)3 44 38 47 02
Online
Visit the museum’s website: www.musee-chateau-compiegne.fr
Access
By car: 75km, north-east of Paris
By train: Compiègne station
Opening times
The château is open everyday except Tuesdays from 10am (9.30am for groups by appointment) to 6pm (last admission 5.15pm). From 1st November to 28th February, the last admission for the tour of the grand apartments is at 3.45pm.
Closed: Tuesdays, 1st January, 1st May, 1st November and 25th December.
Admission
Full rate: €6.50 (audioguide included with the museum admission ticket)
Reduced rate: €4.50 (audioguide included with the museum admission ticket)
Supplement for temporary exhibitions
Group admission: €99 (€121 for temporary exhibition(s))
The audioguide is included in the admission fee or available for hire (€1) for visitors exempt from the admission fee.
Permanent collections free everyday for visitors aged under 26, and every first Sunday of the month for everyone.
Services
Group tours, audiophones
Guided tours in French and English
Audioguide in French, English, German and Japanese
Audioguide for the visually impaired
Audioguide for children aged seven to 12 years old
Coach park
Bookstore-shop
Find out more about the bookstore-shop
