For the 42nd edition of the Journées du Patrimoine, the Musée de la Libération de Paris - Musée du Général Leclerc - Musée Jean Moulin offers free tours and other events on Saturday September 20 and Sunday September 21, 2025.
Inaugurated in 2019, for the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Paris, the Musée de la Libération de Paris - Musée du Général Leclerc - Musée Jean Moulin is one of the city's lesser-known museums. And yet, just across the road from the Catacombs, it is home to a wealth of historical treasures that tell the story of one of the great events in the history of France and the capital.
On the occasion of the 42nd Journées du Patrimoine, this museum welcomes us for a weekend of discovery, on Saturday September 20 and Sunday September 21, 2025. On these two days, history buffs will be able to take part in guided and self-guided tours of the museum, as well as a range of other activities suitable for the whole family.
Photographs, objects that belonged to the great combatants of this war, period costumes and accessories, historical documents, paintings, letters, drawings, posters, audiovisual testimonies... Some 7,000 military and everyday French objects plunge us into this troubled era. Come and discover these exceptional collections during the Heritage Days.
The 2025 Heritage Days program at the Musée de la Libération de Paris - Musée du Général Leclerc - Musée Jean Moulin :
Exhibition
- De Gaulle and the Liberation of Paris
Until September 21
Free entry, no reservation required
On the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the Liberation of Paris, the Liberation Museum of Paris — General Leclerc Museum — Jean Moulin Museum is presenting an exhibition centered around a rare letter recently acquired by the National Archives. The letter, written by General de Gaulle, details the events of Paris’s liberation. On August 26, 1944, Parisians gathered along the streets and balconies, eager to catch a glimpse of their liberator. From the tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe, to the march down the Champs-Élysées, and finally the celebration in Notre-Dame Cathedral, over two million residents came out to cheer him on.
However, amidst the festivities, pockets of violence and gunfire erupted in several parts of the city, sparking scenes of panic. The next day, de Gaulle recounts this day in a letter to his wife, Yvonne. His tone, deliberately detached and even ironic, sharply contrasts with the more formal style he adopted in his official speeches, notably when he awarded the Croix de la Libération to Paris eight months later.
Guided tours
- Guided Tour with the Director
Sunday, September 21 | 3:30 PM
Duration: 30 minutes
Free, no reservation necessary, subject to availability
Atrium
Freedom for Paris!
Sylvie Zaidman, director of the Museum of the Liberation of Paris - Museum of General Leclerc - Jean Museum, shares stories of the Liberation of Paris through the museum's collections and the exhibition "De Gaulle and the Liberation of Paris."
- The Liberation of Paris through the Permanent Collections
Guided Tour - Adults and Teens
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Free, no reservation needed, subject to availability
Dates: Saturday, September 20 - 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM; Sunday, September 21 - 2:00 PM
A historian recounts the events of the days leading up to the Liberation of Paris on August 25, 1944, exploring the museum’s collections and the command post of Colonel Rol-Tanguy.
Please note: the command post is accessible only via a staircase of 100 steps. Part of the visit is therefore not suitable for visitors with reduced mobility.
- Family Tour - The Big Holidays
Guided Tour | Families with Children (ages 8-12)
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Dates: Saturday, September 20 - 10:30 AM and 2:00 PM
What was life like in France during World War II? Find out through the museum's collections! Guided by Colette and Ernest, the heroes from the animated series "Les grandes Grandes Vacances" by Delphine Maury and Olivier Vinuesa, along with a knowledgeable guide full of stories.
- Family Tour - The Rol-Tanguy Mission
Guided Tour | Families with Children (ages 8-12)
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Date: Sunday, September 21 - 11:00 AM
An engaging and interactive way to explore France during World War II, combining a tour of the collection with a descent into the underground command post from the Liberation of Paris. Inside the command post, participate in a digital tablet game to help the Rol-Tanguy couple thwart the plans of the infamous General Von Terror.
Le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles.
A great family program to discover the collections of this often little-known museum! Also take a look at the activities planned in other Paris museums during these European Heritage Days.
Journées du Patrimoine 2025: the program at museums in Paris and the Île-de-France region
During this 2025 edition of the Journées du Patrimoine, a large number of museums and art foundations are opening their doors free of charge in Paris and the Île-de-France region. Join us on Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21, 2025, for a program full of wonderful discoveries. [Read more]
Journées du Patrimoine 2025: the program at museums in Paris and the Île-de-France region
