The Journées du Patrimoine are back! Mark the date in your diary: on September 20 and 21, 2025, Paris and the Île-de-France region will be transformed into a veritable Ali Baba's cave for lovers of culture and regional curiosities. Thousands of museums, monuments, places of power and worship, workshops, department stores, theaters and gardens open their doors to the general public.
These special tours allow us to rediscover and better appreciate the heritage treasures that are all around us, sometimes without us even knowing it! The Heritage Days also open the doors to places that are usually closed to the public, such as ministries, backstage at railway stations or cabarets... Or the archives of the French National Secretariat for Defense and National Security!
The Service Historique de la Défense is a site linked to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, inviting the curious to unveil a few secrets linked to French history, through unprecedented tours. An opportunity not to be missed.
Discover the history of the Service Historique de la Défense with a special exhibition to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
On the stands, you'll find associations committed to transmitting history in all its forms.
- ONACVG / Bleuet de France,
- La Société des Amis de Vincennes (guided tours by appointment),
- Genealogy associations,
- La Sabretache, a historical miniatures association,
- L'Amicale du SHD, a group of SHD alumni.
SHD professionals give you access to the principles and practices of their varied activities. Come and talk to them about their jobs and their commitment to preserving and passing on our heritage. Stands presenting the various SHD professions: conservation-restoration, communicability of archives, research and use of archives, and management of library collections.
Women's files in military archives? Yes, there are! Even before the law of 1938, which authorized their mobilization during a conflict.
So if you'd like to come and meet Marie-Thérèse, Marie, Louise, Margaretha, Laure and Jacqueline, and discover the lives of extraordinary women from the Empire to the 20th century, this workshop is for you!
A guided tour behind the scenes at the SHD! On the program: enter stores usually closed to the public and discover original documents. Our teams will tell you all about their missions.
Come and have fun learning paleography! Louis XIV, Vauban, Napoleon, de Gaulle... so many of the great figures of our history. Drawing on a selection of original documents from its collections, the Service historique de la Défense invites you to (re)discover the inner workings of these characters, by trying to decipher the writings they left us. Can you recognize their handwriting? Which one spoke best? These are just some of the anecdotes you'll be able to discover as you learn to read these texts!
On the occasion of the European Heritage Days, the Service historique de la Défense, custodian of the archives of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, invites you to enjoy an immersive experience, combining heritage, memory and discovery. Follow in the footsteps of the great figures who have left their mark on this exceptional site. From the medieval tower to the royal pavilions, via the imposing surrounding wall, explore the many facets of a site with functions as rich as they are varied.
At the end of this adventure, the Château de Vincennes will no longer hold any secrets for you!
Explorations, voyages, discoveries, intelligence... are terms that fascinate and inspire. The SHD's cartographic holdings are brimming with these treasures.
But how are these State documents, which tell the story of the construction of the world, preserved and maintained?
This visit will take you behind the scenes of an archive store: you'll discover the restoration and conservation of a singular piece of furniture containing an exceptional cartographic collection. Between old maps and modern materials, you'll witness the discreet but intense work of agents linking our past to your future generations!
Fascinated byhistory or the military? Discover our special selections for this cultural weekend in Paris and the Ile-de-France region.
Heritage Days 2025 at military museums and institutions in Paris and the Île-de-France region
On land, at sea, in the air: the army is everywhere... Even in museums! During the 42nd Journées du Patrimoine, on September 20 and 21, 2025, visit the military institutions of Paris and the Île-de-France region. [Read more]
The historic monuments of Paris and the Île-de-France region open their doors to you for the 42nd European Heritage Days. This Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21, 2025, come and discover these jewels of history, through attractive programs for the whole family. [Read more]
Dates and Opening Time
From September 20, 2025 to September 21, 2025
Location
Service historique de la Défense
Avenue de Paris
94300 Vincennes
Access
Metro line 1 "Château de Vincennes" station
Prices
Free
Official website
www.servicehistorique.sga.defense.gouv.fr
Heritage Days 2025 at military museums and institutions in Paris and the Île-de-France region
Journées du Patrimoine 2025: not-to-be-missed historic monuments in Paris and the Île-de-France region
