• Paris Museum Pass
    Indoors
    Cultural & historical sites
    Outside of the city
    Family-friendly
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    Paris Museum Pass
    €7.50
    /person normally

What you'll do

Welcome to Château de Compiègne, a former royal residence built for Louis XV and restored by Napoleon

Visit Château de Compiègne with The Paris Pass®

  • You can visit this attraction with the digital Paris Museum Pass. Please download it before you visit!
  • Explore this stunning former royal residence and uncover its stories and secrets
  • the complex comprises 3 separate museums, brimming with beautiful objects and artifacts

Château de Compiègne was the preferred summer residence for the monarchs of France who would come to hunt in the nearby forest. Louis XIV stayed in the château some 75 times. Louis XV was even more enamored.

 

The Comte de Chevergny described his infatuation: "Hunting was his main passion... and Compiègne, with its immense forest, with its endless avenues amongst the trees, with its stretches down which you could ride all day and never come to the end, was the ideal place to indulge that passion."

In 1750, the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel proposed a thorough revision of the château. Work began in 1751 and was finished in 1788 by Gabriel's student Le Dreux de La Châtre. It is neo-classic in style and notable for its beautiful elegance and simplicity of design.

During the French Revolution, the Château de Compiègne passed into the jurisdiction of the Minister for the Interior. In 1795 all furniture was sold and its works of art were sent to the Muséum Central. Napoleon visited in 1799 and again in 1803. In 1804 the château became a domaine impérial and in 1807 Napoleon ordered that it be made habitable again.

The greatest architects and decorators of the day oversaw its remodeling. Its layout was altered, a ballroom was added, and the garden was replanted and linked directly to the forest.

The result is a striking example of First Empire style (1808-1810), although some traces of the earlier décor survive. Auguste Luchet remarked that "Compiègne speaks of Napoleon as Versailles does of Louis XIV.”

Today's visitors can find three distinct museums within the chateau: the apartments themselves; the Museum of the Second Empire; and the National Car Museum, which contains a fine collection of carriages, bicycles, and automobiles. All three museums are worth visiting and offer free entry with The Paris Pass.

Know before you go

Please note: this attraction is available as part of the digital Paris Museum Pass, which is included with your Go City All-Inclusive Pass. Please download it before you visit!

For the full list of attractions on the digital Paris Museum Pass, please visit our information page.

For more information visit the Château de Compiègne website.

Where you'll be

Map of location of attraction

Place du Général de Gaulle, Compiègne, FR

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Operating hours

Royal and Imperial Apartments

March 15 – November 1: 10AM to 6PM

November 2 – March 14: 10AM to 4PM

Museum of the Second Empire (Wednesday - Thursday and Saturday - Sunday)

March 15 – November 1: 10AM to 12PM

November 2 – March 14: 10AM to 12PM and 4.15PM - 6PM

National Car Museum

March 15 - November 1: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday: 2PM to 6PM

November 2 - March 14: Monday and Friday, 4.15PM to 6PM and Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, 2 PM to 6PM

Hours of operation are subject to change. Please check the attraction website for updates.

Closings & holidays

January 1, May 1, December 25 and certain public holidays.

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Free cancellation

Plans can change, we get it. All non-activated passes are eligible for a refund within 90 days of your purchase date.

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