Musee Jean Moulin museum in Paris
The Musee Jean Moulin is dedicated to the prefect, artist and French Resistance fighter Jean Moulin and this museum is also linked to the Musee du General Leclerc et Musee de la Liberation de Paris, which is dedicated to World War II, the Liberation of Paris and France.
About the Musee Jean Moulin
Even though Jean Moulin was a prefect, he was also an artist and used to frequent places such as the Closerie des Lilas Brasserie within the Montparnasse area that was very popular with many different artists during the roaring twenties.
But Jean Moulin eventually became the recognised leader of the French Resistance movement during World War II and this museum was designed by historians that specialised in World War II dedicated to this incredible person who played such a major role in the war efforts.
The Musee Jean Moulin is linked to the museum of General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque who managed to capture the German Commander Von Cholitz and get him to surrender when being held at the old Gare de l’Ouest train station, and it is also linked to a section dedicated to the Liberation of Paris along with Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy and his command post.
The museum was symbolically located at the Jardin Atlantique, which is above the new train station in Paris called the Gare Montparnasse, and it was inaugurated on 24th August 1994 by Jacques Chirac, which was on the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Paris from the German Occupation.
However, it moved locations only a walk away to Place Denfert-Rochereau, where it was inaugurated again on the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Paris and now has a former FFI command centre underground.
Within the Musee Jean Moulin museum you will find that there are displays detailing the career of the artist, the town prefect and him as a Resistance fighter, right through to when he unfortunately died from his injuries sustained after being tortured by the Germans.
There are moving audio and visual presentations with a major emphasis on historical events that took place around this epic person and you will be able to discover some of his drawings and different documents such as the fake identity card in the name of Joseph Mercier, which is the assumed name he took during the war.
Some of the other items on display include a suitcase radio that he used for communications, pictures of him, documentation and other items like underground leaflets all relating to the resistance both in France and abroad plus much more. And these will provide the visitor with a greater understanding of the roles these Free France fighters played, how Jean Moulin became the unifying force behind the French Resistance movement and what it would have been like to be in the resistance at the time.
Access to Musee Jean Moulin in Paris
Located in the 14th Arrondissement, this museum is situated at Place Denfert-Rochereau and there are several ways to get there.
The entrance to the Musee Jean Moulin is located on the Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, named after the personal who was the leader of the FFI forces during World War II and the Liberation of Paris.
Situated at the Place Denfert-Rochereau right opposite the famous Catacombes de Paris museum, you may be pleased to know the museum is accessible to the disabled, except for the visit to the command centre as you will read below.
This museum is open on a Tuesday through to a Sunday from 10am to 6pm, yet it is closed on a Monday and on all French National Holidays, and you will be pleased to know that entry is completely free of charge for the permanent collections, however there is a charge for temporary exhibitions and this varies in cost.
The Musee Jean Moulin also has a research centre, which is accessible on a weekday by prior arrangement by telephoning 0033 1 71 28 34 70.
Plus there are guided lecture tours available for groups and for more information or booking you would need to phone 0033 1 71 28 34 70.
With regards to the command post, being around 20 metres underground and almost 100 very steep steps that you will have to negotiate both down and up to the main museum section, this is not suitable for young children, people with respiratory problems, those with heart conditions and people afraid of enclosed spaces.
For obvious reasons, those with reduced mobility will also not be able to access this in person, plus there can be up to 100 percent humidity within the subterranean area.
In addition, due to the confined space, etc, the amount of people that can visit the underground section is limited, so you may have to wait or even make a reservation during peak times.
However, a tour option with a visit to this section in mixed reality is also possible, but is limited to 10 people at any one time and goggles need to worn, which are not suitable to those under 12 years of age.
Now When it comes to public transport in Paris, because of its location, it is situated right by the Denfert-Rochereau train station that serves the RER B trains, which is one of the options for getting to Charles de Gaulle Airport.
The historical Gare Denfert-Rochereau train station is also a Metro station for the Paris Metro line 4 and line 6, and just outside the station you will see that there is the ticket station and pick-up plus drop off point for OrlyBus, which is the dedicated shuttle bus for getting to Orly Airport.
So thinking of the Paris buses, you could also utilise the bus lines 38, 59, 64, 68, 88 and 216 for getting to the Musee Jean Moulin and the Musee du General Leclerc et Musee de la Liberation de Paris, yet if you are staying around the area until late when other public transport finishes for the night, you could also utilise the Noctilien N14, N21 and N122 Paris night buses.
