Private Guided Tour of the National Gendarmerie Museum

Located in Melun, the National Gendarmerie Museum invites visitors to discover the fascinating history of one of France’s oldest institutions through an exceptional collection combining criminal investigations, historical objects, uniforms and national memory.

This private guided tour offers an original immersion into several centuries of French history through the daily lives and missions of the men and women of the gendarmerie.

Why is the flaming grenade the emblem of the gendarmerie? Who was the first female gendarme? How were the mounted officers of the old maréchaussée recognized before uniforms existed? Who hunted counterfeiters, brigands and famous criminals?

This visit reveals the answers through stories, objects and historical anecdotes.

A journey through the history of the French gendarmerie

Opened to the public in 2015, the museum traces the evolution of the medieval maréchaussée into the modern French gendarmerie.

Through chronological and thematic galleries, visitors discover how this institution has accompanied French political, military and social history for centuries.

Often discreet yet deeply present in everyday French life, the gendarmerie appears here from a new perspective through its roles in public safety, criminal investigations, law enforcement and territorial protection.

A spectacular and unique collection

The museum preserves nearly 2,000 objects illustrating the history of the gendarmerie and major French criminal cases.

Highlights of the collection include:
- the largest suspended display case in Europe,
- historical uniforms and headgear,
- ceremonial weapons,
- vintage motorcycles and vehicles,
- posters, travel journals and medals,
- the handcuffs used during the arrest of anarchist Bonnot in 1912,
- the rifle connected to the famous Dominici case,
- Emir Abdelkader’s flissa knife,
- equipment from the Republican Guard.

The tour also explores famous figures and major episodes of French judicial and criminal history, from the Bonnot Gang to some of the country’s most notorious investigations of the 20th century.

A tour between history, society and popular culture

This private guided tour explores:
- the history of the maréchaussée and the gendarmerie,
- major French criminal cases,
- the evolution of uniforms and equipment,
- missions of law enforcement and public safety,
- representations of the French gendarme in popular culture.

Combining historical anecdotes, unusual artifacts and investigative stories, the visit offers a unique perspective on an institution deeply rooted in French history.

Practical information

- Private tours upon reservation
- Duration: approximately 2 hours
- Tours available in French, English, Russian and Armenian

Meeting point:​
Museum reception​
1–3 rue Émile Leclerc​
77000 Melun

Access

By car:
- A6 motorway then N104 toward A5/Troyes/Melun
- Francilienne (N104)
- A5 motorway toward Melun

By train:
- RER D: Paris Gare de Lyon → Melun
- Transilien Line R: Paris Gare de Lyon → Melun

By bus:
- Line D — “École de gendarmerie” stop
- Line F — “Gendarmerie Briand” stop

reservation@visite-guidee.com​
+33 (0)6 42 33 77 10