Musée de la Marine (Maritime Museum)

Musée de la Marine (Maritime Museum) Review

Inside this charming, little-known museum is a treasure trove of sculpture and art with a nautical theme. There are impressive models of vessels from 17th-century flagships to modern warships. Kids can climb a step to get a closer look at a model aircraft carrier, cut in half, with its decks exposed. The main gallery features several figureheads recovered from sunken ships, including a giant Henri IV, with hand on heart, miraculously saved from a shipwreck in 1854 during the Crimean War. Another enormous representation of Napoléon, in his favored guise as a Roman emperor, was taken from the prow of the frigate Iéna in 1846. There is also a metal diving suit from 1882, and the menu from a 1935 voyage of the SS Normandie cruise ship (halibut and fresh peas were served). There are usually two temporary exhibitions, one focusing on artwork taken from the museum's collection, as well as borrowed works.