The Journées du Patrimoine are back! Mark the date in your diary: on September 21 and 22, 2024, 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.
Ready for a treasure hunt? Find the clues, answer the questions and become a heritage explorer who knows everything there is to know about the SHD!
To mark the European Heritage Days, the Service historique de la Défense is taking over the courtyard of the Château de Vincennes on September 21 and 22 for a weekend dedicated to the discovery of military archives for all. Numerous activities will be organized for young and old alike, both indoors and outdoors.
On the program: Book and comic book fair, participatory workshops, behind-the-scenes tours of archives, archives in play, treasure hunts, guided tours of the exhibition L'Armée de champions. Sport in the military and the discovery of armaments during the Liberation on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Paris, etc.
10am-5.30pm/ Free admission
Enter the world of SHD heritage through a wide range of games. In the Louis XIV room, you can build models, put together puzzles, make your own headgear and much more.
A highly symbolic place for the Armed Forces, the Hall of Emblems displays some of the flags and standards of formations no longer included in the order of battle preserved by the Service historique de la Défense. The Division de la Symbolique de la Défense will introduce you to this exceptional heritage.
The Service historique de la Défense is both an archive center for the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and a library specializing in military history, as well as a repository for the symbolism of the armed forces. It offers a unique range of documents, including 450 linear km of archives, a million books and tens of thousands of objects. Archivists, librarians and restorers, all committed to the preservation of this exceptional national heritage, are delighted to present their professions and their challenges to you on the occasion of the European Heritage Days.
Not to be missed this year: a virtual voyage on the helicopter carrier Jeanne d'Arc, thanks to the presentation of the 3D application "Voyager avec la Jeanne".
Come and meet the authors all weekend long.
A selection of books and comics will provide a playful introduction to history for the very young.
In partnership with the bookshops Le Petit Ruisseau (Paris 5) and Les Caractères (Paris 13).
The librarians have put together a themed presentation for you to discover at the entrance to the reading room. A ballot, a few questions, and prizes for the right answers drawn at random: don't hesitate, join in the fun!
First edition of the Service historique de la Défense book and comic fair. Come and meet authors, illustrators and historians all weekend long. A selection of books and comics will provide a fun introduction to history for the very young.
Revisit French history through the SHD's hopscotch!
Each square represents a document kept at the SHD and hides a riddle.
Discover the exhibition "An army of champions. Sport under the flag".
The assault course awaits the bravest among you: test your knowledge and endurance.
On your marks, get set, go!
Find traces of your ancestors in the archives of the SHD. All the practical information you need to consult archive and library documents is available at the scientific reception desk.
The archives of Colonel Dewarin, known as Colonel Passy, head of the Free French secret service, have just been entrusted to the SHD, and we invite you to discover the secret plans prepared in London to contribute to the success of the Allied landings on June 6, 1944, thanks to the action of the Resistance. Extracts from oral testimonies on the Normandy landings and the liberation of France will also be presented.
Discover the riches of the Defense symbolic division: badges, pennants, standards and flags will no longer hold any secrets for you.
Archivists and librarians present rare and exceptional documents. Come and discover some of the SHD's treasures.
The SHD invites you on a unique behind-the-scenes tour. Visit archive storerooms usually closed to the public, see original documents and learn more about the department's missions.
Step into the shoes of an archivist as you process an original individual file from the collections of the Service historique de la Défense. How do you describe the documents? How do you help readers find their ancestors? You'll find out all about the heroes, famous or anonymous, found in the archives.
Come and immerse yourself in the history of Fort Boyard through the discovery of maps and plans preserved at the Service historique de la Défense.
An army of champions. Sport under the flag
Mini-visits by the exhibition curators (20 min)
On the occasion of the European Heritage Days, discover the exhibition "Une armée de champions. Sport under the flag" with the exhibition curators.
On view until October 31
On the occasion of the European Heritage Days, discover the exhibition "An army of champions. Sport under the flag" with the exhibition curators.
Peacekeepers' wind and drum band
Created in 1929, the Musique des gardiens de la paix is the orchestra of the Préfecture de Police de Paris. Comprising a harmony orchestra and a batterie-fanfare, it performs at numerous ceremonies and ceremonial occasions in Paris and its inner suburbs.
The Musique des gardiens de la paix also plays an important role in elementary school, where it organizes sessions combining music and citizenship. Composed entirely of professional musicians, it also gives a large number of concerts in the Paris region, in other parts of France and abroad.
Fascinated byhistory or the military? Discover our special selections for this cultural weekend in Paris and the Ile-de-France region.
Heritage Days 2024 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 Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days) on September 21 and 22, 2024, visit military institutions in 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 during the 41st European Heritage Days. This Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22, 2024, come and discover these jewels of history, through attractive programs for the whole family. [Read more]
Dates and Opening Time
From September 21, 2024 to September 22, 2024
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 2024 at military museums and institutions in Paris and the Île-de-France region
Journées du Patrimoine 2024: historic monuments to discover in Paris and the Île-de-France region
