Military Museums of the World: War Museums & National Army Museums

Find here the most popular Military Museums in the world: World War Museums & Memorials, Military History & Armed Forces Museums, Royal, Imperial and National Army Museums.

Whether you are from a military background or a huge fan of museums by themselves, a weapons aficionado or just a military buff, you should definitely check this lens.

Each and every featured museum displays a short description & highlights, address, telephone, opening hours and other visitor info as well as a link to the official website or the best online reference.

Even if you are not planning any trip to any military history museum as of the meantime, you are still invited to just browse around. You might be surprised to learn about what those museums can exhibit.

Bookmark this lens and come back to check for the latest updates as new military museums are added on a regular basis.

Jump to: AMERICA | EUROPE | ASIA | AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND | AFRICA

Jump to: Saratoga Springs, NY | Boston, MA | New Orleans, LA
Kansas City, MO | Russell, IL | Ottawa, Ontario

Saratoga Springs, NY, USA

The NY Military Museum and Veterans Research Center is located in Saratoga Springs and it houses over 10,000 artefacts that relate to the military history of the state of New York. Current exhibits include New York During the Revolutionary War, New York and the First World War and World War II.

Website: New York State Military Museum

Visitor Information: Info & Directions

Admission: FREE

Address: 61 Lake Avenue, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866

Tel: (518) 581-5100

Open: Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Sunday: 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Closed: Mondays

Boston, MA, USA

The museum is private and visits have to be by appointment. You need to submit a Visitation Request Form online. Photography is not allowed and a minimum contribution of $25 per visitor is requested.

Website: Museum of World War II

Visitor Information: Questions

Address: 20 minutes west of downtown Boston. Directions and Map to be sent after visit confirmation

Tel: 508.651.7695

Open: Mondays [reserved for World War II veterans and their families], Wednesdays and Saturdays but they are frequently not available close to holidays

Closed: Sundays

New Orleans, LA, USA

The National World War II Museum Victory Gardens is dedicated to the contribution made by the United States to the allied victory in WWII.

This museum formerly known as the National D-Day Museum hosts documents, photographs, artifacts and unique film footage.

Website: National World War II Museum

Visitor Information: Plan a Visit

Address: 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130

Tel: (504) 528-1944

Open: Open seven days a week, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Closed: Mardi Gras Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

This indispensable guidebook leads war buffs and casual travelers alike to the 25 best battle sites, memorials, plane wrecks, and relics of World War II.

Kansas City, MO, USA

The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial includes world class collections and permanent & special exhibits. Check the upcoming events before visiting. There's also a research center with access to the Museum's 60,000 archival documents.

Website: National WWI Museum

Visitor Information: Directions & Parking

Address: 100 W. 26th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64108

Tel: (816) 784-1946

Open: January 2 - May 29, 2011 Open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

May 30 - September 5, 2011 Open Daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

September 6 - December 31, 2011 Open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Russell, IL, USA

The Russell Military Museum has an impressive collection of military machinery and displays hundreds of exhibits dating from the Civil War to modern vehicles currently in-use including: tracked and wheeled vehicles, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft as well as engines and anti-tank missiles and weapons.

Website: Russell Military Museum

Visitor Information: Hours & Admissions

Address: 43363 Old Highway 41, Russell, Illinois 60075

Tel: (847) 395-7020

Open: Open Tuesday through Sunday 10AM - 5PM M-113

Closed: Mondays

Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA

The Canadian War Museum has an amazing website where you can easily find any piece of information you need. The CWM's National Collection exhibits 500,000 military-related objects including military artifacts, an Arms and Armour collection, an artillery collection, etc.

You can Plan Your Visit, explore Online Exhibitions, learn about the Canadian Military History and visit the What's On section for a complete list of events and activities.

Website: Canadian War Museum

Visitor Information: Admission Prices

Address: 1 Vimy Place, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0M8

Tel: +1 (819) 776-7000

Open: Open Tuesday through Sunday 10AM - 5PM M-113

Closed: Mondays

1. National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial, Kansas City

2. Canadian War Museum, Ottawa

3. National War Museum, Johannesburg,

4. The Imperial War Museum, London

5. Les Invalides Military Museum, Paris

Jump to: Paris | London | Athens | Bucharest | Brussels | Luxemburg

Stockholm | Linnankasarmi | Delft | Edinburgh | Moscow | Kiev

Paris, FRANCE

Les Invalides (Musée de l'Armée - Hôtel National des Invalides) is one the most impressive military museums in the world. It displays pieces of artillery, armours, militaria and arms. A contemporay section includes world wars departments. The visit to the museum includes the Dome Church that hosts the Tomb of Napoleon.

Website: Invalides.org

Visitor Information: Practical Information

Address: 129 rue de Grenelle, 75007 PARIS

Tel: +33 0810 11 33 99

Open: 10:00-17:00 (October - March), 10:00-18:00 (April - September).

London, England, UK

The Imperial War Museum is one of the best war museums worldwide. It has branches in five locations, three of those in London. The museum presents the conflicts involving Britain and the Commonwealth from The First World War to the present day. It includes Permanent Galleries and Special Exhibitions.

Check Online for Upcoming Events and Special Screenings.

Website: Imperial War Museum

Visitor Information: Opening Times and Visitor Information

Admission: FREE

Address: Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HZ, UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 7416 5320

Open:10.00am - 6.00pm, Last admission 5.45pm

Closed: 15, 24, 25 and 26 December

London, England, UK

This is the Central Museum of the British Army and it relates to the national and international history of the British Army and of the British colonial, Imperial and Commonwealth forces. You can prepare your visit online by visiting Permanent Galleries, Special Displays, Collection Highlights or the Picture Library.

Website: National Army Museum

Visitor Information: Find Us: Map, Directions & Parking

Admission: FREE

Address: Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4HT

Tel: +44 (0)20 7730 0717

Open: Daily 10.00am to 5.30pm; Except 24-26 December and 1 January.

Athens, GREECE

Helenic War Museum belongs to the Ministry of National Defence and it was inaugurated in July 1975. Some of the exhibitions you will find here: Antiquity, The Alexandrian Era, Byzantium, the National Revolution, The Greek War of Independence, WWI, WWII and many more.

Website: WarMuseum.gr

Address: Rizari 2, Athens 10675, Greece

Tel: +30 210-7244464.

Open: Tuesday to Friday: 09:00 - 14:00, Sundays and National Holidays: 09:30 - 14:00

Closed: on Mondays, New Year Day, on Good Friday, on Good Saturday, on Easter Sunday, May Day and on Christmas day.

Bucharest, ROMANIA

Created in 1923, The National Military Museum (Muzeul National Militar) is dedicated to Romanian's military history and it is featuring permanent exhibitions - old history (Roman empire), medieval and contemporary history sections, medieval, modern and contemporary armament, artillery and motor vehicles, orders and medals collection and Romanian uniforms and accessories.

Website: The National Military Museum

Address: 125-127 Mircea Vulcanescu street, Sector 1, CP 77116, Bucuresti

Tel: +40-213 19 59 04

Open: Tuesday - Sunday: 09.00-17.00

Closed: Monday

Brussels, BELGIUM

The Royal Army and Military History Museum (Musée Royal de l'Armée et d'Histoire Militaire / Koninklijk Museum van het Leger en de Krijgsgeschiedenis) is divided into:

- collections: tank, navy, aviation departments, treasures, orders & medals, trench of death

- permanent exhibitions / galleries: Dutch, technical, medieval, WWI, Russian, etc.

Website: Royal Museum of the Army and of Military History

Visitor Information: Practical Information

Admission: FREE

Address: Jubelpark 3, 1000 Brussels

Tel: +32 (0)2 737 78 33

Open: Tuesday - Sunday 9:00 - 12.00 and 13:00 - 16:45

Closed: Mondays, January 1, May 1, November 1, December 25 and election days

Diekirch, GRAND-DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG

Find military vehicles and artillery and the description of other nearby memorial sites and places of interest. Read about the History of The Luxembourg Army.

Website: National Museum of Military History

Visitor Information: Opening hours & Location

Address: 10, Bamertal, L-9209, Diekirch, Luxembourg

Tel: +(352) 808908

Open: Daily 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Closed: December 25 - Chrismas, January 1 - New Year's Day

This guidebook is essential reading for military history enthusiasts.

Stockholm, SWEDEN

The Army Museum (Armeemuseum) is portraying Sweden's Military History from Viking times to the present day. Uniforms and weapons are displayed using life-size manikins. There are sections dedicated to weaponry, mercenaries, animals in war and crime & punishment as well as trophies Swedish soldiers have captured in wars.

Website: Army Museum

Address: Riddargatan 13, Ãstermalm, Stockholm

Tel: +46 8 51 95 63 01

Open: September - June: Tuesdays: 11.00 - 20.00, Wednesday-Sunday: 11.00 - 17.00,

July to August: Tuesdays: 10.00 - 20.00, Monday, Wednesday-Sunday: 10.00 - 17.00

Closed: Mondays

Delft, NETHERLANDS

The Army Museum (Legermuseum), founded in 1913 is devoted to the Dutch soldier and has over 500,000 objects displayed. The collection includes uniforms, weapons, photos, prints and paintings as well as tanks, Second World War V-weapons and rockets.

Website: The Dutch Army Museum

Visitor Information: Admission Fees

Address: Korte Geer 1, 2611 CA Delft, Netherlands

Tel: +31 15 2150500

Open: Tuesday till Friday 10.00-17.00 hrs

Saturday, Sunday, holidays (including the ones on Monday!) 12.00-17.00 hrs

Closed: Mondays, Christmas Day and New Year's Day

On December 24 and 31 the museum closes at 16.00 hrs.

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Discover Scotland's Military past and explore 400 years of Scotish military history. The National War Museum in Edinburgh is one of the best military museums in Europe. It is part of the National Museums Scotland and is located within Edinburg Castle. Check out the live calendar for all the upcoming events.

Website: National War Museum

Visitor Information: Plan Your Visit

Address: Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, EH1 2NG, UK

Tel: +44 300 123 6789

Open: 1 April-30 Sept 09:45-17:45, 1 Oct-31 March 9:45-16:45

Moscow, RUSSIA

The Central Museum of Armed Forces founded in 1919 is presenting the history of the Russian Army from the 18th century until the present day. The collection includes over 800,000 items.

Website: The Central Museum of Armed Forces

Visitor Information: Admission Fees & Directions

Address: 2, Ulitsa Sovietskoy Armii, Moscow, Russia, 129110

Tel: +7 (095) 681 48 77

Open:10.00 - 17.00

Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays

Kiev, UKRAINE

The National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 is located in a Memorial Complex dedicated to Ukraine's contribution to the victory over Nazism. The museum features 15,000 historical exhibits.

In one building there's the Fighting Vehicles and Weaponry Exhibition; Part of the same complex but in a separate building you will find the War Relics Expositions with two main sections: Tragedy and Valor of Afghanistan and Wars on Foreign Soil.

Website: The Ukrainian State Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945

Visitor Information: Opening Hours and Directions

Address: 24, Lavrska St., Kyiv, 01015, Ukraine

Tel: +38(044)285-94-52

Open:10.00 - 17.00

Closed: Mondays

Jump to: Canberra | Edinburgh | Waiouru

Canberra, AUSTRALIA

The Australian War Memorial is an outstanding museum worthy of being on any best of list. Dedicated to the sacrifice of Australians who have died in the Great War, the museum is featuring Exhibitions, Australian military history overview, Events and Permanent Exhibitions like Colonial Conflicts, First World War, Second World War, Conflicts from 1945 until today and many others.

Website: Australian War Memorial

Visitor Information: Transport, Parking and Directions

Address: Treloar Crescent (top of ANZAC Parade), Campbell ACT 2612, AUSTRALIA

Tel: +61 (02) 6243 4211

Open:10 am - 5 pm daily

Closed: Christmas Day

Edinburgh, AUSTRALIA

National Military Vehicle Museum and Military Vehicle Preservation Society of South Australia. The museum opened in 1993 and displays vehicles and items ranging from the First World War to present times. Take a Virtual Tour, check the calendar of Upcoming Events

Website: National Military Vehicle Museum

Visitor Information: Fees & Directions

Address: 10 Sturton Road, Edinburgh SA 5111, AUSTRALIA

Tel: +61 8 8285 3011

Open: Every Sunday from 10am-4.30pm,

Closed: Christmas Day, Good Friday and Anzac Day morning.

Waiouru, NEW ZEALAND

The National Army Museum (The Mata Toa) is the largest military museum in New Zealand. It has a unique collection of military exhibits including army equipment, photos and memorabilia. Plan your visit and take a look at the Current Army Museum Military Exhibits, Permanent Exhibitions and Temporary Exhibits.

Website: National Army Museum

Visitor Information: Admission Fees and Directions

Address: State Highway 1, Waiouru 4861, New Zealand

Tel: +64 06 387 6911

Open: Daily except Christmas Day from 9am to 4.30pm

Jump to: Beijing | Beirut | Tokyo

Beijing, CHINA

The Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution occupies a vast exhibition area of about 60,000 square meters. It displays military equipment, tanks, artillery and domestic weapons used by the People's Liberation Army and American and Japanese captured weaponry.

Website: China People's Revolution Military Museum

Address: No. 9, Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100038, China

Tel: +86-10-66817161

Open:8:30 to 16:00

Beirut, LEBANON

The Lebanese Military Museum (Al Mathaf al-askari) is located at the National Defense Ministry in Yarzeh, near Beirut. It is is part of the Lebanese Armed Forces. The Military Museum web page is hosted on the Lebanese Army website. Collections include pictures, paintings and old weapons such as swords, axes and fire guns used in the 19th century and from the two world wars.

Website: National Army Museum

Address: Yarzeh area Baabda (Baabda), Mount Lebanon, Beirut, LEBANON

Tel: (+961 5) 42 00 00

Open: 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday to Friday

Tokyo, JAPAN

Yasukuni Jinja Yushukan War Museum (Yushukan) is located in the Yasukuni Shrine and it is presenting Japan's military history. The exhibition is dedicated to the Japanese war heroes and displays soldiers' personal effects from 1894 to the end of World War II. A few rooms are featuring "special attack operations" also known as kamikaze suicide attacks: you can see a kamikaze flying bomb and also a suicide attack submarine (kaiten).

Website: Yasukuni Jinja Yushukan

Visitor Information: Contact Details

Address: 3-1-1 Kudankita, Chiyoda-ku, 102-8246, Tokyo, Japan

Tel: +81 (3) 3261 0996

Open: 9am-5.30pm, April to September, 9am-5pm, October to March

Jump to: Johannesburg | Bloemfontein

Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA

The National Museum of Military History is devoted to the history of all military conflicts in which South Africa was involved including WWII. It displays military hardware, armoured fighting vehicles, orders, decorations, small arms, militaria and medals. Other sections include the Anglo Boer War (1899 - 1902), the First World War and Medicine at War.

Website: Ditsong National Museum of Military History

Visitor Information: Contact Details & Admission Fees

Address: Erlswold Way, Saxonwold, Johannesburg, South Africa

Tel: +27 011 646 5513

Open: Daily 09:00 to 16:30

Closed: Good Friday, Christmas Day and the first Sunday in September.

Bloemfontein, SOUTH AFRICA

Great War Museum featuring Exhibitions, Australian military history overview, Events and Permanent Exhibitions like Colonial Conflicts, First World War, Second World War, Conflicts from 1945 until today and many others.

Website: The War Museum in Bloemfontein

Visitor Information: Admission Fees

Address: Anglo Boer War Museum, Monument Road, Bloemfontein, South Africa, 9301

Tel: +27 51 447 3447

Open: Weekdays: 08:00 - 16:30, Saturdays: 10:00 - 17:00, Sundays: 11:00 - 17:00

Public Holidays: 09:00 - 17:00

Closed: Good Friday, Christmas and New Year's day.