Musée de la Reddition, Reims

Museum in Reims

Musee de la Reddition World War II Museum
Musee de la Reddition World War II Museum
CC BY-SA 4.0 / G.Garitan

The Musée de la Reddition is one of Reims' most powerful visits because it is anchored in a real, preserved place where history turned. This is not a general WWII museum built around interpretation alone; it is the building that served as General Eisenhower's headquarters, and it includes the room where Germany's surrender was signed on 7 May 1945. The atmosphere is immediate and sobering, and the experience tends to stay with you long after you leave.

It's one of the must-see places in Reims if you want the city to feel more complete than its coronation story. Reims was shaped by the 20th century as much as by medieval ritual, and this museum makes that clear in a single visit. It's also a great place to visit on a walking tour of Reims, especially for travellers who want a route that includes modern history alongside cathedrals, palaces, and Champagne.

History and Significance of the Musée de la Reddition

The museum's significance begins with its address. During the Second World War, this building became Eisenhower's headquarters, placing Reims at the operational centre of a crucial phase of the conflict. On 7 May 1945, German General Alfred Jodl signed the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of the Third Reich here, an act that effectively ended the war in Europe, with the news then aligned across Allied capitals the following day.

That context matters because it changes how you read Reims. The city is often introduced through grand stonework, saints, and coronations, but Reims is also a place where the modern world's most consequential events left direct traces. The Musée de la Reddition preserves that moment in situ, turning the abstract idea of “the end of WWII in Europe” into something tangible and spatial.

The museum also carries a civic significance. By telling Reims’ wartime story from Occupation through Liberation, and by highlighting resistance and daily life under strain, it situates the surrender not as an isolated dramatic scene, but as the culmination of years of hardship, risk, and endurance.

Things to See and Do in the Musée de la Reddition

The centrepiece is the surrender room itself. Even if you spend only a few minutes there, treat it as the core of the visit: the preserved setting helps you imagine the pressure of the moment, and it brings an unusual clarity to events that are often reduced to dates in textbooks. Many visitors find it helpful to visit this room early, before moving into the broader exhibits, so the narrative that follows feels anchored.

After that, take your time with the museum’s wartime storyline. The exhibits use artifacts, documents, and models to reconstruct Reims’ experience of the conflict, including the realities of Occupation and the complexity of Liberation. If you enjoy museums that reward close reading, the material here can be deeply absorbing, especially where personal objects and original documents make the war feel less like strategy and more like lived experience.

Pay particular attention to the sections dealing with the French Resistance. These displays tend to shift the tone from “what happened to the city” to “how people acted within it,” which is often where visitors find the most emotional resonance. The museum does not feel like a triumphal space; it feels like a record of choices, consequences, and the weight of a decisive end.

How to Get to the Musée de la Reddition

Most international visitors reach Reims via Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport or Paris Orly Airport, then continue to Reims by rail or road. For the best deals and a seamless booking experience, check out these flights to Reims on Booking.com.

Reims is easy to reach by train from Paris Gare de l'Est, and from Reims Centre station you can walk or take a short local connection to the museum area. You can use SNCF Connect to check schedules, compare routes, and purchase tickets for National (SNCF ) and regional trains (TER). For a more streamlined experience, we recommend using Omio, which allows you to easily compare prices, schedules, and book tickets for both National and Regional travel across all of Europe, all in one place.

If you’re travelling by car, use a city-centre parking garage and continue on foot, as the central streets are easiest to navigate walking. If you are looking to rent a car in France I recommend having a look at Discover Cars, first, as they compare prices and review multiple car rental agencies for you.

Practical Tips on Visiting the Musée de la Reddition

  • Suggested tips: Visit earlier in the day, when you have the attention and emotional bandwidth for a serious museum, then follow it with a lighter stop such as a café or a cathedral visit.
  • Best time to visit: Weekday late morning or mid-afternoon, when you’re less likely to encounter school-group peaks.
  • Entrance fee: Adults: €5.50
  • Opening hours: Every day from 10:00 to 18:00. Closed on Tuesdays.
  • Official website: https://musees-reims.fr/fr/musees/musee-de-la-reddition/
  • How long to spend: 60-90 minutes, longer if you read labels carefully and want to absorb the documentary material.
  • Accessibility: As a historic building, access can involve thresholds or level changes; check step-free arrangements in advance if required.
  • Facilities: Limited on site; plan cafés and toilets nearby in central Reims.
  • Photography tip: If photography is permitted, be respectful in the surrender room and avoid flash; it’s a place many visitors experience quietly.
  • Guided tours: A guide can add depth, especially if you want the broader Reims wartime context and the sequence of events around 7-8 May 1945 explained clearly.
  • Nearby food options: Plan a calm café stop afterward; it helps to decompress before jumping straight into the next sightseeing block.

Where to Stay close to the Musée de la Reddition

Staying in central Reims keeps the museum easy to reach and makes it simple to balance heavy history with lighter city moments. Best Western Premier Hôtel de la Paix is a comfortable base near the main walking streets and restaurants. Holiday Inn Reims - Centre is a practical option if you want straightforward access to the centre. If you prefer to be right by the cathedral quarter for early starts and evening strolls, La Caserne Chanzy Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection is ideally placed for Reims’ headline sights while keeping the museum within easy reach.

Add a Is the Musée de la Reddition Worth Visiting?

Yes, if you are at all interested in modern history or want to understand Reims beyond its medieval and royal identity. The preserved surrender room makes the visit uniquely specific; you're not only learning about WWII, you're standing in a place where its European conclusion was formally declared.

It's also worth visiting because it balances the Reims narrative. The city's UNESCO sites tell you about faith, monarchy, and art; the Musée de la Reddition tells you about rupture, conflict, and the realities of the 20th century. Together, they make Reims feel like a complete and layered destination.

FAQs for Visiting Musée de la Reddition

It is best known for the preserved room where Germany signed the surrender in Reims on 7 May 1945.
Yes, the surrender was signed on 7 May in Reims, and the announcement was aligned and commemorated in Allied capitals on 8 May.
Most visitors spend 60-90 minutes.
Yes, the museum is accessible because it tells the story through documents, artifacts, and a clear timeline, with the surrender room as a strong anchor.
It can be, especially for older children and teens, but it is a serious, emotionally weighty visit.
The surrender room is the centrepiece, followed by the sections on Occupation, Liberation, and the French Resistance.
Yes, it is in the city and can be combined easily with the cathedral district and central walking routes.
Usually not, but booking can be helpful for groups or guided visits.
It’s focused rather than huge, but the material is dense enough to reward a careful, unhurried visit.
Rules can vary by space and exhibition, so check on site and avoid flash, especially in the surrender room.

What Other Travellers Say...

Reviews Summary

4.5 (1,054)

Musée de la Reddition at 12 Rue du Président Franklin Roosevelt in Reims is a compact, well-preserved museum marking the actual site where Germany signed the World War II surrender; visitors typically begin with a short, informative film (available in English) and then move through small rooms of photos, documents, uniforms, maps and daily operation notes before reaching the original war room with the table where the surrender was signed—many find the experience moving and immersive, and a visit commonly takes around 40–90 minutes with tickets bought on site.

Ha ah Asquith
7 months ago
"Fantastic little museum. €5.50 well spent to understand the historical significance of this city 80 years ago. Excellent 5 min film in English to setthe scene. Walked through a number of small rooms of photos, documents and period uniforms before reaching the room in which the surrender was signed. Very moving, left as it was with maps and weather reports and daily operation plans on the walls...."
John Tucker
8 months ago
"A must-visit in Reims. A well-preserved moment of history. Allow 45-60 minutes. It begins with a very informative film which provides to backgroundabout how the signing occurred in Reims. The room in which the unconditional surrender was signed looks exactly like the photographs from May 7, 1945. You will be impressed by how small the space is, as well as how little pretense there was surrounding the event. We visited 2 days before the 80th A iversary of VE Day. It was a Monday, and the high school next door was in session. Teenagers were everywhere outside, but don't let that fool you. Very few people were in the museum the day we went, and most were an elementary school class on a field trip, and they were incredibly quiet and attentive...."
Vanessa James-McPhee
8 months ago
"A wonderful and humbling experience at the Musee de la Reddition. We explored the museum that features the War Room where Germany signed the act tounconditionally surrender and end WW2. We spent 90 minutes at the museum (which was sufficient) on our way to the Gare de Reims...."

For Different Travelers

Families with Kids

For families, this museum works best with older children who can handle heavy historical themes. Keep the visit structured: start with the surrender room to give them a clear “why this matters,” then choose a few key exhibit sections rather than trying to read every label.

Plan something lighter afterward-a walk, a pastry stop, or an outdoor break-so the day doesn’t feel emotionally overwhelming.

Couples & Romantic Getaways

For couples, the Musée de la Reddition can be a meaningful counterpoint to Reims' more celebratory identity. It's a quiet, serious visit that often sparks deeper conversation and adds emotional depth to a trip that might otherwise be defined by monuments and Champagne.

The best approach is to place it earlier in the day, then transition to something calmer afterward, such as a slow cathedral visit or a long lunch.

Budget Travelers

If you’re choosing where to spend on tickets, this museum can be a strong value because it offers a unique “in situ” experience rather than a generic collection. It’s also easy to combine with free highlights like the cathedral, public squares, and city walking, keeping the rest of the day low-cost.

If your budget allows only one paid museum, choose this if you’re drawn to modern history and want something you can’t replicate elsewhere.

History Buffs

History-focused travellers will likely consider this essential. The preserved surrender room is the kind of primary-site experience that makes events feel precise and real, and the supporting exhibits give you broader context about Reims under Occupation and the role of the Resistance.

If you enjoy details, give yourself extra time for documents and interpretive material, as this is where the museum rewards patient reading rather than quick browsing.

Nearby Attractions to the Musée de la Reddition

  • Reims Cathedral: The city's essential Gothic landmark and coronation church, packed with sculpture and stained glass.
  • Palais du Tau: The archbishops' palace beside the cathedral, tied to coronation lodging and post-ceremony banquets.
  • Place Drouet d’Erlon: Reims’ main café promenade, ideal for a decompression break after a serious museum visit.
  • Basilique Saint-Remi: A UNESCO basilica with an expansive Romanesque nave and a quieter, reflective atmosphere.
  • Champagne house cellars: Guided cellar visits and tastings that connect Reims' heritage to its signature craft.

The Musée de la Reddition appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Reims!

Moira & Andy
Moira & Andy

Hey! We're Moira & Andy. From hiking the Camino to trips around Europe in Bert our campervan — we've been traveling together since retirement in 2020!

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Planning Your Visit

Hours:

Every day from 10:00 to 18:00. Closed on Tuesdays.

Price:

Adults: €5.50

Address: Musée de la Reddition, Rue du Président Franklin Roosevelt, Reims, France
Reims: 1 km
Official Website

Nearby Attractions

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