Discover the imperial country estate of Malmaison Castle and its eventful history

Visit the museum Malmaison et Bois-Préau

Equestrian sculptures at the Musée national des Châteaux de Malmaison et Bois-Préau

Facade of the Musée national des Châteaux de Malmaison et Bois-Préau

Bridge at the Musée national des Châteaux de Malmaison et Bois-Préau

Pebble path at the Musée national des Châteaux de Malmaison et Bois-Préau

Green area Musée national des Châteaux de Malmaison et Bois-Préau

Highlights

To have your tickets for Paris in your pocket at home: that’s city travelling the smart way
Included in your Paris City Pass is the Paris Museum Pass which gives you free and priority entry to the city's most popular museums and monuments!
No advance booking is required for this attraction – your City Pass is your admission ticket

From 1800 to 1802 this small château became the seat of the French government, together with the Tuileries, and frequently played host to meetings of the ministers of the Consulate.
Malmaison houses all of the pieces relating to Joséphine and her children Eugène and Hortense, as well as Bonaparte as General and the First Consul.
Bois-Préau is the home of the Napoleonic period from 1815 to today.

Discover the history of Malmaison Castle and its most famous residents Napoleon and Joséphine

What awaits you on site

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Malmaison was the private residence of Napoleon Bonaparte and Empress Joséphine. Located 30 minutes from Paris, this “countryside” has retained its intimate atmosphere and its authentic character.

In 1809 Joséphine extended her estate of Malmaison by buying Bois-Préau, which came with seventeen hectares of land. Joséphine housed several of her staff here, such as her doctor and her intendant, and made use of the space to store the overflow from the library at Malmaison (7,500 volumes), fitting out a room for the estate’s archives and storing part of her natural history collection.

A garden for the Empress

Unlike official residences Malmaison remained an intimate home renowned for the beauty of its gardens and the several hundreds of rare species of plants that were introduced here, until the death of Joséphine in 1814.

How to get there

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to see on google maps

Address: 12 Avenue du Château de la Malmaison, 92500 Rueil-Malmaison, France

Good to know

Opening hours
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
1 April to 30 September
Museum: 10.00 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 5.45 pm (last admission 12.00 pm and 5.00 pm)
Park: 10.00 am to 6.30 pm
1 October to 31 March
Museum: 10.00 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 5.15 pm (last admission 12.00 pm and 4.30 pm)
Park: 10.00 am to 6.30 pm

Tuesdays Closed

Saturday, Sunday
1 April to 30 September
Museum: 10.00 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 6.15 pm (last admission 12.00 pm and 5.30 pm)
Park: 10.00 am to 6.30 pm
1 October to 31 March
Museum: 10.00 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 5.45 pm (last admission 12.00 pm and 5.00 pm)
Park: 10.00 am to 6.30 pm
Recurring closures: 1 January, 25 DecemberShortened opening hours: Open until 3.30 pm on 24 and 31 December
Opening times are subject to change (depending on the season). For up-to-date information, please check the official website of the attraction. Malmaison