Musée des Collections Historiques de la Préfecture de Police, Police history museum in 5th arrondissement, Paris, France
The Museum of Historical Collections of the Paris Police Prefecture displays uniforms, weapons, documents, and equipment spanning multiple centuries of law enforcement work. The collection shows how police methods and tools evolved through personal items, case files, and official records from different periods.
Founded in 1908 by Police Prefect Louis Lépine as a documentation center for the World's Fair, the institution grew into a major repository of law enforcement history. Over time it expanded its collections to cover the full scope of police work across Paris through different eras.
The name reflects its role as custodian of Paris law enforcement heritage, housing materials tied to the city's most talked-about cases. What you see here are personal items and documents that shaped how people understood crime and justice in the capital.
The museum sits in the 5th arrondissement and opens Monday through Saturday with free entry for all visitors. You can reach it easily on foot, and group tours are available if you arrange them in advance.
The collection includes an original guillotine blade and World War II German weapons that many visitors walk past without noticing. These artifacts reveal how investigation methods shifted dramatically and tell unexplored chapters of Paris in times of conflict.
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