Second World War Museum — Attraction in Calais

The Musée Mémoire 39-45 is a really interesting and moving museum, but what makes it special is not its collections of weapons, uniforms, aircraft engines or models – almost every military museum has those. It’s the official notices (posters), the newspapers, the printed records, the stories and the photographs that bring to life the experiences of those who lived here during the war.

There is an audioguide app, but I struggled to get it working on my phone, and ofc in a bunker with 2m thick walls, it has to rely on the museum's wifi! Instead, if your French is not strong, I'd recommend you use your translation app in camera mode. Hold it up to read the German Kommandant's angry notice addressing anti-German graffiti and the penalties for not removing it... and/or the last letters written by 20-yr-old captured Resistance man, Claude Waroquier, from Fresne Prison in Paris to his parents in Calais, as he awaits...

I went here at 5.40pm and the overall closing time is 6pm, so it was closed for entry. On saying I'd just see whatever I can within 20 mins, the person charged me at a children's rate (6 euros opposed to 8 euros) and let me in.

On reading newspaper cutouts, seeing the old guns, missiles, aircraft engines, sets of communication rooms and bunker rooms, I was feeling 'present' at World War 2.

This museum is housed in an old single-storey long building, which was build by Germans as a communication room during WW2 after conquest of Calais. The person told it was converted into a museum only in the 1960s.

A very worthy place to visit, one can see great exhibits, an immersive experience! Plan for 50-60...

Small, interesting World War 2 museum that has some super interesting exhibits about the war in and around Calais. The exhibits range from photos to uniforms, items of daily lives and weapons to very detailed models and dioramas. The setting in a German underground bunker is chilling and very effective for the excellent flow of the exhibit. The audio guide was very good, highly recommend using it! For me personally it could have been even a bit more detailed because as a historian it wasn’t all new for me, plus the women deserved more than one room and I’d have love to hear their stories in translation as well. The museum staff was multilingual and also very helpful. Definitely stop by if you...