Paris 15ème Arrondissement

Mémorial De La Libération De Paris. Opened in 1994 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the French Liberation, the Mémorial du Maréchal Leclerc de Hauteclocque and the Musée Jean Moulin honor two beloved French WWII heroes. Leclerc led the Free French in North Africa and was at the head of the first Allied division to liberate Paris from German occupation in August 1944. As the National Council of Resistance’s founder, president, and martyr, Moulin collaborated with Charles de Gaulle to overthrow the German occupation. Secretly parachuting back into France from British exile in 1942, Jean “Max” Moulin fell captive to the Gestapo barely a year later, betrayed by his own side. The museums, both of which are filled with official documents and letters relating to the Liberation, present a comprehensive timeline of WWII France. Furthermore, situated in the fantastic Jardin Atlantique, on the roof over the tracks of Gare Montparnasse, the museum provides a serene picnic ground. (23 allée de la 2ème D.B., Jardin Atlantique, 15ème. Montparnasse-Bienvenüe. On the roof above the tracks of the Gare Montparnasse. Follow signs to the Jardin Atlantique from the train station, place du Pont des Cinq Martyrs du Lycée Buffon, or rue Commandant René Mouchotte. ☎40 64 39 44. Open Tu-Su 10am-6pm. Wheelchair accessible. Admission to permanent collection free; exhibitions €4, students and seniors €3, ages 14-26 €2.)

Musée Bourdelle. Rodin’s pupil and Matisse’s mentor, Emile-Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929) sculpted the reliefs that adorn the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the Marseilles Opera House. Housed in the expressionist sculptor’s studio and home, the museum displays over 500 works in bronze, marble, and plaster, including Bourdelle’s masterpiece, Heracles the Archer (1909). While Greek-inspired sculptures dominate the museum, two Beethoven busts hint at the artist’s virtuosity; Bourdelle celebrated the German composer in 28 other sculptures and over 20 paintings. Wander the spacious gardens to admire the sculptor’s more sizable works not displayed in the “Great Hall.” The museum’s smaller inner rooms provide insight into Bourdelle’s creative methodology, featuring his studies and casts in addition to his finished pieces. (16 rue Antoine Bourdelle,15ème. Montparnasse-Bienvenüe. From place Bienvenüe, take avenue du Maine, turn left onto rue Antoine Bourdelle. ☎49 54 73 73; www.paris.org/Musees/Bourdelle. Open Tu-Su 10am-6pm. Last entry 15min. before closing. Admission €4-7, ages 14-16 €3.50. MC/V.)