The Musee des Blindes in Saumur is France’s premier tank and armoured vehicle museum and hosts one of the largest collections of armoured fighting vehicles anywhere in the world.
Created in 1977, it has grown to accommodate over 800 vehicles, although only just over a quarter of them are able to be displayed in the 11 ve exhibition halls which form the museum.
There are many more vehicles in the large workshops and also on show around the edges of the museum’s car park – wherever you look there is some fascinating armour to be seen!
It’s not just the number of exhibits which stands it aside from other museums, it’s the rarity of its vehicles too as well as the fact that over 100 of them are still in running order. This includes the only surviving German Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B, or Tiger II.

The museum’s exhibition halls take you through a journey from the creation of the tank during the First World War with displays of a French Schneider CA1, Saint-Chamond, and a Renault FT to the more modern tanks, with 17 countries’ armour represented along the way.
The first of the large display halls is the Musee des Blindes enviable collection of WW2 German tanks, vehicles, assault guns, and objects. It has to be seen to be believed with a Tiger I – currently under restoration to running order – a working Tiger II, rare Panther Ausf A and G versions, the last Panzer II Ausf. c in existence, Panzer III and IV, a Hummel, anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns and many more incredible, and rare, exhibits.

From here you move into the French campaign of 1940 where the occupation by German forces was countered by tanks such as the H39 Hotchkiss, Char B1, Souma S35, Renault R35, and AMR 33 – all of which are represented in an amazing display.
Soviet tanks and armour feature highly in the next section with a T-34, T-54, and T-72 among dozens of cold-war exhibits.
Allied forces from WW2 are well represented in the ‘Allies Hall’ where you can get up close to several Shermans, a Centaur, Comet, Valentine, Matilda II, M10 tank destroyer, a M5A1 Stuart and a Churchill Mk VI in a line up which is simply incredible.
A Soviet KV-1 tank – a massive piece of hardware – stands alongside an SU-100 tank destroyer in a superb urban setting in one corner, the display towering over some of the small, British armoured cars lined up next to them. Amphibious vehicles include a DUKW and LVT-4 Alligator.

While most of the exhibits are from the First and Second World Wars, there are also many Cold War, French Indochina vehicles, and more modern tanks, including prototypes and test vehicles.
France’s AMX 13, 30, 40, 10 P and 10 RC can be seen along with a 1993 Leclerc and the ridiculously sized ARL 44 and AMX 50/120 ‘Low Profile’ – they have to be seen!

After visiting the ‘Engine room’ where you can find a range of tank and armoured car motors from WW2 to modern, you head to a room where tributes are paid to the ‘great commanders’, including Field Marshall Montgomery in a British Universal Carrier, Charles de Gaulle with a Renault R39, Erwin Rommel and Heinz Guderian with a German half-track, General Leclerc with his US-built GMC CCKW 353 command truck, and General George S Patton in a Dodge.
Charles de Gaulle’s specially-built Panhard funeral car – which carried his coffin through Paris in 1970 – is also on display.

The last exhibition hall is one for fans of more modern armour and you can get up close to tanks including a Centurian, Chieftain, Merkava, M47 and M60, and the impressive Leopard I and II.

All we can say is, if you haven’t been… then go! But be warned, we spent eight hours filming in the halls and still didn’t see everything we wanted to so give yourself plenty of time for multiple visits – see you there!

*** Visit our NormandyBunkers YouTube channel for all-access walkaround and drone videos from inside the Musee des Blindes ***