WWII Museums in Paris, Lyon, and Nice

I have seen the only the museum in Paris, and it's good.

If you can fit Caen in Normandy into your schedule, the World War II museum there is the best I have seen in Europe. Caen is about 2 hours west-northwest of Paris by train. There was a major engagement between the Allies and Axis in Caen, resulting in 200,000 casualties.

A close second in quality is the resistance museum in Amsterdam.

I agree that the museum in Paris is excellent.

There are two museums in Paris, the Army Museum, which covers a wide range of eras, including ww2, and the Liberation of Paris Museum, which focuses on people and events of WW2 associated with Paris. The Lyon museum, which focuses on the resistance, as well as Jewish deportation. The Nice museum covers resistance to the Vichy government and Italian forces, as well as the Germans.

So each does have it's own specific angle, with stories of local interest, but all primarily focus on the resistance.

If you take the walking tour in Paris, then probably the Liberation of Paris would be a good companion. For the other two, I guess weigh the time against other attractions in the cities, if you rank it high, then go, however on the tour, your free time is limited. There would be no need to get tickets ahead if that is your concern, you could easily play it by ear.

In all three museums, the focus is solidly on the French effort and local and national heroes, so probably history you are not familiar with. Do not expect much regarding the other Allies efforts and role in the war, just not the focus of the museums.

Excellent answer above.

I'd like to give just a bit more on the Paris Museums, having visited recently and, in the case of the Musee de l'Armee, over many decades.

The Musee de la Liberation Leclerc Moulin (directly across the street from the Catacombs if that is an interest), is excellent - free as a museum of the City of Paris. https://www.museeliberation-leclerc-moulin.paris.fr/en Lots of story boards with English, film, and artifacts. Excellent exhibits of Leclerc, Moulin, and the liberation. I easily spent an entire morning.

Musee de l'Armee has two areas that should be of special interest. The Museum of the Order of the Liberation has the stories of many resistance fighters and deportation exhibits. Much of the info is in French, but is moving. I have taken non-French speaker/readers who felt the visit well worth their time. The other area is in the main museum building - World Wars with WWII artifacts and stories. This link shows the different areas of the museum: https://www.musee-armee.fr/en/your-visit/museum-spaces.html

Another area of Musee de l'Armee you might find of interest is the Charles de Gaulle rooms. Biography of the man including much film with English translation available, WWII considerations, etc. I treated myself to a slow visit late last year - I spent 2.5 hours in this area alone.

As an addendum to my earlier comments, a great book to read is "Is Paris Burning?" by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre. It tells the story of the Liberation of Paris during World War II.

The title is taken from the question reportedly asked by Hitler following his order to destroy the city rather than let it be re-captured by the Allies. And it tells the story of the German general who allegedly defied Hitler -- at great risk to his life and those of his family -- and might have saved Paris.

I so agree with the comments on the Paris Museum of Liberation and will add if you have time, do the Paris Walks walk on the Occupation and Liberation that starts at the Tuileries Metro stop (right across from the Hotel Meurice where the office of the German commander was located). This walk was so good, I have done it twice - 2 different guides (Brad and Chris) but both excellent.

https://paris-walks.com/summer-walks_m.html

It's currently only on Thursdays but if you are not there on that day and your budget runs to a private tour, do it! I've done a private walk with another subject thru them and it was terrific. Worth the money for my friend and me.

How long will you be in Nice?

If you're willing to do a day trip to Toulon, ca. 2 hrs away, you can see the Museum on the Landing and Liberation of Provence situated on Route du Faron. It's focus is on Operation Anvil-Dragoon, where units of the Free French along with the US 36th and 45th Inf. Div., among other units landed. This is the Anglo-American operation pushing up the Rhone valley.

I saw this museum some 20 years ago in July 2001 during my visit to Toulon. I didn't know of this museum's existence then until informed of it there as I was much more focused on seeing another singular French historical site in Toulon

More enhanced and expanded Museum now, obviously.

Within the region of Paris there are over 20 museums with WWII exhibits. The Musee national de la Marine. Musee de Radio France. the Musee de la Air et de l'Espace. Musee de l'Armee a l'hotel National des Invalides. Chateau de la Roche-Guyon. Flight Museum Ferte Alais at Cerny (with the only B-17 in France). Musee de la Resistance. the Musee de l'Aviation at Montrejean-sur-le-Jard. These are some of the ones not as well known. My interest is mainly in the aircraft and other vehicles, weapons, fortifications, so I spend a lot more time in places with those collections.

I'll be in Lyon the end of April and will have a better feel for what's there after that.

Thanks to all for your thoughts and suggestions. All appreciated. We will not be in Paris on Thursday as I had already looked into that tour. I have been looking at freetours.com. If anyone has experience with that tour and guide, I would appreciate hearing about it We have been to Caen and yes, that is good. Glad to hear about the one in Amsterdam and we have missed that on our prior visits there but we will be back there in the fall, so we will look at that one then. We have been to Paris many times so now doing off the usual tourist route things. Looks like I will try to make them in all three cities. Many thanks to all again.

Another vote for the Liberation Museum. It is relatively new, but very well done. Just make sure you can walk lots of stairs. It is only accesible via a long staircase leading underground. Since someone mentioned a book, I highly recommend Paris After the Liberation: 
1944 – 1949 by Sir Antony Beevor. He is a noted British historian with many excellent books related to WWII. This one covers the end of the occupation and the immediate aftermath. It can be sobering at points.