The original railway carriage was a former dining car, number 2419D, from the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits.
Adolf Hitler chose this specific location for the 1940 French surrender to symbolically reverse the 1918 German defeat.
The carriage replica displayed today is a sister car to the original, built in the same year and at the same factory as 2419D.
The monument to Alsace-Lorraine depicts a German eagle being pierced by a French sword.
The site was restored to its original 1918 layout in the 1960s to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Armistice.
The Compiègne Wagon, located within the Armistice Clearing, houses a replica of the railway carriage where the 1918 Armistice was signed. The original carriage was transported to Germany by Hitler in 1940 and subsequently destroyed by the SS in 1945. The museum features the actual furniture and relics retrieved from the original site of the signing. The site includes the 'Glade of the Armistice' and the monument dedicated to the Alsace-Lorraine region. Displays detail the logistical history of the railway carriage and the broader context of World War I. The site is situated within the Compiegne Forest, historically known as the 'Clearing of Rethondes'.
The exterior view of the train carriage framed by the trees of the Armistice Clearing.
Walk the full length of the clearing to see the various memorial plaques and statues.
Bring comfortable walking shoes to explore the surrounding forest paths.
Read the historical panels before entering the carriage to better understand the reconstruction process.
Do not attempt to touch or climb on the historical artifacts inside the carriage.
Closed on Tuesdays.
Maintain a respectful, quiet demeanor as the site is a memorial.
