Institut national du patrimoine is located in 2 historical sites : galerie Colbert, in the heart of Institut national d'histoire de l'art (INHA) for the department of curators and administrative headquarters, and Aubervilliers, for the department of conservators, re-using a former matchstick factory dating from the 19th century and totally renovated for the purposes of the initial and continuing training programmes.

Institut français de restauration des oeuvres d'art was used to train conservators and was attached to École nationale du patrimoine in 1996.

From the beginning, the ambition of the institution has been to ensure the excellence of professionals and to create bridges between two domains Both departments have their own entrance examination, specialties and calendar for the different steps.

The training lasts 18 months and aims to prepare high rank civil servants and heads of departments, institutions or other, in charge of administration, management, scientific expertise, transmission and enhancement of heritage.

The skills which are developed in the Institut national du patrimoine vary : administrative, financial, legal, technical, code of ethics, human resources...

The different specialties proposed after successful entry are : archaeology, archives, historical monuments and inventory, museology, scientific, technical and natural heritage.

The mission of the department is to select candidates through a competitive entrance examination and train conservators capable and authorized to work on public collections.

On June 22, 2018, the Institut national du patrimoine received the European Union's Cultural Heritage Award / Europa Nostra rewarding the teaching method of the field-schools organized by the department of the conservators.

The curators have to produce a research project before their graduation in one of these specialties: museums, archaeology, archives, inventory and historical monuments, natural and scientific heritage.

It is equipped with scientific imaging equipment within the establishment including several microanalytical techniques (stereo microscopy and optical microscopy, micro x-ray fluorescence, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, internal reflection infrared spectroscopy : external reflection scanning electron microscopy)... Partnerships exist between the laboratory and research laboratories in the Ministry of Culture (C2RMF, LRMH et CRCC), as well as with musée du Quai Branly, Bibliothèque nationale de France (National Library of France), Fondation des Sciences du Patrimoine (foundation for Cultural Heritage Sciences), ComUE heSam, Centre Pompidou, Le Corbusier Foundation, Centre national d'Art Plastique (CNAP), Carnot Foundation or the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.