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Inclusions
Inclusions
7% off
Inclusions
Louvre Museum
Orsay Museum
Louvre Museum
Orsay Museum
10% off
Inclusions
Orsay Museum
Seine River Cruise
Orsay Museum
Seine River Cruise
Inclusions
Orsay Museum
Orangerie Museum
Orsay Museum
Orangerie Museum
Inclusions
Duration: 2 - 3 hours
Guide: Self-guided
Orsay Museum Entry Tickets
Duration: 2 hours
Guide: Professional tour guide
Orsay Museum Fast-Track Tickets with Access to Temporary Exhibitions
Duration: Flexible
Guide: Self-guided
Combo: Rodin Museum Skip-the-Line Tickets + Orsay Museum Tickets
Combo: Orsay Museum + Seine River Cruise Tickets
Combo: Orsay Museum + Orangerie Museum + Centre Pompidou + Quai Branly Tickets
Duration: 3 hours
Guide: Professional tour guide
Orsay Museum Tickets with Mini-Walking Tour
Orsay Museum Guided Tour: Home of the Impressionists
Believe it or not, the story of the Orsay Museum’s building doesn’t begin with art or paintings, but with trains! Between 1898 and 1900, the Gare d'Orsay was a Beaux-Arts train station, the brainchild of three architects: Lucien Magne, Émile Bénard, and Victor Laloux. Though a bit out of style by the time it was built and being considered to be an "anachronism", the station became a beloved landmark and transportation hub. Fast forward to after World War II– passenger traffic dwindled, and the once-bustling Gare d'Orsay almost met its demise. Thankfully, public outcry saved the day! In 1986, the station got a new lease on life as the Musée d'Orsay.
The transformation stole the show– the grand hall, where travelers once bustled to catch trains, is now a vast, skylit space showcasing art. The museum's other galleries occupy the former upper floors of the station, with a treasure trove of French art from 1848 to 1914 on display!
The Big Ben of Paris, the Orsay clocks have been the timekeeper of the museum since the 1900s. Back when the building was Gare d'Orsay, a bustling train station, two large clocks with grand steel and glass frames were built into the towers overlooking the Seine, keeping time for arriving and departing passengers. Interestingly, when the transformation of the station to the museum happened, the clocks held their pillars.
While a large, ornate clock in the Belle Époque style, designed by the original station architect Victor Laloux graces the Great Hall, the exterior clock on the fifth floor is integrated into Café Campana, offering diners a unique view while they nibble on a croissant!
Although the Orsay building wasn’t big enough to accommodate modern, longer trains that led to its closure as a railway station, it easily opened its doors to an impressive collection of French art, spanning 1848 to 1914 with over 6,000 works including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography! It's a haven for Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces, with 3,000 of these works forming the permanent collection. You can view iconic pieces like Monet's Poppies, Van Gogh's Starry Night, Rodin's The Age of Bronze, and Le Gray's photographs.
Explore Realist, Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and other 19th-century works by artistic giants like Monet, Cézanne, Matisse, and Courbet. Famous examples include A Burial at Ornans, Blue Water Lilies, The Family Reunion, and Apples and Oranges. If you’re a Van Gogh fan you will be particularly thrilled - the Orsay holds 24 of his paintings, including L'Arlésienne, Bedroom in Arles, Self Portrait, The Siesta, The Church at Auvers, and more.
Last Entry: 9pm
Closing of Rooms: from 9:15pm
Address: 1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris, France.
Nearest stop: Solférino station
Nearest stop: Musée d'Orsay station
Nearest stop: Solferino
Those less than 18 years of age and EU citizens aged 25 and under, students of art history, differently-abled people and their accompanying person, holders of Pass Éducation cards, ICOM cards, Culture Passes, as well as members of the press, tour guides, and lecturers enjoy free entry to Orsay Museum. Entry to Orsay Museum is also free on the first Sunday of every month.
Outside food and drinks are not allowed inside the museum galleries. But the on-site restaurant serves great French cuisine, so don't worry about hunger pangs.
The museum will be most crowded on Tuesdays and Sundays, so avoid these days. If you must go on these days, then it's best to go around lunchtime to ditch the crowds.
The Musée d'Orsay was created to bridge the gap between the National Museum of Modern Art which showcases contemporary works and the Louvre which emphasizes classical art, hence showcasing art from 1848 to 1915.
While there is no strict dress code, visitors are encouraged to wear respectful attire in honor of the soldiers commemorated by the monument.
Photography is allowed in the museum, but flash photography and tripods are prohibited to protect the artworks.