Musée d'Orsay
#3of 9 places to visit in ParisParis, Île-de-France, France
Also known as Orsay Museum
Quick answer
Opening hours: 09:30–18:00, closed Mondays. Entry: €16. Allow 2.5 hrs. Best time: 09:30 opening or Thursday evening.
Updated · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read
- Opening hours
- 09:30–18:00
- Closed Mondays
- Entry fee
- €16
- Ticket from
- Time needed
- 2.5 hrs
- Best time of day
- 09:30 opening or Thursday evening
- Best months
- Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct
- Address
- 1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris
About Musée d'Orsay
Musée d'Orsay occupies a former railway terminus, the Gare d'Orsay, built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle by architect Victor Laloux and converted into a museum that opened in 1986. The building's original function is still legible in the central nave, a 32-metre-high vaulted iron-and-glass hall that once sheltered train platforms and now displays large-scale sculpture beneath a coffered glass ceiling. The collection concentrates on French art from roughly 1848 to 1914, holding the world's largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, including major holdings of Monet, Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Cézanne. A monumental station clock, original to the 1900 building, remains mounted on the west wall and functions as both an architectural landmark and one of the museum's most photographed features, framing views over the Seine toward the Tuileries.
Best time of day: 09:30 opening or Thursday evening. After 18:00, when the reduced-rate late session draws noticeably fewer visitors than daytime hours.
Musée d'Orsay timings
Musée d'Orsay opens at 09:30 and closes at 18:00. It keeps the same hours on Saturday and Sunday.
- Opening hours
- 09:30–18:00
Monday Closed Tue–Sun 09:30–18:00 - Tuesday-Sunday 09:30-18:00, Thursday until 21:45
- Closed on
- Monday, 1 May, 25 December
Good to know: Reception-area works since March 2026 may affect entry flow; online timed booking is recommended.
Opening hours compiled from musee-orsay.fr and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Musée d'Orsay ticket price
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard ticket | €16 |
| Concession (student / senior) | €12 |
| Children | Free |
Standard rate €16 as of 2026 (€14 for same-day on-site purchase); reduced €12 rate applies Thursday after 18:00. Free for under-18s of any nationality, EU/EEA residents 18-25, and on the first Sunday of each month. Since March 2026 the reception areas have been under renovation - verify current entry procedure at the official site before visiting.
Prices compiled from musee-orsay.fr and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Best time to visit Musée d'Orsay
- Quiet
- Moderate
- Busy
- Very busy
09:30 - 11:00
Morning Opening
First-entry visitors head directly to the fifth-floor Impressionist galleries.
Moderate11:00 - 15:00
Midday Peak
Heaviest crowds, concentrated around Van Gogh, Monet, and Degas rooms.
Very busy15:00 - 18:00
Afternoon
Ground-floor sculpture hall and station-clock area remain busy but manageable.
Busy18:00 - 21:45
Thursday Late NightBest time to go
Reduced-rate evening session draws a fraction of daytime numbers.
Quiet
History of Musée d'Orsay
Victor Laloux designed the Gare d'Orsay as the terminus for the Compagnie du chemin de fer de Paris à Orléans, built in under two years for the 1900 World's Fair using a steel structure clad in stone to satisfy Belle Époque aesthetic standards for the site opposite the Louvre. Rail technology shifted quickly, however: by the 1930s the station's short platforms could no longer accommodate the longer trains coming into service, and the building's role dwindled to suburban services before closing to regular rail traffic in 1939.
The structure survived a series of proposed demolitions - including a 1970s plan to replace it with a large hotel - after the Direction des Musées de France recommended converting it into a museum bridging the collections of the Louvre and the Centre Pompidou chronologically. Renzo Piano, Gae Aulenti, and other architects led the conversion through the early 1980s, retaining Laloux's iron-and-glass train shed as the building's organizing space, and the museum opened to the public in December 1986 under President François Mitterrand.
Rules & etiquette at Musée d'Orsay
Bag checks operate at the entrance and large luggage is not permitted inside; a paid cloakroom is available near the main hall. Photography without flash is allowed throughout the permanent collection, though temporary exhibitions frequently restrict photography entirely - signage at each exhibition entrance states the rule.
Since the March 2026 reception-area renovation began, entry flow has been adjusted and online timed-slot booking is recommended over walk-up purchase, which remains available at €14 same-day but subject to capacity limits.
Tips for visiting Musée d'Orsay
- 1
The fifth-floor Impressionist galleries, positioned to catch natural light through the station's original glass roof, are the single busiest section of the museum and are calmest in the first 90 minutes after opening. The station clock room on the west side offers one of the most reliable photograph opportunities in the building and is frequently overlooked by visitors moving directly to the paintings.
- 2
Combined tickets covering both the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée de l'Orangerie, a 10-minute walk away across the Tuileries and home to Monet's large-scale Water Lilies murals, are sold at a discount versus buying separately and are worth planning as a single half-day itinerary.
How to reach Musée d'Orsay
1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 ParisDirections in Google Maps
From Paris-Orly (ORY)
15 km · 40-50 min
€13.60
From Gare du Nord
6 km · 20-25 min
€2.15
From Gare Montparnasse
3 km · 10 min
€2.15
Nearest airport
From Paris-Orly (ORY)
15 km, approximately 40-50 minutes via Orlyval and RER B/C.
Nearest station
From Musée d'Orsay (RER C), directly beneath the museum.
Musée d'Orsay FAQs
Is Musée d'Orsay closed on Mondays?
Yes. The museum is closed every Monday, along with 1 May and 25 December, and opens Tuesday through Sunday from 09:30.
When is Musée d'Orsay cheapest to visit?
Thursday evenings after 18:00 offer a reduced €12 rate, and the first Sunday of each month is free. Standard admission is €16 online or €14 for same-day on-site tickets, as of 2026.
What is the building that houses Musée d'Orsay?
A former railway terminus, the Gare d'Orsay, built in 1900 by architect Victor Laloux and converted into a museum that opened in 1986. The original iron-and-glass train shed forms the museum's central nave.
Can you buy a combined ticket for Musée d'Orsay and the Musée de l'Orangerie?
Yes. A discounted combined ticket covers both museums, which sit roughly a 10-minute walk apart across the Tuileries Garden, and is generally cheaper than buying two separate admissions.
Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated . How we rank and check places
