Quick Information

ADDRESS

1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris, France

RECOMMENDED DURATION

2 hours

Timings

09:30–21:45

VISITORS PER YEAR

3000000

TICKETS

From $16.75

NUMBER OF ENTRANCES

UNESCO YEAR

1991

Plan your visit

Did you know?

1. Musee d’Orsay has an extensive collection of over 45,000 photographs, making it one of the first French museums to recognize photography as a form of art.

2. The museum features reconstructed rooms from the apartments of Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie, offering a glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of the 19th-century French ruling class.

3. Orsay Museum is mentioned in numerous written works, including an acclaimed literary work, “The Elegance of the Hedgehog” by Muriel Barbery.

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Why visit the Orsay Museum?

The Orsay Museum is a former train station turned haven for 19th-century art. More than just a museum, the Orsay highlights a pivotal period of artistic innovation, and is home to the world's largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces. Visitors can experience famous works like Monet's Impression, Sunrise, Renoir's Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette, and Van Gogh's Starry Night Over the Rhône.

Beyond these celebrated paintings, the Orsay also showcases sculptures, photographs, and decorative arts of Art Nouveau style.

The museum's stunning Belle Époque architecture, with its soaring glass roof, grand central hall, and the iconic clock, makes it a treat for art lovers and architecture enthusiasts alike.

Must-see artworks inside Orsay Museum

Orsay Museum interior with visitors viewing Impressionist art on a guided tour in Paris.

Starry Night over Rhone - Van Gogh

Arearea painting by Paul Gauguin displayed in Orsay Museum, Paris.

Luncheon on the Grass painting by Edouard Manet displayed in Orsay Museum, Paris, France.

Musée d'Orsay exterior with iconic clock and Beaux-Arts architecture in Paris, France.

Poppy Field painting by Claude Monet displayed in Orsay Museum, Paris, France.

Collections at the Orsay Museum

Fifth Floor

Focus: Impressionism

Key Highlights: Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet, Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Bal du moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Significance: Features work during the movement by its key figures. Focus on capturing fleeting moments and the effects of light, and their shift away from traditional subject matter.

Fourth floor

Focus: Realism

Key Highlights: Olympia by Édouard Manet, The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet, The Thinker by Auguste Rodin (sculpture)

Significance: Focus on key works of the Realist movement, with emphasis on depicting contemporary life. It highlights artists who challenged traditional academic conventions and focused on depicting working-class subjects and everyday scenes.

Third floor

Focus: Post-Impressionism

Key Highlights: The Starry Night Over the Rhône by Vincent van Gogh, Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? by Paul Gauguin

Significance: Features a collection of Post-Impressionist works. Focus on subjective expression, symbolism, and the use of color and form to convey emotion and meaning.

Second floor

Focus: Art Nouveau

Key Highlights: Art Nouveau furniture from Belgium, Nancy, and Paris, drawn primarily from the Musée du Luxembourg and the Musée National d'Art Moderne, works by Hector Guimard, Victor Horta, Louis Majorelle, and more.

Significance: This floor showcases examples of Art Nouveau design, with focus on innovative forms, natural motifs, and exquisite craftsmanship.

First floor

Focus: 19th-Century Art (1848-1914)

Key Highlights: 19th-century artworks, "Ours blanc" sculpture by François Pompon, works related to Orientalism.

Significance: An overview of artistic production with styles and subjects from the19th century. Features works from academic paintings to the avant-garde. This served as the foundation for Impressionism and Post-Impressionism collections later.

Brief history of Orsay Museum in Paris

1615-1699: Land opposite Louvre/Tuileries was sold & mansions were built post-Marguerite de Valois.

1708-1799: The Seine quay was approved & construction was delayed until Napoleon.

1810-1838: Cavalry barracks was transformed into Palais d’Orsay (Court of Accounts, State Council).

1871 - 1899 - The Palais d’Orsay succumbed to fire during the Paris Commune.

1900 - Architect Victor Alexandre Laloux designed the Gare d’Orsay railway station for the 1900 World Fair.

1939: Gare d'Orsay ceased main line railway operations due to modernization.

1975 - 1977 - Approval to transform the station into a museum was granted; Gare d’Orsay gained historical building status.

1980 - 1989 - The museum expanded with art collections from the National Museum of Modern Art, Jeu de Paume, and Louvre, with decorative arts, architecture, and photographs.

Who built the Orsay Museum?

The Orsay Museum is a renovated and repurposed structure that was originally the Gare d'Orsay railway station. The railway station was designed by architects Lucien Magne, Émile Bénard, and Victor Laloux, and was constructed for the World Fair of 1900. The transformation of the railway station into a museum in the 1970s involved architectural adaptations and renovations by a team of architects, with Gae Aulenti playing a significant role in the project. The museum was officially inaugurated in 1986.

Architecture of the Orsay Museum

Orsay Museum along the Seine River in Paris, showcasing iconic architecture and riverside views.

The Orsay Museum's architecture is a beautiful mix of old and new. The outside has a classic, elegant look with sculptures and grand arches, reflective of the Beaux-Arts style .Inside, a huge glass roof lets in lots of light, and the old steel parts of the building give it an industrial feel. The main area inside is now a big, open space for art.

The design was inspired by classic French style with elements from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. It was unique for its time because it used new materials like iron, glass, and eventually steel. The glass-and-steel roof floods the interior with light, creating a bright ambiance.