16/07/2019
The Orsay Museum in Paris (Musée d’Orsay) is one of the world’s most renowned art museums, famous for its unparalleled collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces. It is one of the most visited museums in Paris, attracting millions of visitors every year. For lovers of painting, sculpture, and decorative arts from the 19th and early 20th centuries, it is an absolute must-see.
The Museum Building
The Orsay Museum occupies the former Gare d’Orsay railway station, originally built in 1900 for the Paris World Exhibition. Designed by architect Victor Laloux, it was the first electrified station in the world and a showcase of cutting-edge technology of its era. After serving as a train station for four decades, it lost its importance and was eventually closed. In the 1970s, the French government decided to preserve the building as an architectural monument rather than demolish it.
In the 1980s, a major renovation was carried out under architect Gae Aulenti, transforming the station into a museum. The Orsay Museum officially opened in 1986. Today, its grand central hall—once the railway platform—displays an impressive collection of sculptures, while the upper levels are dedicated to paintings. Visitors will also find cafés, a restaurant, and a souvenir shop inside.
Location
The museum is situated in the very heart of Paris on the Left Bank of the Seine, directly across from the Tuileries Gardens and not far from the Louvre. You can reach it by crossing the Léopold Sédar Senghor pedestrian bridge, where couples used to leave love padlocks.
- Address: Esplanade Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, 75007 Paris.
- Closest metro stations: Solférino and Assemblée nationale.
- RER station: Musée d’Orsay.
- Bus lines: 24, 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84, 94.
Tickets and Opening Hours
- Standard ticket (2025): 16 euros.
- Reduced ticket: about 13 euros (available for ages 18–25 from outside the EU, evening visits after 16:30, or Thursdays after 18:00).
- Free admission: children and teens under 18, EU residents aged 18–25, disabled visitors, and all visitors on the first Sunday of each month.
- Discounts available with the Paris Museum Pass.
The museum is closed on Mondays, as well as on January 1, May 1, and December 25. On other days it opens from 9:30 to 18:00, with extended evening hours until 21:45 on Thursdays.
Collections
The Orsay Museum bridges the historical gap between the Louvre, which houses works from antiquity to the mid-19th century, and the Centre Pompidou, dedicated to 20th-century modern art. Its collection focuses on the period 1848–1914 and includes paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, photographs, and furniture.
The collection was formed primarily from works transferred from the Louvre, the Luxembourg Palace, and other institutions. It is especially known for its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces.
Among the artists represented are:
- Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
- Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
- Edvard Munch, Alfred Sisley, and many others.
Masterpieces to See
Some of the highlights of the museum include:
- Vincent van Gogh – Starry Night over the Rhone (1888), his famous Self-Portrait (1889), and a portrait of Doctor Gachet.
- Édouard Manet – Luncheon on the Grass (1863), a provocative work that scandalized the art world of its time.
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir – Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette (1876), admired for its vibrant depiction of Parisian life and light.
Sculpture Collection
The ground floor features more than 1,200 sculptures from the 19th and early 20th centuries. This was the golden age of modern sculpture, and the Orsay collection includes works by:
- Auguste Rodin, including The Age of Bronze.
- Edgar Degas, with The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer.
- Aimé-Jules Dalou, Aristide Maillol and François Rude.
With its extraordinary setting in a converted railway station and its vast collection of masterpieces, the Orsay Museum offers a unique journey through one of the most dynamic and transformative periods in the history of art.
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