Highlights of the Musée d’Orsay
A Museum Reborn from a World’s Fair Railway Station
The building was completed for the 1900 Paris Exposition as Gare d’Orsay, a terminus for long-distance trains. After longer trains and other developments rendered it unsuitable as a station, it narrowly escaped demolition, was converted into a museum, and opened in 1986.
The large vault, elongated spaces, and great clock in the central hall still evoke the building’s former life as a railway station. Alongside the paintings and sculptures, you can also appreciate the station’s architecture.
The Musée d’Orsay is one of the buildings that form part of the “Banks of the Seine in Paris” World Heritage Site.
A collection spanning the years 1848 to 1914
Image: Benh / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5, cropped, resized, and sharpened)The Musée d’Orsay houses a collection of works that bridges the periods covered primarily by the Louvre and the Musée National d’Art Moderne.
In addition to Impressionist paintings, the museum displays works of Realism, Symbolism and Post-Impressionism, as well as sculpture, photography and decorative arts. The works ranging from Manet and Monet to Cézanne and Van Gogh reveal diverse forms of expression from the latter half of the 19 century to the beginning of the 20 century.
Impressionism and Post-Impressionism
You can see masterpieces of modern art such as Manet’s “Luncheon on the Grass” and “Olympia,” Monet’s “Poppies,” Renoir’s “Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette,” Degas’s “Little Dancer Aged 14,” Cézanne’s “The Card Players,” and van Gogh’s “Starry Night Over the Rhône.” One of the Musée d’Orsay’s greatest attractions is the opportunity to trace artistic expression from the period before Impressionism through the movement itself and beyond.
Musée d'Orsay: Essential Information
The information below was checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Please also check the latest information on the official website when planning your trip.
- 🔗 Official website
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Check opening hours, admission tickets, and visitor services.
Attention Required! | Cloudflarewww.musee-orsay.fr - 📍 Address
- Esplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, 75007 Paris
- 🕒 Opening hours
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- Tue, Wed, and Fri–Sun:9:30–18:00
- Thu:9:30–21:45
Last admission is normally at 17:00, and at 21:00 on Thursdays.
- 🚫 Closed
- Mondays, 5 1, and 12 25.
- 💶 Admission
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- Standard:16 euros online or 14 euros at the ticket desk.
- Reduced:eligible visitors pay 11 euros at the ticket desk. Eligible groups include holders of a large-family discount card and members of the École du Louvre or partner organizations; supporting documents for the relevant category are required. Check the official reduced-rate information for eligible categories and required documents.
- Free:visitors under 18, EU or European Economic Area (EEA) citizens aged 18–25, and non-EU citizens aged 18–25 who are long-term residents of France or another EU member state, among others.
- Every 1 Sunday of the month:free for everyone. A time-slot reservation is required.
- 🎫 Tickets
- Online booking is strongly recommended. From 2026 3 10, Paris Museum Pass holders must reserve a time slot.
- ⏱️ Suggested visit length
- Allow about 2–3 hours for the major works and architecture, or half a day if you also plan to see temporary exhibitions. ⚠️ Visit length varies depending on crowds and the scope of your visit, including temporary exhibitions.
Getting to the Musée d’Orsay
RER
Take the RER C line to the Musée d’Orsay station.
Metro
The museum recommends Solférino station on line 12. You can walk to the museum and combine your visit with the Louvre by crossing the Seine.
Entrance During the Construction Period
Construction work will take place from 2026 3 10 until summer 2028, but the museum will remain open. Visitors with timed tickets should use entrance 1 Quai, while those eligible for priority admission, visitors with untimed tickets, and visitors without tickets should use entrance 2 Parvis. Visitors with reduced mobility should also use entrance 2.
Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your reserved time.
See the official page below for directions to the Musée d’Orsay.
For attractions, transport and suggested itineraries, see “Paris: A guide to attractions, food, transportation, and suggested itineraries”.
