Musée d'Orsay (Art Museum)
Musée d'Orsay, located in a former railroad station, is one of the most popular art museums in Paris
The Musee d'Orsay is a magnificent art museum situated on the left bank of the Seine River running through the heart of Paris. If you are visiting Paris as a tourist, then stopping off at the Musee d'Orsay is an absolute must, in fact if you have decided that you have to visit the world famous Louvre museum then you should most definitely visit the Musee d'Orsay in order to really get the full experience of significant art works within Paris.
The Musee d'Orsay was originally a railway station known as the Gare d'Orsay, completed in 1909 and served as the main terminus for the trains servicing the railways to south western France up until 1939. The building has been used over the years for many different purposes including as a partial mailing room during the Second World War, as a backdrop and set for several films including Franz Kafka's The Trial and as a sort of headquarters for the Renaud-Barrault Theatre Company.
In 1970 plans were put in motion to demolish the entire building and the green light was given to commence demolition, however, the timely intervention of the then minister for cultural affairs, Jacques Duhamel, prevented its demolition in order to make way for a new hotel. Instead the building was added to a list of historic buildings and saved for many generations to come.
In 1974 it was suggested that the building be converted into a museum in order to create a bridge between the Louvre and the modern art museum and so the Musee d'Orsay was born and is today one of the most popular museums in Paris. Extensive work was carried out on both the exterior as well as the interior of the museum however the original railway station look was maintained in terms of the huge, rather cavernous space which provides vast amounts of light, perfect for viewing works of art.
Nearby attractions: Jardin des Tuileries, Le Musée des Arts Decoratifs and Musée de l'Orangerie
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: Yes - Free entry with the Paris Pass.Currently Closed
Hours This Week:- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
- Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
- Thursday: 9:30 AM – 9:45 PM
- Friday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
- Saturday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
- Sunday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Address: 1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris, France
Phone: 01 40 49 48 14
Official Website: Musée d'Orsay (Art Museum)
Directions
| Metro / RER Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| M12 | Solférino Station | 4 minutes |
| RER-C | Musée d'Orsay | 0 minutes |
How to get to Musée d'Orsay (Art Museum) by Metro / RER
By Metro: Exit Metro Line 12 at Solférino Station and walk north on Rue de Bellechasse to the museum entrance.
By RER C: The exit at Musée d'Orsay Station is located right in front of the entrance to the musum.
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Reviews
Rated out of 5
This museum is in my personal opinion, more enjoyable than the Louvre. The scale of the museum allows one to see everything at a leisurely pace, rather than rush through to the more popular items. It also has a large selection of Van Gogh paintings, which I happen to greatly enjoy.
Andrew Bouffard - 4 days ago
This museum is in my personal opinion, more enjoyable than the Louvre. The scale of the museum allows one to see everything at a leisurely pace, rather than rush through to the more popular items. It also has a large selection of Van Gogh paintings, which I happen to greatly enjoy.
William Bloor - 10 days ago
Oli L - 20 days ago
Josef Gasimov - 21 days ago
Another great museum! I will take away a star based on service (I'll explain). So we got the Museum pass and we went here. There was a bit of a line for even the Fast track. The guy who was allowing people from both the Fast track line and museum member's line was not that great. He would let people go in small batches, which was fine, but then he disappeared for 15 minutes and everyone was getting upset. ------------------------------------------------ Besides that, this place was really cool. We went to go see the Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet, and Rodin. If you were tired, there was places to sit and relax on all floors. The exhibits on the top floors (I believe visiting exhibits) were very crowded and at times hard to take pictures. Very cool Museum though!
Roger Aba - 29 days ago
Another great museum!
I will take away a star based on service (I'll explain).
So we got the Museum pass and we went here. There was a bit of a line for even the Fast track.
The guy who was allowing people from both the Fast track line and museum member's line was not that great. He would let people go in small batches, which was fine, but then he disappeared for 15 minutes and everyone was getting upset.
------------------------------------------------
Besides that, this place was really cool.
We went to go see the Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet, and Rodin.
If you were tired, there was places to sit and relax on all floors.
The exhibits on the top floors (I believe visiting exhibits) were very crowded and at times hard to take pictures.
Very cool Museum though! 
Video
Photo Gallery
Ornate clock inside the Musée d'Orsay cc licensed photo by Eurapart - stoked to get 100,000 views! -
Bells cc licensed photo by John-Morgan -
Musée d'Orsay cc licensed photo by guidolo -
Musée d'Orsay cc licensed photo by guidolo -
Musée d'Orsay cc licensed photo by guidolo -
Musée d'Orsay cc licensed photo by guidolo -
Musée d'Orsay cc licensed photo by yodahome -
In line at the Musee d'Orsay cc licensed photo by roguelazer -
Paris - Musee d'Orsay cc licensed photo by SoniaT 360. -
La vérité, Luc-Olivier Merson, 1901 cc licensed photo by La case photo de Got -
Musée d'Orsay cc licensed photo by shann.s.yu
