Musée de l'Orangerie

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If you have a special love for impressionist works of art, especially Monet, Musée de l'Orangerie is a must see

Sculpture of an embracing couple by Rodin outside the Musée de l'Orangerie cc licensed ( BY ND ) flickr photo by mckrista1976

There are many wonderful art museums located in and around Paris but if you have a special love for impressionist and post impressionist works then you should most definitely do everything you can to include the Musée de l'Orangerie on your itinerary.

Located in the Place de la Concorde in Paris, the museum houses an impressive collection of works from Monet in the form of no less than eight of the famed Water Lilies collection as well as works by artists such as Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Henri Rousseau, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley and many others.

The gallery is located along the banks of the Seine River in the old orangery of the Tuileries Palace which is situated on the Place de la Concorde which is conveniently located near to the Concorde Metro station. The museum building was originally built in 1852 by famed architect Firmin Bourgeois. It is interesting to note that the original intention of the building was to provide shelter to the orange trees of the Tuileries garden. Throughout its history the building was used for many different purposes including housing soldiers as well as hosting various sporting and cultural events, music concerts and even events of patriotism.

The Musée de l'Orangerie is most famously known for being the place where one can view the entire collection of Monet's Water Lilies known as the Nympheas. The story is that Monet had agreed to donate the entire collection of eight Water Lilies panels to the French government and they were to be housed in the Musée de l'Orangerie. The ground floor of the building was in fact redesigned specifically for this purpose but after completion of the renovations to the building Monet could not bear to be parted from these works and it was only after his death in 1926 that they could be displayed in the museum. Such dedication and love of the work should be enough to entice anyone to go see the collection.

Nearby attractions: Jardin des Tuileries, Musée d'Orsay and Musée des Beaux Arts

Facts For Your Visit

Fee: Yes, except free on the first Sunday of every month.

Open Now: Yes! Some attractions may restrict entry prior to their closing time.

Hours This Week:

Monday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Address: Jardin Tuileries, 75001 Paris, France

Phone: 01 44 50 43 00

Official Website: Musée de l'Orangerie

Directions

Metro / RER Line	Nearest Station	Walking Time
M1, M8 or M12	Concorde Station	4 minutes

How to get to Musée de l'Orangerie by Metro / RER

By Metro: Exit Metro Line 1,8 or 12 at Concorde Station and walk south along the eastern edge of Place de la Concorde to the museum entrance on your left at the far end.

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Reviews

Rated 4.4 out of 5

One of the best museums in the world. Small but really moving. The Monet rooms are among the best permanent installations I've seen.

Spencer Oster-Jenk - 7 days ago

This place was a great find. It's small enough to enjoy without wearing yourself out but it also has an amazing collection, including many of the great artists. The two Monet rooms were priceless!

Roy Sanson-Mosier - 8 days ago

Loved the size of this museum. Made it great see it all with the kids. Best part are the two rooms dedicated to Monet's waterlilies. Beautiful!

S Cope - 11 days ago

This was one of the best art gallery experiences in Paris. I am Monet fan so maybe that is my bias but seeing the waterlilies that huge in 2 rooms filled with a panoramic view was amazing. We saved it to see on Monday as most other galleries aren't open Monday. Got a quick bypass with the museum pass. They also had a special show called Paris-Tokyo about the founder of Bridgestone. Their other collection was also very nice with a lot of famous painters. Yes it's not the Louvre and some massive gallery. I don't get how others felt it was too small for the value but I guess we all value different things and for the rooms of Monet and the other famous paintings in the collection I found this excellent.

Brandon Zoras - 1 month ago

I visited this museum because it was included in my museum pass and I was in the area. The museums in Paris can often be very large and overwhelming and this was a wonderful rest from that. It doesn't take much time to see the entire collection and what a collection it has. The highlight of the museum is the two large oval rooms displaying Monet's work. I highly recommend just sitting and looking at all the different strokes which make up these large paintings. Downstairs there are many different impressionist paintings. I was surprised by this museum and I highly recommend visiting it.

Michael Romero - 2 months ago

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Video

Video slide presentation showing some of the many impressionist paintings on display in the Musée de l'Orangerie

Photo Gallery

Viewing paintings by Monet inside the Musée de l'Orangeriein cc licensed photo by Allie_Caulfield