Musée de l'Orangerie

Visiting the Musée de l’Orangerie was one of the highlights of my time in Paris. The museum is relatively small compared with some of the city’s other major museums, but that actually makes the experience feel much more intimate, peaceful, and enjoyable. It is especially famous for Claude Monet’s Water Lilies, and seeing these paintings in person was genuinely unforgettable. The oval rooms dedicated to Monet are beautifully designed and allow you to experience the paintings in a completely different way from seeing them in photographs. The enormous panels surround you, and the soft natural lighting creates a calm atmosphere that makes it easy to spend a long time simply looking at the details. The scale and colors of the paintings are much more impressive in person. I also really enjoyed the museum’s wider collection, particularly the works from the early 20th century. There is a wonderful selection of artists and styles, and the exhibition spaces are thoughtfully arranged without feeling overwhelming. I appreciated that the museum gives you enough space to properly take in each artwork rather than rushing from one room to another. The location is another major advantage. Being right beside the Jardin des Tuileries makes it easy to combine the museum visit with a walk through one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris. Overall, I would definitely recommend Musée de l’Orangerie, especially to anyone interested in Impressionism, Monet, or modern European art. Even if you only have a limited amount of time in Paris, this is a museum I would make an effort to visit. A beautiful, memorable, and surprisingly peaceful cultural experience in the heart of the city.
Irmak - 2 weeks ago

This is located in the Toulerie Garden. The Monet paintings were so impressive. He did these near the end of his life. Giverny, Monet’s home Giverney, is a nice combination with a visit to the L’Orangerie to see the studio where the paintings were done and the water lilies that inspired him. There are other paintings in their collection. Picasso, Renoir, Modigliani to name a few. An hour or so is all you need. I bought the timed tickets ahead of time on their official site.
Bowmanlaurapiper - 3 weeks ago

Loved the collection, water lilies… museum added descriptions for kids to some of the works, amazing. Do not hesitate to bring kids, as it is a perfect introduction to museums and art… there is even an art room for the little ones. One of my favourite Paris museums.
Haris Ceric - 2 weeks ago

A small museum which is easy to fit into a packed day. There’s lots of beautiful artwork downstairs in addition to the water lilies and only took us around an hour to cover. We waited for 40 minutes to get inside at around 1pm on a Wednesday so getting tickets in advance is recommended. We got the combined Orsay and Orangerie tickets which can only be bought in person for €20 per adult and was a great value for money. They also sell other combined tickets at a lower price of you’re considering doing multiple museums. The water lilies are breathtaking I’d wait that long to see them again, a must do if you’re in Paris!
Aaliyah - a month ago

Cozy Museum. We went to this museum during our trip in Paris. It is a smaller museum. Although it was a Sunday(7/26); we arrived around 10:30am. The line wasn’t bad really long & we didn’t have a ticket. We were in line for an hour. Once we were inside, we were able to see paintings by Monet, Rousseau etc. The museum only has two floors & it took us only an hour to see everything. I did enjoy the wall paintings of Monet. FYI: I would recommend buying tickets in advance from the museum site with the time for entrance. While waiting in line, saw people with tickets from other vendors without the time & they send them to our line. It is as if one doesn’t have a ticket if purchased from a third party vendor smh.
Kellie P - 2 months ago