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: No

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 4.6 out of 5

Visited this place only because it was covered via Paris Museum Pass. First floor's 2 rooms are exclusively dedicated to Monet's enormous paintings of lilies. Snooze fest, honestly. But downstairs, along with temporary exhibitions, are a small collection of avant-garde painters that puts faces to painters that shaped that era.

Alina Wood - 7 days ago

One of the best art/museum experiences I've ever had. Smaller, but on point collection of all the big names in the impressionist and post-impressionist movements. Was super impressed. Highly recommend for anyone that is interested in these two movements.

Danny Beard - 23 days ago

This is a great museum, it is quite small but with all the great, classical and inspiring works of art. All the classics from Monet to Van Gogh to Picasso and more. Plus it has a beautiful setting for Monet's water lilies. Truly enjoyed it. Entrance is 9 euro.

Elanit Green - 1 month 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 - 2 months 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 - 3 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