Musée d’Orsay: A Complete Visitor Guide with Tickets, Hours, and Art Masterpieces
Musée d’Orsay is a must-visit for art lovers, home to masterpieces by Van Gogh, Monet, and more. The converted train station is an architectural marvel. Reserve tickets early to skip lines.
It’s highly recommended to book your Musée d’Orsay tickets in advance. These tickets sell out quickly, so securing your spot early ensures you don’t miss out on this unforgettable experience.
The Musée d’Orsay is dedicated to art which dominated the period from 1848 to 1914 and features the most extensive Impressionist art collection in the world.
This grand Orsay Museum is in an old railway station in Paris.
The building that houses Orsay Museum was once Gare d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900.
Gare d’Orsay station was closed down after World War II.
Despite plans to tear down the station, it was converted into a museum due to public pressure and re-opened in 1986.
The museum houses artworks of Degas, Camille Claudel, Cézanne, Manet, Renoir, and Monet and many more.
The paintings and other art pieces are arranged chronologically from ground to fifth floor.
Where to book tickets
Tickets to the Musee d’Orsay are available online and at the attraction.
Online ticket prices tend to be cheaper than tickets at the venue.
When you buy online, you can avoid the long queues at the attraction’s ticket counters.
When you book early, you also get your preferred time slot.
Because some attractions sell a limited number of tickets, during peak days they may sell out. Booking early helps avoid last-minute disappointments.
How do online tickets work
Go to the Musee d’Orsay booking page and choose your desired date and time and the number of tickets.
Once you purchase Musee d’Orsay tickets, they get delivered to your email address.
There is no need to get printouts of the ticket.
You can show the e-ticket on your smartphone when you visit the attraction.
This tour is an excellent opportunity to visit the Orsay Museum as a family with a kid-friendly guide.
After helping you breeze through the entry with the skip-the-line tickets, the local guide will adapt their language and the tour to accommodate your children.
Since this tour is specifically adapted to accommodate children’s shorter attention spans, it is perfect for families.
This private tour enables you to skip the line and enjoy four hours of guided exploration of two of the finest Museums in Paris – Musee d’Orsay and Louvre Museum.
You discover 3000 years of history just by crossing the bridge between Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre museum.
We recommend comfortable shoes because there is a lot of walking.
You qualify for a full refund if the cancellation is made 24 hours before the visit.
Visitors can book this combo as a private tour or a relatively cheaper semi-private tour.
Set in Rue de Lille, 62, the Musée d’Orsay is surrounded by other tourist attractions such as the Louvre Museum, Jardin des Tuileries, Place de la Concorde, Musée de I’Orangerie, Musée des Arts Décoratifs etc.
Address: Esplanade Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, 75007 Paris, France. Get Directions
You can reach the museum by taking public transport or personal vehicle.
By Subway
Board Metro Line 12 and get down at Solférino subway station, which is less than 300 meters (1000 feet) from the French art Museum.
RER’s Line C can also help you reach Musée d’Orsay.
By Bus
If you don’t mind a slower but more scenic route, board bus Numbers 24, 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84, and 94 to get to d’Orsay.
By Car
If you’re driving by car, turn on Google Maps and get started.
There are a few car parking lots near the museum to park vehicle.
Musee d’Orsay entrances
Musee d’ Orsay in Paris has four different entrances.
Two of these entrances are on the Seine riverside, while two are on the side of Rue de Lille (the main road).
It is crucial to know which Musee d’ Orsay entry gate you must enter through because you will waste your time if you stand in the wrong queue.
Seine river side entrances
Entrance A: Individual visitors who haven’t yet bought the tickets must use this entrance. There are ticketing counters along the way, for the visitors to buy their tickets.
Entrance B: Visitors in large groups must use this entrance. If you book a group tour, this is the entrance you will end up using.
Entrances on Rue de Lille side
Entrance C: At this entrance, the queue moves the fastest because it is primarily for visitors who have already bought their Musee d’ Orsay tickets online. Musee d’Orsay members and Paris Museum Pass holders also use this entrance.
Entrance D: Visiting school groups use this entrance.
Opening hours of Musee d’Orsay
From Tuesday to Sunday, Musee d’Orsay opens at 9.30 am and closes at 6 pm, except on Thursday, when this Paris museum remains open till 9:45 pm.
The Orsay Museum in Paris remains closed on Mondays.
The last entry is at 5 pm, and on Thursdays, it is 9 pm.
The Museum is cleared at 5.15 pm on all days, except on Thursdays, when the clearing starts at 9.15 pm.
Besides all Mondays, Musee d’Orsay is also closed on Labour day (1 May) and Christmas day (25 December).
How long does Musee d’Orsay take
Musee d’Orsay is a good-sized art museum, and you need 3 to 4 hours to explore it to your satisfaction.
If you see only the Impressionist wing on the top floor, which is the highlight of Musee d’Orsay, and skip everything else, you can finish your tour in two hours.
Art fatigue sets in after about two hours in an art museum, and if you plan to stay longer, we recommend a short stop at one of the restaurants.
Best time to visit Musee d’Orsay
The best time to visit Musee d’Orsay is as soon as they open at 9.30 am on a weekday, or between 6 pm and 9.30 pm on a Thursday.
By starting early, you get ahead of the crowd that starts coming in by 11 am.
Since Musee d’Orsay is closed on Mondays, visitors land up in droves on Tuesdays.
During the weekends, from 9.30 am to 1 pm, long queues form at Musee d’Orsay, and you may have to wait up in lines for 60 to 90 minutes.
If you are planning on a weekend dose of French art, visit the museum post-lunch.
A good part of the weekend crowd is the Parisians themselves, who love visiting the Museums regularly. More such Musee d’Orsay facts
Insider Tip: When you book Musee d’Orsay tickets in advance, you skip the long lines waiting at the ticketing counter and walk into the Museum right away.
Musee d’Orsay free entrance
The d’Orsay Museum is free to explore for everyone on the first Sunday of every month.
Since it is a highly rated attraction, it gets really crowded on free days, so we don’t recommend it.
It is also free for all visitors under 18 years of age, on all days.
Tourists aged 18 to 25 years who are citizens or long-term residents of an EU member state also get into Musee d’Orsay Paris for free.
In both cases, you need to show a valid ID card at the entrance.
Disabled visitors with one carer and unemployed visitors also get free admission.
Free entry with Paris Museum Pass
Paris Museum Pass is yet another way to score discounts.
You pay once for the Museum Pass and access 60 different Parisian Museums for free, including Musee d’Orsay, The Louvre, Center Pompidou, etc.
Since all Museums in Paris are free for children under 18 and European citizens under 26, you only need to buy this Museum Pass for those that don’t qualify for 100% discount.
The Ground Floor showcases artwork produced from 1848 to the early 1870s.
Artists highlighted in this section include Delacroix, Moreau, Courbet, Corot, Millet, Manet, and Ingres.
Early paintings of Edgar Degas, which fall within the mentioned period, are also displayed on this floor.
Besides Academic and pre-symbolist schools of paintings, you will also find a lot of Naturalism, Realism, and Pre-Impressionism on this floor.
The Middle Level
This floor showcases paintings and decorative items from the second half of the 19th century.
Artists highlighted here include Klimt, Munch, Roussel, Maurice Denis, and Bonnard.
Six rooms on this floor are full of Art Nouveau decorative arts.
Naturalist and Symbolist painting dominate this Musee d’Orsay floor.
The Upper Level ‘2’
Artists showcased here include Gaugin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Seurat, Signac, etc.
Paintings by Neoimpressionists, Nabists, and the Pont-Aven painters who used innovative and unconventional techniques are on display here.
If you are interested in small format painting (with a maximum size of 35.5 cm/14 inches), check out the gallery dedicated to it.
The Upper Level ‘1’
The topmost floor, dominated by impressionist and expressionist movements, houses some of the best galleries of Musee d’Orsay.
Artists on display here include Degas, Monet, Sisley, Pissarro, Renoir, Caillebotte, Van Gogh, Cezanne, etc.
Don’t miss out on the dedicated galleries to Monet and Renoir.
On this floor, you can also see a giant clock facing outwards. Before it became a Museum, this building was a Railway Station, and the clock helped passengers be on time.
The Terrace Level
19th-century sculptures dominate the terrace of Musee d’Orsay.
French sculptor Auguste Rodin’s masterpieces are spread over an entire wing.
The terrace also offers stunning views of the Seine and Sacre Coeur.
Restaurants at Musee d’Orsay
Musee d’Orsay has a restaurant and a few cafes where you can stop for a bite (or a drink).
Both individuals and groups need to have their museum ticket with them to enter.
Restaurant: From Tuesday to Sunday it opens at 9.30 am and closes at 5.45 pm. On Thursdays, the restaurant is open longer – till 9:30 pm.
Tea room: 2.45 pm to 5.45 pm on all days.
Café Campana: Tuesday to Sunday between 10 am to 5 pm. On Thursdays till 9 pm.
Café de l’Ours: On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays it opens at 9.30 am to closes at 4.45 pm. On Thursdays, this café stretches till 8 pm.
FAQs about Musee d’ Orsay
Here are some questions visitors usually ask before visiting Musee d’Orsay.
Where to buy Musee d’ Orsay tickets?
You can buy Musee d’ Orsay tickets at the venue (on the day of your visit), or you can buy them online. We recommend you buy d’Orsay Museum tickets online in advance because it helps you skip the long lines at the ticketing counter.
Where to get Orsay Museum tickets for free?
On the first Sunday of every month, you can get free Musee d’Orsay tickets from the ticketing counter at the Museum. You must be at the tourist attraction as soon as it opens because free days can get crowded.
Where can I get Museum Orsay tickets in English?
If you want self-guided Musee d’Orsay tickets, you can buy them online – language doesn’t matter. However, if you want to book a guided tour of Musee d’Orsay, language is essential.
Where to pick up Musee d’ Orsay tickets?
If you have bought your Musee d’ Orsay tickets online, check your inbox, for you would have received an email. On the day of your visit, show the ticket in your email at the dedicated entrance for ticket holders and walk in. If you have bought Musee d Orsay tickets from a travel agent, you may want to call and check with them.
Are Musee d Orsay tickets timed?
Yes, while booking your Musee d’ Orsay tickets, you must select a time of visit. And on the day of your visit, you must reach the museum 15 minutes before the time on your ticket.
Are Musee d Orsay tickets “Skip The Line”?
Yes, tickets to Musee d’ Orsay are Skip the Line because they allow you to bypass the long queues at the ticketing counter. However, depending on the time and day of your visit, you may have to stand in a queue for the security check at the entrance.
Can I buy Musee d’ Orsay and Louvre tickets together?
Yes, you can. Diehard art fans usually book the 6-hour long Musee d’ Orsay and Louvre guided tour. If you want something cheaper, you can book ‘Skip The Line’ for both The Louvre and d’Orsay individually. After exploring one Museum, on the day of your visit, use the directions here to go to the next Museum. The two Museums are only 1 km (0.62 miles) apart, and it is a scenic walk over the river Seine.
Do Musee d Orsay tickets get emailed to the phone?
Yes, if you buy your Musee d’Orsay tickets online, they get delivered to your email inbox, which you can access from your phone. That’s why these tickets are also known as smartphone tickets.
Jamshed is a versatile traveler, equally drawn to the vibrant energy of city escapes and the peaceful solitude of remote getaways.
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