# Musée d'Orsay, Paris > The Musée d'Orsay is one of Europe's largest art museums, in a former railway station on the Left Bank of the Seine opposite the Louvre. It holds French art from 1848 to 1914 and the world's largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works: Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh. It opened in 1986 and is France's second most visited art museum. Entry is ticketed; allow 2–3 hours. Web page: https://yesgo.io/france/paris/musee-dorsay - City: [Paris](https://yesgo.io/france/paris), France - YesGo score: 52/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 2 h 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Timed ticket, online - Hours: Closed on Mondays - Time needed: 2–3 hours - Highlights: Impressionists on the 5th floor - Period: Art from 1848 to 1914 - Location: Left Bank, 7th arrondissement - Coordinates: 48.85997, 2.32653 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1898–1900** — the Gare d'Orsay was built (source: English Wikipedia) - **1986** — the museum opened (source: English Wikipedia) - **3.2 million** — visitors in 2022 (source: English Wikipedia) - **1848–1914** — the period the collection covers (source: English Wikipedia) ## About the Musée d'Orsay The Musée d'Orsay occupies the former **Gare d'Orsay**, a Beaux-Arts railway station built in **1898–1900** for the World's Fair on the Left Bank, directly opposite the [Louvre](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/louvre) and the Tuileries. When trains grew too long for its platforms the station closed, and after long debate it became a museum, opening in **1986**. The collection covers French art from **1848 to 1914**, the period between the Louvre's classics and the modern art of the Centre Pompidou: painting, sculpture, furniture, decorative arts and photography. In **2022** it drew **3.2 million** visitors; only the Louvre gets more in France. ## What to see in the Orsay - **The Impressionists** — Monet, Renoir, Degas, Manet, Pissarro. - **Van Gogh** — a self-portrait and Starry Night over the Rhône. - **The Post-Impressionists** — Cézanne, Gauguin, Seurat. - **The clock windows** — the Seine and Montmartre through the dial. - **The central nave** — sculpture under the glass roof. - **The restaurant** — in the station's painted dining room. ## The Impressionists and Van Gogh The Orsay's great treasure is the **world's largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art**. The top floor hangs Claude Monet's bridges, cathedrals and water lilies, Édouard Manet's Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe and Olympia, Renoir's Bal du moulin de la Galette, Edgar Degas's dancers, landscapes by Pissarro and Sisley and paintings by Berthe Morisot. Further rooms are devoted to the Post-Impressionists: **Van Gogh's** self-portrait and Starry Night over the Rhône, Cézanne's still lifes and landscapes, Gauguin's Tahitian canvases and Seurat's pointillism. Many are familiar from reproductions, but seeing them in person is something else: the brushstrokes, texture and light only reveal themselves up close. > **Buying tickets** Book a timed ticket on the official website, as the ticket queue can be long in season. Start on the fifth floor with the Impressionists while it's quieter, then work your way down. The museum stays open late on Thursdays, when the galleries are noticeably calmer. ## The station building and its clocks The building is an exhibit in itself. The vast **central nave** of the former station, under its arched glass roof, is filled with sculpture, with station architecture still visible around the edges. The museum's emblem is the giant **clocks** on the façade: from the top floor you look through a transparent dial at the Seine, the Louvre and Montmartre with the Sacré-Cœur. On the second floor, the **restaurant** fills the former station dining room, with gilding, chandeliers and painted ceilings. Even if you don't eat there, peek in at the early-20th-century interior. ## Sculpture and decorative arts Along the central nave stand sculptures from the second half of the 19th century by Carpeaux, Rodin, Maillol and others, showing sculpture's move from academic polish to lively, dynamic forms. Other rooms display Art Nouveau furniture and objects, with sinuous lines, plant motifs, glass and ceramics. There's also a photography section on the art's early decades, and a model of the Opéra district beneath a glass floor that lets you walk over an entire neighbourhood. These rooms are usually quieter than the Impressionist floor and make a good break from the crowds. ## How to get there 1. RER C to **Musée d'Orsay**. 2. Metro line 12 to **Solférino**, a 5-minute walk. 3. On foot from the Louvre across the Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor, 10 minutes. 4. The Batobus river shuttle stops at Musée d'Orsay. ## Tips for your visit The Orsay is smaller than the Louvre and easy to see in 2–3 hours. Take the audio guide or download the official app for the stories behind the paintings. It works best to start at the top and finish in the sculpture-filled nave. The Orsay and the Louvre pair well in one day, as they face each other across the Seine: the Louvre in the morning, the Orsay after lunch. Impressionist fans should add the Musée de l'Orangerie and Monet's Water Lilies in the Tuileries next door. Children enjoy hunting for famous paintings, looking through the giant clocks and studying the model of Paris under glass. There are family trails and weekend workshops for kids. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Book a timed ticket online - [ ] Start on the fifth floor - [ ] See Van Gogh's self-portrait - [ ] Look at Montmartre through the clock - [ ] Peek into the station restaurant ## Places in Paris: compare and choose Places in Paris rated by YesGo. - [The Louvre](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/louvre) — YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h 30 min · Timed ticket, online - [Musée d'Orsay](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/musee-dorsay) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h 30 min · Timed ticket, online - [Musée de l'Orangerie](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/musee-de-lorangerie) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Ticketed, free under 18 - [Musée de Cluny](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/musee-de-cluny) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Ticketed, free under 18 - [Musée Rodin](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/musee-rodin) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Museum and garden ticket, free under 18 - [Fondation Louis Vuitton](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/fondation-louis-vuitton) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Timed ticket, book ahead - [Parc de la Villette](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/parc-de-la-villette) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Park free, museums ticketed - [Giverny](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/giverny) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Ticket for the house and gardens ## Don't mix it up The Orsay covers 1848–1914 and the Impressionists; the Louvre holds earlier art, and the Centre Pompidou the 20th and 21st centuries. ## Tips - Book a timed ticket online. - Start on the 5th floor. - Closed on Mondays. - Thursday evenings are calmer. ## Questions ### How much does the Musée d'Orsay cost? Entry is paid; a timed online ticket is easiest. ### How long do you need at the Orsay? 2–3 hours. ### Where are the Impressionists in the Orsay? On the fifth, top floor. ### Which day is the Orsay closed? Usually Monday; check the website. ### How is the Orsay different from the Louvre? The Orsay covers 1848–1914; the Louvre covers earlier art. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. Hours and prices weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Musée d'Orsay - Official website, musee-orsay.fr --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.