# Musée Rodin, Paris > The Musée Rodin is one of the loveliest museums in Paris, devoted to the sculptor Auguste Rodin. It occupies the elegant 18th-century Hôtel Biron, where Rodin worked in his last years, and its rose garden, where The Thinker, The Gates of Hell, The Burghers of Calais and Balzac stand in the open air. Inside are the marble Kiss, hundreds of sculptures and drawings, a Camille Claudel room and paintings by Van Gogh and Monet from Rodin's own collection. Open since 1919; entry is ticketed. Web page: https://yesgo.io/france/paris/musee-rodin - City: [Paris](https://yesgo.io/france/paris), France - YesGo score: 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 45 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Museum and garden ticket, free under 18 - Hours: By day, closed Monday - Collection: ≈ 6,600 sculptures and 8,000 drawings - Opened: 1919 - Duration: ≈ 1.5–2 hours - Location: 7th arrondissement, metro Varenne - Coordinates: 48.85536, 2.31582 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1919** — the museum opened (source: English Wikipedia) - **6,600** — sculptures in the collection (source: English Wikipedia) - **1908** — Rodin moved into the Hôtel Biron (source: English Wikipedia) - **8,000** — drawings in the collection (source: English Wikipedia) ## About the Musée Rodin The Musée Rodin opened in **1919** and is devoted to the great French sculptor **Auguste Rodin**. Its main building is the **Hôtel Biron**, an elegant 18th-century mansion by the architect Jean Aubert in the 7th arrondissement. From **1908** Rodin used it as his workshop, then gave his entire collection to the state on condition that it become a museum of his work. The museum has two sites: the Paris mansion with its garden and the Villa des Brillants at Meudon outside Paris, where Rodin lived. The collection holds some **6,600 sculptures**, 8,000 drawings and thousands of old photographs and art objects, including the antique statues Rodin collected and paintings by his friends Van Gogh, Monet and Renoir. ## What to see - **The Thinker** — the famous bronze in the garden. - **The Kiss** — the marble couple in the mansion's rooms. - **The Gates of Hell** — huge bronze doors with hundreds of figures. - **The Burghers of Calais** — a group of six figures in the garden. - **The Camille Claudel room** — works by Rodin's pupil and collaborator. - **The garden and roses** — a pond, avenues and bronzes in greenery. ## The sculpture garden The museum's great charm is the **garden** around the mansion. Among roses, clipped trees and lawns stand Rodin's most famous bronzes in the open air. Right by the entrance sits **The Thinker**, lost in thought. Further on rise the monumental **Gates of Hell**, inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, on which you can spot small versions of The Thinker, The Three Shades and The Kiss. The garden also holds **The Burghers of Calais**, six townsmen, and the powerful **Balzac** in his long cloak. Behind the mansion are a small pond and a café where you can rest on a terrace among the sculptures. From the garden paths you can see the golden dome on the neighbouring esplanade. > **When to come** The museum is usually closed on Mondays. Buy a timed ticket online in advance. On a sunny day start with the garden; on a rainy one, with the mansion's rooms. In spring and early summer the roses bloom and the garden is at its finest. Entry is usually free for under-18s and EU residents under 26. ## Inside the mansion The Hôtel Biron's rooms show sculptures in marble, bronze and plaster. The star is **The Kiss**, a white marble pair of lovers and one of the world's most famous sculptures. Here too are early works such as Man with a Broken Nose and The Age of Bronze, portraits and studies for the great monuments. The museum holds about **8,000 drawings** by Rodin, landscapes, fantasies on Dante and Baudelaire, portraits, and a vast collection of old photographs of his work. There's also the sculptor's personal collection: antique statues from Egypt, Greece and Rome and paintings by **Van Gogh**, including the famous Père Tanguy, Monet and Renoir. ## Camille Claudel A separate room is devoted to **Camille Claudel**, sculptor, pupil, model and collaborator of Rodin, who worked with him from 1884. Her works are full of movement and feeling: here are The Mature Age, The Wave, The Waltz, Sakountala and her bust of Rodin himself. The Claudel room shows how the two artists influenced each other, and many visitors find it one of the most powerful parts of the museum. ## The museum and its neighbourhood The museum stands in the elegant 7th arrondissement among mansions and ministries, minutes from the [Eiffel Tower](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/eiffel-tower) and the [Pont Alexandre III](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/pont-alexandre-iii). Even Varenne metro station opposite the museum is decorated with copies of Rodin sculptures right on the platform. The Musée Rodin pairs well with the [Musée d'Orsay](https://yesgo.io/france/paris/musee-dorsay), which also has Rodin works, 20 minutes' walk away through the Left Bank streets. ## How to get there 1. Metro line 13 to **Varenne**, a 2-minute walk. 2. RER C to **Invalides**, a 10-minute walk. 3. Buses 69, 82, 87 and 92 stop near the museum. 4. The entrance is at 77 Rue de Varenne. ## Tips for your visit Allow an hour and a half to two hours for the museum and garden. If you're short of time or with children, a garden-only ticket lets you see The Thinker, The Gates of Hell and The Burghers of Calais in half an hour. Photos without flash are allowed. The garden has benches and a café for a break. Large bags must go in the cloakroom. See The Kiss in the morning, as crowds gather round it later in the day. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Book a timed ticket - [ ] Make sure it's not Monday - [ ] Take a photo with The Thinker - [ ] Find the little Thinker on The Gates of Hell - [ ] Visit the Camille Claudel room ## 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 Paris Musée Rodin is in the Hôtel Biron; the Villa des Brillants at Meudon is the museum's second site outside the city; bronze casts of The Thinker stand in many cities worldwide. ## Tips - Closed Mondays. - Garden in the sun. - The Kiss in the morning. - Free under 18. ## Questions ### Where is Rodin's Thinker? In the garden of the Musée Rodin at the Hôtel Biron. ### How long do I need at the museum? An hour and a half to two hours for the rooms and garden. ### Can I buy a garden-only ticket? Usually yes; check the official website. ### Which day is the museum closed? Usually Monday. ### How do I get to the Musée Rodin? By metro line 13 to Varenne station. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. Prices, hours, the closing day and the garden ticket weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Musée Rodin - Museum official website, musee-rodin.fr --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.