Musée d'Orsay is in a circle of the most visited Paris museums, alongside Louvre and Centre Pompidou. Its outstanding art collection attracts fans of Impressionism, Orientalism, Realism, Symbolism, and other movements. As a result, tourists and other visitors come from around the world to admire Orsay's works of art, which may lead to prolonged queuing times and other nuisances. But with our Musée d’Orsay information, your art tour of this Paris museum can go without difficulties.
And here's what you'll learn in the overview:
- Basic service information, such as hours of operation and ticket prices
- Average visiting times and
- Masterpieces you shouldn't miss
Musée d’Orsay General Service Information (Costs and Hours)
The following tables contain information about ticket prices, eligibility for a free visit, and hours of operation.
| Musée d'Orsay Ticket Prices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Visitor Category | Price | |
| General populace | €16 | |
| People accompanying visitors under 18 residing in the EU (two max. per child) | €13 | |
| Visitors under 18, the EU residents under 25, unemployed and disabled people, Paris Museum Pass and Carte blanche holders, and members of Louvre Abu Dhabi, Barnes Foundation, Société des Amis du Musée d'Orsay, and American Friends of the Musée d'Orsay | Free | |
| Orsay Museum Opening Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hours | Days | |
| 9:30 – 18:00 | Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday | |
| 9:30 – 21:45 | Thursday | |
| Closed | Mondays, 1 May, and 25 December | |
Extra Orsay Museum Visitor Info (Times, Masterpieces, etc.)
Now, let's see what you should pay attention to when planning a visit to the museum.
Average Visiting and Queuing Times
Waiting in line to enter the Orsay Museum in Paris may vary from a few minutes to more than an hour. It depends on the season and day and time of your visit. To beat the crowds, consider buying Paris Museum Pass to gain access to the fast-track entry.
Now, let's get to the point.
| Musée d’Orsay Visiting Times | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour Type | Duration (Once you enter the museum) | Notes | ||
| Ultra Quick | 1 to 2 hours | For less than two hours, you can skim the Orsay Museum's highlights and take a photo or two of each. | ||
| Quick | 2 to 3 hours | A visit between two and three hours allows you to examine Orsay's masterpieces and a little more. Renting an audio guide may prove worthwhile. | ||
| Average | 4 to 6 hours | With more than four hours for an art tour, you can admire the collection without a rush. | ||
Musée d’Orsay Masterpieces You Shouldn’t Miss
Musée d’Orsay displays a vast collection of paintings and sculptures created by French artists for the most part. And here's the list of some works of art you shouldn't miss during your tour:
- Sculptures: The Four Parts of the World Holding the Celestial Sphere (Carpeaux), Gates of Hell (Rodin), Woman Bitten by a Snake (Clesinger), Sappho (Pradier), and Dance (Carpeaux)
- Paintings: Dante and Vergil in Hell (Bouguereau), The Birth of Venus (Cabanel), Decadent Romans (Couture), The Gleaners (Millet), The Picnic (Manet), Poppies (Monet), Dance at Moulin de la Galette (Renoir), Portrait of the Artist (Van Gogh), The Wheel of Fortune (Bourne-Jones), and Jane Avril Dancing (Toulouse-Lautrec)
