Musée d'Orsay
Skip-the-Line Tickets

Everything you need to know
about Musée d'Orsay

The world's greatest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art — housed in a spectacular Beaux-Arts railway station built for the 1900 World's Fair. Monet's Water Lilies series, Van Gogh's self-portraits, Renoir's Dance at the Moulin de la Galette, Degas's ballerinas, Cézanne's card players — the Orsay holds them all, and holds them better than any other museum on earth.

The building itself is as beautiful as the art: the great nave of the former station, the ornate clock faces that look out over the Seine, the terrasse café with its extraordinary views through the original station clockwork. Plan 2–3 hours minimum. Visit on a Thursday evening (open until 9:45pm) for the quietest experience.

Highlights & inclusions

What you'll find inside

Getting there & what to know

Tips & recommendations

• →Go directly to Level 5 (the Impressionist rooms) first — they're the reason most people come.
• →Thursday evening after 6pm is the best time to visit — smaller crowds, lower ticket prices.
• →The café on Level 5 (Café Campana) has a view through the giant clock — worth a coffee break.
• →Combine with a walk along the Seine to the Tuileries gardens — a beautiful half-day Paris experience.