Three floors of the Musee d'Orsay: what to see and when entry is cheaper
The line to enter the Musée d'Orsay in summer stretches along the Seine embankment. Without a time slot, you lose time.
On Thursdays after 6:00 PM, a ticket is cheaper (as of 09/2026, museum fare page). Below is a breakdown of the three floors, a sensible viewing order, and three ways to get there from the metro.
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History and concept
💡 In short:
- Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 9:30 AM-6:00 PM, Thursday until 9:45 PM, closed Monday (opening hours on the museum website).
- Full ticket 16 €, Thursday evening ticket 12 €.
- Free admission: under 18, EU residents aged 18-25, first Sunday of the month (free admission terms).
- Prices and opening hours: 09/2026, verified on the official website.
The museum occupies a railway station built for the 1900 World's Fair. Architect Victor Laloux designed the facade and the great hall in the Beaux-Arts style. The building fit right into the neighborhood on the left bank of the Seine.
It was the first electrified station in Paris. The platforms quickly became cramped, and by 1939 only suburban trains stopped here.
Later the halls housed a theater studio, an auction house, and a postal center. The building was used as a film set, and then it was simply closed. A huge station in the city center could not stand empty.
The solution came after long debate: it became a museum of art from the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The renovation took six years, from 1980 to 1986. The station's metal structures and stone finishes were preserved.
How the museum's three floors are laid out
Visitors enter through the main nave, the former platform. This is the museum's most recognizable space: sculptures line up under the glass vault, and light falls from above all day.
© Sanchezn · CC BY-SAPhoto: Sanchezn, CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), Wikimedia CommonsRestorers preserved the cast beams, columns, and moldings. The central hall was divided into two halves, with a wide nave left between them. It runs the full length of the building and creates a sense of an endless exhibition.
The galleries are assembled from panels and have no ceiling. Natural light therefore reaches even the side galleries. A long gallery runs just under the dome: its lighting suits Impressionist painting.
The museum occupies three floors. Besides the galleries, there is a cafe, a restaurant, a bookshop, and a gift shop. The collection numbers more than 6,000 works, with roughly half on permanent display (as of 09/2026, collection description).
Each floor covers its own period: from mid-19th-century sculpture to paintings from 1914.
Ground floor exhibition
The ground floor and basement are devoted to works from the 1840s-1860s. You are greeted by the nave with mid-19th-century sculpture. Key names: Carpeaux with the dramatic "Ugolino" and the scandalous "The Dance"; he also created "The Four Parts of the World" for a fountain. Nearby stand works by Cavalier, Barry, and Kleisinger, and busts by Cordier.
Painting hangs in the side galleries. Here you will see Delacroix, Moreau, Millet, Daumier, and Courbet, the precursors of Impressionism. The rooms with early Monet and Manet, Cézanne and Degas are always crowded. Manet's "Olympia" and "Luncheon on the Grass" once caused a scandal.
Photography has its own dedicated rooms. There is no general lighting in them; only the works themselves are lit. This approach keeps your attention on the photographs rather than the interior.
Second floor exhibition
© Gargarapalvin · CC BY-SAPhoto: Gargarapalvin, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia CommonsThe second floor covers the period from 1880 to 1914. The Lille terrace displays Bonnard and Vuillard. Their canvases show the influence of both Impressionism and Japanese prints. Take a close look at Vuillard's "Public Gardens" panels and Bonnard's "The Croquet Game."
Symbolism is represented by Klimt and Munch; look for them on the Seine terrace. Nearby hang the lesser-known Blanchard, Cormon, and Detaille, and Detaille's painting "The Dream" consistently draws a crowd. The parallel terraces are given over to works by Rodin, including "Fleeting Love" and "Ugolino." Camille Claudel's "The Mature Age" also stands here.
The floor ends with rooms of Art Nouveau furniture, tableware, and decorative arts. Not everyone makes it this far: energy usually runs out earlier, and you risk missing the stained glass, Bugatti furniture, and Muller vases.
Third floor exhibition
The top floor houses the museum's main collection. It opens with a room dedicated to the private collection of Moreau-Nélaton, which the collector donated. From there you walk through society portraits by Renoir, landscapes by Sisley, contrasting canvases by Manet, and works by Berthe Morisot, the first woman Impressionist.
Degas and Monet hang in the same room, and the difference is immediately apparent. Degas celebrates the movement of dancers, while Monet's work is all about the play of light. The landscapes of Pissarro and Cézanne were painted from the same subjects, but they read differently: for the former, people matter more; for the latter, nature.
Van Gogh is represented here by "Starry Night Over the Rhône." The exhibition concludes with Rousseau, Gauguin, and Toulouse-Lautrec. Seurat and his follower Signac stand apart: their technique is unlike anyone else nearby.
Café and terrace with a view
The museum has several places to eat. Near the polar bear statue by the Seine tower, Café de l'ours serves light snacks, desserts, and drinks. The historic restaurant on the second floor opened back in 1900 and serves French cuisine under gilding and chandeliers (as of 09/2026, museum website).
© Adrian Scottow from London, England · CC BY-SAPhoto: Adrian Scottow from London, England, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), Wikimedia CommonsCafé Campana is on the top floor. Its Art Nouveau interior and panoramic city views make up for the modest menu. It's a convenient spot for photographing the rooftops of Paris and the Seine.
Tickets and opening hours (as of 09/2026)
Ticket | Price | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
Full | 16 € | any open day, one visit |
Evening | 12 € | Thursday after 6:00 PM |
Under 18 | free | always, a time slot is required |
Youth 18-25, EU residents | free | always, proof of residency required |
First Sunday of the month | free | for everyone, book a slot in advance |
The museum is closed on Mondays, May 1, and December 25 (as of 09/2026, museum website with opening hours). A ticket is valid for one visit, and any exit is final. On Thursdays the doors stay open until 9:45 PM, which is the best option for a relaxed visit if you don't like crowds.
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Location and how to get there
The museum stands on the left bank of the Seine at 1 rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris (as of 09/2026, contacts and access). It's in the very center of the city.
The nearest metro station, Solférino on line 12, is a couple of minutes from the entrance. RER C stops at Musée d'Orsay station right next to the building. Buses run along the embankment and Boulevard Saint-Germain.
If you're walking from the Louvre, stay along the embankment: the museum is visible from the Seine side. Bring water in hot weather; the embankment gets busy in summer.
⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions
How much does a ticket to the Musée d'Orsay cost?
A full ticket costs 16 €, and the Thursday evening rate after 6:00 PM drops to 12 € (as of 09/2026, museum rates). The ticket is valid for one visit, so you can't leave and come back with it. If you're in Paris for several days, the evening session saves both money and time.
When can you get into the Musée d'Orsay for free?
Free admission applies to visitors under 18 and to young people aged 18-25 who are permanent EU residents (who gets in free). Another option is the first Sunday of the month, when entry is open to everyone. In both cases, book a time slot in advance, otherwise you'll wait longer than usual at the entrance.
How do you avoid the line?
Book a time slot online: it's tied to your entry time (as of 09/2026, rates). Come on Thursday after 6:00 PM, when there are usually fewer visitors. Tuesday and Wednesday are also calmer than weekends.
How long does a visit take?
Allow at least three hours for the three floors, and more if you have lunch at the café. If you're in a hurry, start with the top floor: that's where the Impressionists are.
How to get to the museum from the Louvre?
From the Louvre, walk south through the Tuileries Garden and across the bridge, about 15 minutes along the embankment.
Musée d'Orsay on the map
In short: what to book
The Musée d'Orsay can be seen in one visit, but only with a time slot and a plan. If you don't like crowds, take the Thursday evening session: it's cheaper and less crowded. If you're going for the Impressionists, the best option is Tuesday morning, heading straight to the top floor.
If you have one trip to Paris, start on the top floor, then work your way down to the nave and sculpture. If you're traveling with children under 18, admission is free for them, but everyone needs a time slot.
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A small editorial team writing guides for independent travel. We travel ourselves, but we haven’t been everywhere, so we check prices, opening hours and how to get there against official sources.