Where the Louvre ends, the Orsay Museum begin. L’Orsay, located in the beautiful Gare d’Orsay, a former train station, houses the French national collection of art produced between 1848 and 1914. Housing the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the world, the museum is a must-visit destination for fans of Degas, Cézanne, Gauguin, Manet, Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh.
The museum, which reopened in the fall of 2011 after a two-year, $27 million renovation, features well-known paintings, including that of Degas.”The ballet class“and of Manet”Woman with Fans“, but it also houses sculptures, drawings and decorative art roomsof offices at umbrella stand. Even the space itself is an impressive work of art nouveau architecture, built in 1900 according to plans by Victor Laloux.
For an overview of the museum, consider taking a 90 minute guided tour (€6, $8), which usually operate once a day in English.
Orsay Museum: 62 rue de Lille; +33 (0)1 40 49 48 14
- Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday to Sunday. 9:30 a.m.-9:45 p.m. Thursday. Closed on Mondays.
- Tickets: €9 ($12.50) for adults; €6.50 ($9) for 18-25 year olds, free for under 18s. Combined tickets available for the Musée d’Orsay and the Rodin Museum Where Orangerie Museum.
