Musée d'Orsay: how to see it, and whether to go inside
A railway station built for the 1900 World's Fair, the Musée d'Orsay has been home to Monet, Renoir, Degas and Van Gogh since 1986. The building and its giant station clocks are best seen from the Seine; inside, allow two to three hours. Tickets start at €14 and it is closed on Mondays. Our Paris bike tour rides past it along the river.
The Musée d'Orsay at a glance
- What it is
- A former railway station, a museum since 1986, for art from 1848 to 1914
- Address
- Esplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, 7th arrondissement
- Getting there
- RER C Musée d'Orsay, Métro Solférino (line 12)
- Ticket
- Full rate €14 at the museum or €16 online; free under 18 and for EEA residents under 26
- Open
- Tuesday to Sunday 9:30 to 18:00, Thursday until 21:45; closed Monday
- On our tours
- Paris Bike Tour
Prices and hours checked on musee-orsay.fr on 10 November 2026. They change, so check again before you book.
What you see with us
The Paris Bike Tour follows the Seine from Pont Alexandre III to the Musée d'Orsay. We stop at the spot with the best view of the old station and its clocks, not just the nearest corner, and always leave time to take photos and look around on your own.
While you look, your guide tells the story of the place: why a brand-new station was outdated within a few decades, how it escaped demolition, and the facts and anecdotes behind the paintings inside.
We don't go inside: entry isn't part of the tour. Seeing it with a guide first is a good way to decide whether you want to, and which rooms to head for.
- Eiffel Tower
- Les Invalides
- Pont Alexandre III
- Musée d'Orsay
- Sainte-Chapelle
- Notre-Dame
What our guides tell you here
A station for the World's Fair
The Gare d'Orsay was built for the 1900 World's Fair, with a grand hotel attached, so that visitors arrived right in the heart of Paris. Its stone façade was designed to sit well next to the Louvre across the river.
Outdated in forty years
Trains grew longer, and by 1939 the station's platforms were too short for main-line services. It carried only suburban trains after that, and later stood almost empty.
Saved from demolition
In the 1970s the building came close to being knocked down. Instead it was protected and turned into a museum, which opened in 1986.
The clocks
The great station clocks are still in place. From the top floor you can look out over the Seine and the Louvre through one of them, one of the best-known views in Paris.
The Impressionists' home
The museum holds the world's largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting, from Monet and Renoir to Degas, Cézanne and Van Gogh.
Visiting the inside
- Tickets. The full rate is €14 at the museum or €16 online; the online ticket saves queueing. Under 18s and EEA residents under 26 go free.
- Mind the days. The museum is closed on Mondays, and open late on Thursdays, until 21:45, which is the quietest time to visit.
- Head upstairs first. The Impressionist galleries and the clock windows are on the top floor, where most visitors want to be.
- Allow two to three hours. The museum is smaller than the Louvre and easier to see properly in one visit.
Combining it with the bike tour
Ride first and go in later, and you will know what you are looking at.
- Morning tour at 10:15, back at 13:15: visit the museum in the afternoon.
- Afternoon tour at 13:30: go in the morning, or on a Thursday evening.
- Avoid Mondays for the museum: it is closed.
“Alex was a great guide. He spoke very good English and kept us all together. Great way to see the city. Would definitely recommend”
Paris Bike Tour
Three hours from the Eiffel Tower along the Seine to Notre-Dame and the Louvre. Small groups, guides in English or French. ★ 4.8 from 223 reviews on GetYourGuide.
About the Musée d'Orsay
How much is a Musée d'Orsay ticket?
The full rate is €14 at the museum or €16 online. Under 18s and EEA residents under 26 go free.
When is the Musée d'Orsay open?
Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 to 18:00, and on Thursdays until 21:45. It is closed on Mondays.
Orsay or the Louvre?
If you love the Impressionists, Orsay. If you want ancient art, Renaissance painting and the Mona Lisa, the Louvre. Orsay is smaller and easier to see well in a few hours.
Where is the famous clock window?
On the top floor, next to the Impressionist galleries. From there you look out over the Seine through the face of the old station clock.
Can I see the Musée d'Orsay on a bike tour?
Yes. Our Paris Bike Tour rides along the Seine past it, with a stop for the view and the story of the station from your guide. Entry to the museum is not included.
Last updated 10 November 2026.