Is the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris Worth It in 2024? + Useful Tips
Wondering if the Musée de l’Orangerie is worth visiting? If you’re in Paris, you may be curious about what other places there are to visit ASIDE from the iconic Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, and Arc de Triomphe! Well, one place that was repeatedly recommended to me is the Musée de l’Orangerie! For those of you just discovering this lesser-known museum or considering visiting, you may be wondering if the Musée de l’Orangerie is worth it. In this post, I’ll be detailing what you can expect & some tips for visiting!
Is the Musée de l’Orangerie Worth It? (2024)
With its remarkable collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces, I found the Musée de l’Orangerie to be well worth visiting. That said, I know everyone is different and has their preferences for artistic styles and artists. So, to help you decide whether or not you should visit the museum, here are some scenarios in which I think the Musée de l’Orangerie would be worth visiting and may be worth skipping!
The Musée de l’Orangerie Is Worth It If…
You want to see one of the most famous works of art by Monet. For many people, including myself, The Musée de l’Orangerie is worth visiting to witness Monet’s renowned Water Lilies series in person. This piece is considered one of Monet’s greatest achievements, and the museum rightfully has an entire floor dedicated to showcasing this series. Thus, if you’re a fan of Monet’s incredible work, then the museum is likely worth visiting.
Another reason to visit would be if you’re interested in exploring less frequented museums in Paris. While Paris is known for its numerous world-famous museums, namely the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay, the Musée de l’Orangerie often remains a hidden gem for many visitors. As such, visiting this museum allows for a more intimate experience. You can appreciate the art without the typical massive crowds commonly found in larger museums.
Finally, I’d say the Musée de l’Orangerie is worth visiting if you’re looking for a museum that won’t take all day to visit. It’s no secret that the Louvre can be EXTREMELY overwhelming. Reports that say if you spent 30 seconds examining every single piece, you’d need ~200 days to see it all.
From personal experience, I’d say you only need a couple of hours to admire every single piece in the Musée de l’Orangerie! This means you can easily enjoy several mesmerizing works of art and still have time to explore other attractions in the city. Therefore, if you’re looking for something to do in between tours of Paris or just have limited time, then the Musée de l’Orangerie is a great choice.
The Musée de l’Orangerie Is Not Worth It If…
No tourist attraction is meant for everyone. Here are a few cases in which you may be better off skipping the quaint museum.
First, you are interested in seeing various mediums of artwork. If you’re someone who loves seeing sculptures, large art installations that pop, or more contemporary art, the Musée de l’Orangerie may not be the best choice. The museum almost exclusively features paintings. Only occasionally will you come across a sculpture or different mediums in its rotating exhibitions.
Another case would be if you are primarily seeking a museum filled with a wide range of famous paintings from all over the world. While the Musée de l’Orangerie houses significant works by several renowned artists, it primarily focuses on Impressionism & Post-Impressionism. If you want to see various artistic styles, periods, and artists, a different museum in Paris may be more suitable.
Lastly, if you have limited time, such as a day or two in Paris and your main focus is visiting major tourist sites, you should probably skip the Musée de l’Orangerie. I know this sounds contradictory to the previous section, but it’s all about prioritizing. If you’re stretched thin for time and visiting this museum would jam you up even more, I’d go ahead and save it for another visit to Paris. It wasn’t until my sixth visit to Paris that I finally had time to visit the museum even though I had been meaning to for years!
Ultimately, these are just based on my observations. I encourage you to continue researching to determine if the Musée de l’Orangerie aligns with your specific interests and time constraints so that you can confidently decide if the museum is worth it for you!
What Is the l’Orangerie Famous For?
The l’Orangerie is most famous for housing Monet’s most iconic piece of artwork, The Water Lilies or Les Nymphéas. And, as I mentioned earlier, the museum practically has an entire floor dedicated to showing off this piece. To some, this may seem excessive. I initially thought so as well.
But, when you see the masterpiece up close, you can understand why. This series consists of 8 massive paintings, spread across two oval rooms that provide a unique and immersive experience. You almost get a sense of what Monet felt as he was capturing the beauty of his beautiful estate in Giverny.
Oh, and if you end up visiting the museum and want to see the picturesque lily pond and the inspiration behind his most famous work of art or vice versa, I highly recommend doing a short excursion to Giverny! His fairy tale town is only an hour outside of Paris and one of my favorite places to go whenever I’m visiting the French capital.
What Famous Paintings Are in the Musée De l’Orangerie?
Aside from Monet’s Water Lilies, there are a few other famous paintings that can be found inside the Musée De l’Orangerie. Here are a few famous paintings that can be currently found in the Musée de l’Orangerie as of June 2023.
- Henri Matisse, Le Boudoir
- Amedeo Modigliani, Paul Guillaume
- Pierre Auguste Renoir, Yvonne and Christine Lerolle at the Piano
- Pierre Auguste Renoir, The Clown
- Pierre Auguste Renoir, Landscape with Snow
- Paul Cézanne, The Red Rock
- Pablo Picasso, Large Bather
- Pablo Picasso, Grande Nature Morte
What to Expect in Musée de l’Orangerie
Alrighty, now that you know what you can generally expect to see artwork-wise, let’s dive into what to expect when you visit! First of all, when you arrive at the Musée de l’Orangerie, there are two lines. One line for people who have already purchased their tickets, and one for those who did not.
When I went, there was about a 10-minute wait for people who needed to purchase their tickets on-site. That said, I visited in the middle of the day, on a Wednesday, so I don’t think the crowds were bad… Meanwhile, if you already reserved your ticket beforehand, you’ll walk right in and they’ll scan your ticket.
Afterward, you’ll have the option of renting an audio guide for €5 per adult, with some reduced fares available. Personally, I opted to not rent an audioguide since there are plenty of little placards that explain most of the pieces.
But, if you’re a big art enthusiast keen on getting a bit more background info or want to avoid fatigue from squinting at tiny words on the little signs, I’d recommend grabbing an audio guide. Oh, and the audioguides are available in 10 languages! So, they’re pretty accommodating. You can even take a private tour and discover the museum with a guide if you want. But, this does cost a pretty penny.
✅ 🌸 Check rates & availability for this private tour of Musee de l’Orangerie
Museum Layout
In terms of layout, the Museum has three floors: Ground level, -1 level, and -2 level. The ground level is where you’ll find Monet’s Water Lilies. They even have a fair bit of background on the creation and motivation behind this piece as you walk up the ramp to the main rooms.
Once you’re inside the rooms, you’ll find 4 of Monet’s Water Lilies paintings seamlessly filling the walls of the oval-shaped room. In the center of each room, there is a good bit of seating to sit and observe the paintings. And, my favorite bit (aside from the paintings of course), is the skylight. The room is beautifully illuminated by soft natural lighting that helps bring the painting to life as the colors change throughout the day
On the level beneath the ground floor (Level -1), you’ll find a small cafe and a gift shop. It’s honestly not much and as you would expect, the prices are expensive — typical Paris Problems lol. But, the gift shop is nice and offers a sizeable selection of souvenirs. Nothing compared to what’s available at the gift shop in Giverny though, so if you do end up visiting Monet’s actual estate, I’d wait to buy gifts there! Finally, two floors beneath the ground floor (Level -2), you’ll find the rest of the permanent collection as well as a small room for a rotating exhibition.
Tickets for Musée de l’Orangerie
As I mentioned earlier, you can either purchase your tickets directly on-site or online. I recommend getting them in advance so you don’t have to waste time waiting in line, especially if you plan on going on the weekend. During the weekend, attractions in Paris are insane. I waited 45 minutes to go up the Arc de Triomphe because I mistakenly decided to spontaneously visit on a Saturday. 🤦🏽♀️ So, if you want to save yourself a bit of time and hassle, it’s better to purchase your tickets in advance.
3 Tips for Visiting the Musée de l’Orangerie
If you decide you want to check out the museum, here are a few things to keep in mind as you plan your visit!
1. Best Time to Visit the Musée De l’Orangerie
The best time to visit the Musée is early in the morning and during the week if you can. If you wait to go during the day like I did, you’ll likely run into crowds. For instance, when I visited in the afternoon, I noticed that there were quite a few people in the rooms and every inch of seating was filled.
Also, even though there are signs posted around the room that mentioned how Monet intended for his artwork to be viewed in a serene environment (aka in silence), I found that a lot of people talked anyway. This disrupted the experience a bit and was a bit frustrating. So, if you want to experience and view Monet’s impressive paintings as they were intended to be by him, I suggest going early in the day and during the week!
2. Don’t Bring Anything Big
My second tip is to avoid bringing a big bag. If you bring a backpack or any larger items, you’ll have to check them. There’s a little counter near the entrance that will take your bags before your ticket is scanned. This isn’t the biggest deal, but it is just another thing to do.
Plus, it’s worth noting that this is a pretty common procedure at most tourist attractions in Paris. No oversized backpacks are allowed in museums since you could unintentionally damage the artwork. Thus, if you want to save time and not have to worry about checking your personal belongings, I would stick to a smaller fanny pack or tote bag.
3. Take Advantage of Free Museum Visits
Finally, my last tip, which also happens to be the best one 😉 is to take full advantage of the free museum visits! Something I realized few tourists know about is that Paris offers free museum visits on the first Sunday of every month! That’s right, you can get some pretty big savings on museums and major tourist attractions if you can plan your trip to Paris to include the first Sunday of the month. If you do this, you can stack most of your museum visits on that Sunday.
The catch is that you have to make reservations for a specific time slot for each of the museums. And, as you can imagine, the time slots fill up fast! Therefore, you’ll want to plan your trip well in advance and act quickly! In the case of the Musée De l’Orangerie, reservations begin about a month out. So for August 6, 2023, reservations open July 3, 2023! You make your reservation for the museum here.
Can’t Visit the First Sunday of the Month?
In the event you aren’t able to plan your trip to Paris to include the first Sunday of the month (super understandable!), another option is to get a Paris Museum Pass. The pass allows you entry into 50+ museums across Paris and is valid for a certain period. You can see the full list of museums included in the pass here.
Also, there are two types of passes, the All-inclusive pass, which allows unlimited visits to any of the museums on the list, and the Explorer pass. The Explorer pass lets you pick and choose a couple of different places and costs less. I recommend the 4 or 6-day All-inclusive pass if you’re going to be in the city for several days, and the Explorer pass if you only want to see a couple of attractions or have less time in the city.
✅ Check out prices and details for the two Paris city passes
Where to Stay in Paris
Need a place to stay in Paris? Here are my recommendations based on where I’ve stayed during my many trips to the French capital and extensive outside research! Each place is highly rated and is near a metro station.
Hostel Stay
- The People Paris Nation — Newer hostel with amazing rooftop bar | ⭐️ 8.6 / 10
- You can read my review of the hostel here
- The People Paris Marais — Fantastic hostel near Notre Dame | ⭐️ 8.7 / 10
Low-Cost Stay
- Hôtel Vic Eiffel — Boutique 3-star hotel with terrace | ⭐️ 8.7 / 10
- The Tribe Saint Ouen — A new 4-star hotel I enjoyed staying at! | ⭐️ 8.7 / 10
- See my review of this new hotel here.
Mid-Range Stay
- Hôtel Moderniste — Stylish boutique 4-star hotel I loved! | ⭐️ 9.6 / 10
- Chouchou Hotel — Super fun and trendy 4-star hotel | ⭐️ 8.9 / 10
Luxury Stays
- Hôtel Le Walt Paris — Well-located and beautifully decorated 4-star hotel | ⭐️ 8.9 / 10
- InterContinnental Paris Le Grand — Elegant 5-star hotel near Paris Opera w/ spa | ⭐️ 9 / 10
- Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris — Stunning 5-star hotel | ⭐️ 9.4 / 10
Musée de l’Orangerie: FAQ
I recommend spending at least an hour in the Musée De l’Orangerie. That said, if you’re like me and tend to read almost every info card, you may want to dedicate two hours to the museum.
Adult tickets cost ~$14.5 USD or €12.50. But, if you visit on a Friday after 6 PM from the beginning of March until the end of May, prices are €10. And then if you have the Paris Museum Pass, you can enter without purchasing a ticket.
The Musée de l’Orangerie is located within the Jardin des Tuileries in the 8th arrondissement. It’s within a 20-minute walking distance of the Paris Opera House and Louvre Museum. See the location on Google Maps here.
The Musée De l’Orangerie is open every day, except Tuesdays (closed), from 10 AM until 6 PM.
In French, “l’Orangerie,” means The Orangery. Shocker! I know. 😂The building dates back to 1852 and was previously a greenhouse that housed lots of orange trees during the wintertime. However, after a fire broke out, the French government made it an art gallery in 1922. This is when Claude Monet worked on his Water Lilies paintings and decided to donate them to help remind people of peace.
If you’re looking for recommendations on what else to include on your Paris itinerary from a veteran visitor of the city… I highly recommend doing a boat cruise down the Seine, strolling the charming streets of Montmartre, catching the beautiful rooftop views from the Galeries Lafayette, and indulging in the French gastronomic scene!
Wrap-Up: Is Musée de l’Orangerie Worth It? (2024)
The Musée de l’Orangerie is worth visiting as it offers a wonderful opportunity to observe Monet’s enchanting and masterful Water Lilies series up close and personal. Plus, with the museum being smaller, it’s fairly doable to fit into most Paris itineraries and only takes a couple of hours to visit! That said, I can acknowledge that this museum may not be for everyone. So, I hope this post has shed light on what you can expect and helped you decide whether or not the Musée de l’Orangerie is worth adding to your Paris itinerary!
✅ Click to grab your ticket for the Musee de l’Orangerie here
Discover France
- 🏖️ French Riviera: Planning a trip to the South of France? Explore the breathtaking French Riviera gems of Nice and the glamorous principality of Monaco.
- 🏄♀️ Biarritz: Interested in uncovering France’s western coast? Discover the vibrant surf capital of France and all the attractions Biarritz has in store for visitors.
- 🏰 Toulouse: Considering a visit to Toulouse? Explore the vibrant Pink City and learn about the exciting excursions that are worth experiencing during your stay.
