If you only have time to visit one museum in Paris, make it the Musee d’Orsay. A much smaller collection than the Louvre, it can be an accessible and manageable way to see some of Paris’ greatest art treasures.
Located on the left bank of the Seine river, the Musee d’Orsay holds the world’s largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. With lines of tourists waiting to get in each day, it’s hardly a hidden gem, but a little planning can make for a smooth and enjoyable visit.
Purchase your ticket ahead of time online. A timed ticket ensures a shorter wait time and fewer crowds trying to get in at once. If you’re planning to visit any other museums while you’re in Paris, I recommend getting the Paris Museum Pass. It will also get you a shorter wait in line, but will save quite a few euros if you’re visiting multiple museums. On Thursday evenings, the museum is open until 9:45pm, and sells evening-only tickets for just twelve euros. Just remember that special exhibits shut their doors some minutes before closing time to allow all the people time to cycle through before the museum closes – don’t wait to see something “on your way out” as I made the mistake of doing during my last visit!
The Musee d’Orsay is also a great museum to visit if some in your group have a limited attention span for art. Housed in a turn-of-the-century train station, the building itself is great fun to wander through. Be sure to go up to the observation floor for a birds-eye view of the architecture. The large clocks at the front of the building once kept travelers punctual, but now offer city views and a long line of selfie-takers. And when hunger strikes, there’s no need to leave the museum: a restaurant and two cafes will serve you in style.
Should you limit yourself to just one museum in Paris? Absolutely not! But the Musee d’Orsay is one I’ll visit again and again.
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