Orsay or Orangerie : which one to choose ?
Two museums, two scales
The confusion comes from two things: the Orangerie has been administratively attached to Orsay since 2010, and both have Monets. But Orsay is a 1900 train station filled with all French painting from 1848 to 1914, and the Orangerie is an old greenhouse with eight panels and 146 paintings. You don't visit them in the same way. At Orsay you choose what you see; at the Orangerie you see everything, and it's relaxing. The picture below summarizes what I answer when asked the question in the garden.
| Musée d'Orsay | Musée de l'Orangerie | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Large, an old train station with multiple levels | Small, two oval rooms and a basement |
| Duration | Half a day | 1 h à 1 h 30 |
| Closing day | Monday | Tuesday |
| Collection | Painting and arts from 1848 to 1914, including Impressionists | The eight Water Lilies panels, the Walter-Guillaume collection |
| Crowd | Dense everywhere, all the time | Quiet at 9 am, dense on Saturday afternoon |
| Bank | Left | Right, Tuileries Garden |
| Distance between the two | About 15 minutes on foot via the Pont de la Concorde or the Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor | |
Both in the same day
It's doable and even pleasant, provided you start at the Orangerie at 9 a.m. You leave around 10:30 a.m., cross the Seine via the footbridge, and you're at Orsay before the groups arrive. The reverse, Orsay in the morning then the Orangerie in the afternoon, has you arriving in the oval rooms at the busiest time. The combined ticket for Orsay + Orangerie is made for that day. The details of the visit direction at the Orangerie are on what to see, and the timing on visit duration.
What each has that the other doesn't
The Orangerie has the large Water Lilies in oval rooms, the ceiling light, and a Walter-Guillaume collection where Soutine and Derain are shown with a density you won't find anywhere else. Orsay has the depth: Manet, Degas, Van Gogh, Gauguin, the Cézannes from the great period, and the building itself. If your stay only allows for one museum and you haven't come for Monet, choose Orsay. If you've come for Monet, choose the Orangerie, and read Monet's Water Lilies first.
What works
- The Orangerie is visited in its entirety, without choosing
- The oval rooms have no equivalent at Orsay
- Two museums 15 minutes apart, a combined ticket
- Different closing days, you can always do one
To know
- Orsay requires a half-day and a strategy
- Orangerie closed on Tuesday, Orsay on Monday: check the calendar
- Orangerie in the afternoon after Orsay is the worst order
- The combined ticket is only useful if you really do both
For the Orangerie collection, a guide is worth the detour: the small group guided tour goes through the Tuileries and dedicates most of its two hours to the -2 level. For Orsay, I have no opinion to give here, it's not my museum.
Book the Orangerie guided tour
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Orsay and the Orangerie the same museum ?
No. They have been administratively linked since 2010, but they are two buildings, two banks, two collections. See the history of the Orangerie.
Is there a combined ticket for Orsay + Orangerie ?
Yes. It makes sense if you do both, starting with the Orangerie at 9 a.m. What it costs, qualitatively, is on the pricing page.
How to get from the Orangerie to Orsay ?
On foot, in about 15 minutes, via the Pont de la Concorde or the Léopold-Sédar-Senghor footbridge. See how to get there by metro.
Are the Water Lilies at Orsay ?
The eight large panels in the oval rooms are at the Orangerie. Orsay has other Monets, of ordinary format. See Monet's Water Lilies.