Musée de l'Orangerie
Tickets, Monet's Water Lilies & Visitor Guide
⏱ 1-1.5 hours👤 All ages$$
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The Musée de l'Orangerie occupies a former greenhouse for the Tuileries' orange trees, at the western end of the garden near the Place de la Concorde. Though small, it holds one of the most beloved installations in all of art: Claude Monet's Water Lilies.
Monet conceived these eight enormous panels as a gift to France and designed them for two purpose-built oval rooms, where they line the curved walls in an unbroken sweep. Standing in the center, surrounded by his late, near-abstract visions of the lily pond at Giverny across the changing light of day, is a serene, immersive experience unlike viewing any framed painting — the rooms were created specifically to dissolve the boundary between viewer and garden. It's worth lingering until a quiet moment lets the effect fully land.
Below the Nymphéas rooms, the Walter-Guillaume collection is a treasure in its own right — a superb gathering of Impressionist and early-20th-century works, with paintings by Cézanne, Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, Modigliani, Soutine, Derain, and Rousseau. The whole museum is compact and can be enjoyed in around an hour and a half, making it a manageable, deeply rewarding visit. It pairs naturally with the Tuileries, the Louvre, and the Musée d'Orsay nearby. Book ahead in peak season; it's closed Tuesdays.
What to Expect
Format
Self-paced. The two oval Water Lilies rooms upstairs; the Walter-Guillaume Impressionist/modern collection downstairs. Compact. Closed Tuesdays.
Best Time
Right at opening for the quietest experience of the Water Lilies rooms. Closed Tuesdays.
Duration
About 1-1.5 hours.
Tips
Spend time in the oval Water Lilies rooms — wait for a lull to take in the full immersive effect. Don't skip the Walter-Guillaume collection downstairs. It's in the Tuileries, so combine it with a garden stroll and the Louvre or Musée d'Orsay nearby. Book ahead in peak season; closed Tuesdays.
⚡ Quick Picks
Best For
Monet and Impressionism lovers, and anyone wanting a beautiful, manageable museum.
Families
Short and immersive; the Water Lilies rooms can captivate even kids, and it doesn't demand long attention spans.
Couples
Serene and romantic — the immersive Monet rooms are a quietly magical shared moment.
Pair With
The Tuileries Garden (just outside), the Louvre, and the Musée d'Orsay across the river.
Time Needed
About 1.5 hours.
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Get Tickets →Frequently Asked Questions
What's the Musée de l'Orangerie famous for?
Claude Monet's Water Lilies (Les Nymphéas) — eight monumental panels installed in two oval rooms designed by the artist to immerse you in his Giverny garden — plus the superb Walter-Guillaume collection of Impressionist and modern masters downstairs.
How is it different from the Musée d'Orsay?
The Orangerie is much smaller and more focused, built around the immersive Water Lilies rooms. The d'Orsay is a large museum with the world's broadest Impressionist collection. Many visitors do both, as they're near each other.
How long does a visit take?
About 1 to 1.5 hours — it's compact, which makes it an easy, rewarding addition to a day around the Tuileries and Louvre.
Where is it?
In the Tuileries Garden near the Place de la Concorde, a short walk from the Louvre and across the river from the Musée d'Orsay.
Do I need to book ahead?
Booking ahead is wise in peak season to skip the queue. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.
More Paris Attractions
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Musée d'Orsay
The world's great collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art — Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Degas, Cézanne — housed in a magnificent former Belle Époque railway station with its iconic giant clock.
The Louvre Museum
The world's largest and most-visited art museum — a former royal palace holding the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and 35,000 works across millennia, entered through I.M. Pei's glass pyramid. Plan ahead and pick your highlights.
Giverny: Monet's Garden Day Trip
A day trip from Paris to the village where Claude Monet lived and painted — his pink house, the flower gardens, and the famous water-lily pond with its Japanese bridge that inspired his greatest works. Seasonal (spring through fall).