Musée d'Orsay, Art museum in 7th arrondissement, France
A former railway terminal along the Seine now contains extensive galleries beneath arched glass roofing, flanked by side exhibition rooms on three levels arranged around a central hall with exposed iron framework and stone ornamentation from the Belle Époque era.
Victor Laloux designed the Gare d'Orsay for the Paris World's Fair in 1900, serving trains until 1939 before the structure served various purposes for decades. Italian architect Gae Aulenti redesigned the interiors for the museum opening in 1986 under President François Mitterrand.
The institution displays French paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, and photography spanning 1848 to 1914, including major Impressionist and Post-Impressionist holdings organized across multiple floors through thematic and chronological arrangements that trace artistic movements of the period.
Visitors may enter Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, with Thursday hours extending until 9:45 PM. The first Sunday of each month grants free admission. RER line C stops at Musée d'Orsay station, while several bus routes and Metro line 12 reach the grounds.
The preserved station clock face in the main hall measures over 40 feet (12 meters) in diameter and provides views through its transparent hands toward Montmartre and the opposite riverbank, while visitors can walk behind the mechanism itself.
Location: 7th arrondissement of Paris
Inception: 1986
Founders: François Mitterrand, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Architects: Victor Laloux
Official opening: 1986
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Fee: Yes
Part of: Établissement public du musée d'Orsay et du musée de l'Orangerie
Address: 1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur 75343 Paris
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 09:30-18:00; Thursday 09:30-21:45
Phone: +33140494814
Website: https://musee-orsay.fr
GPS coordinates: 48.86000,2.32639
Latest update: November 27, 2025 20:18
Paris rewards visitors who venture beyond the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame. The Musée d'Orsay houses one of the world's finest Impressionist collections, while the Centre Pompidou showcases contemporary art in its distinctive inside-out building. Below ground, the Catacombs wind through tunnels lined with the remains of six million Parisians. Sainte-Chapelle preserves 15 towering windows of 13th-century stained glass that fill the Gothic chapel with colored light. Markets like Marché d'Aligre bring together fresh produce, vintage furniture, and antiques under one roof. The city's neighborhoods and waterways offer equally rewarding discoveries. Le Marais combines medieval architecture with boutiques, galleries, and restaurants in its narrow streets. The Coulée Verte René-Dumont transforms an abandoned railway viaduct into an elevated garden path. Along the Canal Saint-Martin, tree-lined banks invite afternoon walks and waterside gatherings. Père Lachaise Cemetery serves as both a park and the burial ground for writers, artists, and musicians. The Musée Rodin displays sculptures in an 18th-century mansion surrounded by gardens, while the Musée Jacquemart-André presents European masterworks in an elegant private residence. Rue Crémieux's pastel-painted facades create one of the city's most photographed corners.
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Paris hosts around 100,000 dogs and offers a broad range of spaces and services dedicated to pet owners. The capital features dog-friendly parks and play areas, specialized care centers, accessory shops, and stores accepting pets. Among these locations are Jardin Tino-Rossi in the 5th arrondissement with its first dog playground opened in 2022, The Dogry in the 17th combining a play park and dog spa, and Seven Heaven in the 11th, a coffee shop open to families with their pets. Owners can also discover specialized shops like Casa Del Doggo, which offers wellness services and even a bakery for dogs, or stores like CAYU Canidés Club near the Buttes-Chaumont. This selection covers various districts of Paris and meets the daily needs of owners: leash walks, veterinary and grooming services, pet sitting, and relaxing moments in welcoming establishments. It makes life easier for Parisians with their four-legged companions.
Gare d'Orsay
80 m
Palais de la Légion d'Honneur
148 m
Pont Royal
244 m
Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor
248 m
Hôtel de Maisons
176 m
Musée de la Légion d'honneur
124 m
Rhinoceros
88 m
Hôtel de Pomereu
75 m
Hôtel de Lannion
102 m
Église évangélique baptiste de Paris
221 m
Young Trapped Elephant
109 m
Africa
102 m
Horse with Harrow
83 m
North America
105 m
Asia
99 m
Europe
97 m
Oceania
110 m
Immeuble de la Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations
170 m
South America
107 m
Thomas Jefferson
212 m
Might
58 m
Siège de la Fondation Charles de Gaulle
237 m
Hôtel d'Avejan
149 m
Esplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
94 m
Hôtel de Laubespin
168 m
Cain's Sons
257 m
Maison des polytechniciens
130 m
Hôtel du 21 rue du Bac
268 mReviews
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