Paris : Musee d'Orsay

13th July 2011. Written by Xin Li.
Paris, France.The former train station turned art museum is located opposite the Jardin des Tuilleries along the Seine. The Orsay Railway Station was initially built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900

The original railway station was designed by Victor Laloux, also designed by the Hotel de Ville in Tours. The railway station utilized a modern metallic structure which was masked on the façade using finely cut stone from Charente and Poitou.

The station was initially the head of the southwestern French railroad network until 1939 when trains are become too long for the platforms in Orsay Station. As a result, on the railway station only serves the suburbs of Paris until it ceased operations in 1973.

Refurbished and renovated in the 1970s to early 1980s, the railway station was given a new facelift and reopened as the Musee d’Orsay in 1986. The museum houses a large collection of artworks of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

One can get to admire numerous artworks during the early stages of modern art. Works of Renoir, Manet, van Gogh, Rodin and Monet can be found in this museum. This is a must-see for any art fans.

The Musee d’Orsay is covered under the Paris Museum Pass. Otherwise is cost 8 Euros for adults and 5.50 Euros for 18-25 year olds who non-citizens or long-term residents of an EU member state. It also cost 5.50 Euros for everyone visiting the museum from 4.30 Pm and during Thursday evenings from 6pm.

Museum is open from 9.30 am to 6 pm (until 9.45 pm on Thursdays) except Mondays, 1st January, 1st May and 25th December.

You can get to the Musee d’Orsay via buses 24,68 and 69 (along Quai Anatole-France), 73 (along Rue de Solferino) and 68 and 69 (along Pont-Royal Quai Voltaire) or RER, Musee d’Orsay. The nearest Metro stations are Solferino and Assemblee Nationale.