Home > Paris Attractions > Paris Art Galleries > The Orsay Museum

Visit The Orsay for FREE with The Paris Pass

The Orsay Museum was originally designed as a train station in 1900. By the 1950’s it became apparent that the platforms were too short for modern trains and the building became home to a theatre.

In the 1970's it was remodelled and converted into a museum dedicated to displaying art from the period 1848 to 1915. There are many masterpieces at the Orsay include work by Delacroix, Manet, Guaguin, Cézanne, Monet, Renoir, Sisley, van Gogh and many more great artists.

Among the spectacular works on display in this popular art gallery is Auguste Clésinger’s "Woman Bitten by a Snake" which scandalised all of Paris in 1847 by supposedly depicting a woman not bitten by a snake but in the throes of passion and, said prominent critics of the time, modelled from real life on 19th Century socialite Apollonie Sabatier.

Set on the banks of the Seine opposite the tuileries gardens, the Orsay museum is a work of art itself. Both the fantastic building itself and the treasures inside are true wonders which no visitor to paris should miss.

Visit this fantastic museum for free with the Paris Pass – a saving of 8 euros. The Paris Pass is the ultimate package for visitors to this fantastic city with free entry to over 60 attractions and a Metro travelcard. It is everything you need for a stress free sightseeing adventure.

View a full list of all the popular Attractions in Paris on The Paris Pass!