Lovely little museum of Monet's art. We stopped by after visiting Monet's house & gardens. We…read moreenjoyed reading about his life and works and seeing his paintings. We spent around 30min-45min.

Free entry to the museum was all we needed to hear! After a wonderful few hours at Monet's…read moregardens, we saw the sign welcoming visitors so we went inside 3 rooms of widely spaced artworks & this exhibition was covering comparisons of Monet and Rothko. Never would have thought to compare the two but it worked! Lots of benches to sit & gaze at the masters & contemplate their works We were fans!

An item on my bucket list- this one didn't disappoint. It was such a beautiful half day trip from…read moreParis. We took the train first to Vernon which was a small town and there are shuttles that take you to Giverny. The gardens are beautiful and remind me of Filoli Garden in the Bay Area. If you go there, I would first check out Monet's house because it gets crowded with lines. Monet's house was full of japanese artwork as well as his own. The best part was the side area that leads to the lily ponds. It was picturesque and felt surreal to be on the area that inspired his Les Nympheas pieces.

April 16th 2026 came here from our Viking river cruise on the Seine from Paris. Viking arranged it…read moreso that we were able to get in early before the 9:30 a.m. opening. Expansive gardens. We walked around a large Lily pond with a water release, a Japanese bridge, landcaped colorful flowers in bloom. We could see how Claude Monet was inspired to paint his water lily paints based on the attractions here. Also able to get into Monet's house and see the gardens from a distance. By the time we left at 11:00 the house was wall to wall with people, with only a few being able to get in at any one time. An afternoon group tour later was unable to get in to the house due to huge crowds. Boardwalks and walkways throughout the gardens and over the Lily pons. Fortunately in the morning the crowds were manageable in the gardens. 42 miles from Paris not easily reached by public transportation so a bus ride with tour guide might be most convenient.

One of those surprising things you weren't expecting! A steampunk like museum dedicated to turn if…read morethe century motors and engines. The friendly owner often has one fired up for visitors to see. All the engines are in one big room. Placards explain their history in French and English. It won't take long to just take a look since the building is halfway between Monet's gardens and the church where he is buried. Tip jar for donations.

From the owner: Tous au musée Le musée est situé à quelques mètres de la Seine et du centre ville. Il programme…read moreplusieurs expositions par an sur des thèmes différents. Il est très appréciable de pouvoir profiter de la gratuité pour tous le mercredi ainsi que tous les jours pour les enfants et scolaires. Tout le monde a la possibilité de s'instruire.

Spectacular museum! Amazing art and beautiful setting. I loved the impressionist art…read more Definitely worth visiting.

I've been to Musée d'Orsay twice over the years and have left both times feeling awed by what I saw…read moreand rueful of all I'd so obviously missed. You can't even speed run the place in two or three hours, and you probably need days or a lifetime to appreciate it in full. My more recent visit was earlier this month, with my husband and kids and other sundry family members, who spread out and explored the museum on their own. The d'Orsay opens at 9:30 in the morning and we booked tickets in advance for 10:00 entry. Getting in was quick and easy, and the crowd was pretty reasonable for the first hour or so, which we spent on the fifth floor. By the time we got to the special exhibit on the ground level, around noon, every room was thronged. We didn't make it to the second floor at all. The museum is a global treasure, a beautiful place with a staggering collection of French art, including the world's largest trove of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings. The d'Orsay was once the Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. It would be worth visiting for the architecture and use of space and light alone. The art, of course, is genuinely amazing. If you have even a passing familiarity with paintings as a genre, you will walk around the d'Orsay going, "Oh, THAT's here?" I saw multiple paintings I'd encountered in jigsaw puzzles, or on the covers of Debussy piano books. Manet, Cezánne, Gauguin, Degas; a whole room of Van Gogh, including one of his most recognizable self-portraits and his "Bedroom in Arles" (a very enjoyable 2,000-piece puzzle). Monet everywhere--I guess the d'Orsay owns 86 of his paintings. I loved the mini-exhibit of five paintings of the Rouen Cathedral, and even my six-year-old appreciated, if purely for subject matter, "The Saint-Lazare Station." Our kids, it turns out, do not yet appreciate art, and were in ragged form for much of our visit. Our three-year-old demanded to be carried at all times and kept insisting he didn't like "these pictures." (He also objected to his first nude, "The Bathers" by Renoir: "Why aren't they wearing any clothes, even? They can wear pants. They can cover themselves.") We had to take a breather in the underground cafe, with water and snacks, and this gave us enough steam to make it back out to the main floor. We managed to zip through a few of the many rooms lining the main corridor on our way up to the Renoir exhibit at the front of the museum. This part of our visit could not have been more cursory, and yet we stumbled upon Courbet's self-portrait, "The Desperate Man"--a cool painting I'd never seen before--and Millet's "The Angelus," a painting I'd learned about at the d'Orsay many years earlier. The Renoir exhibit (Renoir and Love: A Joyful Modernity, apparently just ended) was spectacular, an expansive collection of iconic paintings displayed for maximum impact. It was also jam packed and slightly unpleasant to navigate with two children on the verge of meltdown. I'd love to go back to Paris and explore the d'Orsay at my leisure. I'm sure it'd also be worthwhile to go with a guide, and perhaps two older, well-behaved children who might get something out of the experience. In the meantime, I'm grateful I've been able to see the place at all. It's a marvelous museum, one of the greatest in the world.

I was very impressed walking through this building. The display is in the information told me…read morethings that I never knew about something that I thought I knew quite a bit of bad. The presentation was well conceived and comfortable. There were plenty of places to stop and listen with the language interpretation headsets that were presented before going on the tour. It's self guided and at your own pace. It worked out wonderfully period it is attached to the Basilica which are able to wander around on the inside which is an amazing structure that was rebuilt after World War II you can imagine the massive size of this name out of work that went into restoring it to its former glory. Be sure to see this little storyboard showing the rebuild.

While I would say that it can be a little difficult to find, being located in a small alleyway…read morebeside the Rouen Cathedral, it is about Jeanne d'arc, and anything about Jeanne is pretty clearly advertised in and around Rouen (in fact they clearly mark all of the significant Jeanne related spots in the city). This isn't actually your ordinary museum, and it definitely isn't her house (you are going to have to go out into the French countryside to actually find her birthplace), but it is a museum that is dedicated to her (I believe that it is the former Archbishop's residence). The museum is more like a guided documentary that follows the second trial of Jeanne, the one that acquitted here (after she had been burnt at the stake mind you) and goes through all aspects of her life, her time in the military, the Battle of Orleans, and of course here capture, trial, and eventual execution. As it is set up as a video where you move from room to room for a different part, they only let people in every fifteen minutes, and the entire tour takes around an hour and a half (depending on how long you spend in the final rooms that look at her legacy). Certainly a different way to set up a museum, and definitely a place to visit if you happen to be in Rouen.

April 23, 2026 we visited the Louvre. Tried buying tickets online, but could not get any morning…read moretickets one week in advance. They do not take American Express credit cards. Finally signed up with Tiquets for a tour for two with accompanied guide for $164.73 double the normal entrance fee. Unlike Versailles Palace, the Louvre is right in the center of Paris, and easy to get to by metro subway. The Louvre is 22 euros for EEC country residents, and 32 euros for everyone else. Children under 12 are free. If you buy a discounted ticket or are a child, you must show your passport at the entrance to prove eligibility. Although the Louvre is a huge museum, the portion we were interested in was quite small, 18th and 19th century impressionist and historic paintings. We accompanied our tour guide at 10am, and were finished by 2pm, including having lunch. We saw The Winged Victory statue, and the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Devinci, surrounded by rope barriers and guards, keeping people 15 feet away. Only thing missing was bullet proof glass barriers. Loved the paintings of the French revolution, and paintings of Napoleon and his foes, including British sailing warships, in addition to the impressionist paintings. If you are into impressionist paintings the Museum Orsay might be a better choice. Crowds not too bad on a weekday morning, but forget about coming here on an afternoon, unless it is just before closing time.

If you visit this massive museum, bring a teen with you and let them help you navigate it! I would…read morehave never found the Mona Lisa without my teen daughter lol. Allow yourself time to visit here. Wear comfy shoes because it's super huge. Lots of tourists everywhere. I would recommend a tour guide to help get around if you don't have a teenager. Great souvenir shops. Outside they line you up by ticket start time and you will not get in any earlier than what you were slotted for. If it's summer, bring a hat or umbrella to shield you from the sun. Perfect morning well spent.

Orangerie Museum, Paris, France -- April 12…read more Our family of four with kids ages 9 and 10 visited after a morning at the Louvre, looking for a more relaxed museum experience. It ended up being one of the most enjoyable stops of the trip. Arrival and First Impressions The museum is smaller and much calmer than the Louvre, which made it an easy transition after a busy morning. The space is bright with beautiful natural light and a peaceful atmosphere. We arrived without reservations, and it took about 45 minutes to enter the museum. The Highlights Monet's water lilies are the centerpiece and absolutely worth the visit. The scale, color, and immersive layout of the rooms make it a unique experience. We also enjoyed seeing works by artists like Matisse and Renoir. The park outside was a great bonus and gave the kids space to run around afterward. The Challenges We waited about 45 minutes to get in without reservations, which could have been avoided with advance tickets. Final Thoughts This museum was my personal favorite and a place we would absolutely visit again. It is a great option for families or anyone looking for a more manageable and peaceful museum experience. It is definitely worth it, especially if you plan ahead

The Louvre Museum was a horrible but the IOrangerie was/is the best museum in Paris. Customer…read moreservice was good. The staff would look us in the eye and guided us to a beautiful experience. The Impressionist Artist are my favorite and sitting in the space, enjoying and learning from the work has inspired me to keep painting. Pls visit this museum it honors the artist while allowing us to set, view and breath the air these works sit and n.

Well going and seeing history first hand is so fun. Let alone the travel to come and see it. The…read morecoffee was great and the tour was wonderful. The desert was so tasty.

It was so cool to visit the little town of Auvers-sur-Oise where Vincent Van Gogh spent the final,…read moreyet very productive, 70 days of his life before his suicide death at age 37. We stood at the very spots where he painted some wheat fields, where he painted the town city hall, and where he painted the local church. We saw the inn where he rented a room for those final days. Visiting here definitely gives you a sense of connection with one of the world's greatest painters. He painted what he felt from the scene in front of him and the style of his 2100 paintings was ahead of his time as he never achieved any fame until well after his death. It's well worth a visit!

April 18th 2026 visited this museum in Rouen France as part of our continuation of our Viking river…read morecruise. The second largest collection of impressionist paintings in France outside of Paris. Prominent painters include Claude Monet ,Camille Pissaro, Alfred Sisley and Pierre Renoir. Enjoyed not only the landscapes with boats on the Seine river, but paintings of the architecture from the Roman empire, castles of the middle ages, and Viking raids along the Seine river. And of course the portrait paintings of people in the late 19th century. Spent about 2 hours in this museum as I was a big fan of French impressionist paintings. And it was free. A relaxing change from the lengthy entrance lines and wall to wall crowds at the museums in Paris, 70 miles away, and no advance ticket sales required.

Two fortunate things happened when I came here. Firstly the computers were down so we got in for…read morefree, and secondly they had an exhibition on a group of impressionists. In fact a lot of paintings that I didn't see in the Mussee d'Orsay weren't there because they happened to be here. While the exhibition (or exposition as they say it in French) was impressive, the rest of the museum was doubly so. In fact the museum is not only quite large, but also has a pretty decent collection of paintings, and other works of art, as well. In fact it can be easy to get lost. Unfortunately, not all of the halls were open, which was a bit of a shame, but we did get to see quite a lot.