Marmottan or Orangerie: which to choose for Monet?
Two Monet museums that don’t look alike
People ask me about this almost every week in the garden, so here’s the picture I sketch out on a corner of the table. The Orangerie is a whole: eight panels Monet gifted to France, installed in two oval rooms with natural light, plus the Walter-Guillaume collection in the basement. The Marmottan is a collection: over a hundred canvases from the Giverny studio, from Impression, soleil levant to the final Japanese Bridge, housed in a private mansion that also features Berthe Morisot, illuminated manuscripts, and Empire furniture.
| Musée Marmottan Monet | Musée de l'Orangerie | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Monet works | Over a hundred works | The eight panels of Monet's Water Lilies, plus the Walter-Guillaume collection |
| What you'll see | Impression, soleil levant, the series, the Water Lilies from the studio, Morisot | Two oval rooms of monumental Water Lilies, Renoir to Picasso in the basement |
| Duration | 1 h 30 à 2 h | 1 h à 1 h 30 |
| Closed Day | Monday | Tuesday |
| Booking | No, ticket at the door, no time slot | Dated ticket, time slot to choose |
| Crowds | Quiet, often alone in the Monet room | Busy in the afternoon and on weekends |
| Neighborhood | Passy, Ranelagh Garden, 16th | Tuileries Garden, Place de la Concorde |
| Museum Pass | Not accepted | Accepted |
If you only have half a day
For Monet, the Marmottan. Quantity is on its side, variety too, and you can enter without booking. For a spatial experience, the panels surrounding you, the Orangerie—and there, you need a time slot, preferably the first one in the morning. The two Water Lilies are compared in detail on the Water Lilies at the Marmottan. I’m not saying one museum is better than the other—I’m saying they don’t show the same thing.
Both in the same day
It’s doable, and it’s the day I recommend to those coming to Paris for Monet. In this order: the Marmottan at opening, 10 a.m., no reservation, 1 hour 30 minutes on site. Lunch around La Muette. Then line 9 to Franklin D. Roosevelt, line 1 to Concorde, 25 to 30 minutes, and the Orangerie with a timed ticket booked for 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. Bus 63 also covers the route nearby. The reverse order works less well: the Orangerie is quietest in the morning, and the Marmottan is calm all day. Don’t waste the morning on the museum that doesn’t need it.
The schedule
On Mondays, the Marmottan is closed, the Orangerie is open. On Tuesdays, it’s the opposite. If your stay falls on one of these two days, the question answers itself. The Marmottan’s opening hours are on a dedicated page. And if you’re looking for Paris’s third Monet museum, the one for context, it’s Orsay, on where to see Monet in Paris.
What works
- Two different Monet museums, half an hour apart
- Different closing days can still work out
- Marmottan without a reservation, Orangerie with a chosen time slot
- A full, cohesive day, from the studio to the panels
Good to know
- Marmottan is closed on Mondays, Orangerie on Tuesdays: check the calendar
- The Museum Pass works at the Orangerie, not at Marmottan
- The Orangerie is busier in the afternoon than in the morning
- The Orangerie ticket is non-refundable
Book your Orangerie time slot last, after setting your morning at Marmottan. Marmottan won’t ask for anything, but the Orangerie will require a precise time—it’s the one that dictates your day, so that’s the one you reserve.
Book the Orangerie for the afternoon
Frequently asked questions
Are the Marmottan and the Orangerie the same museum?
No. The Orangerie is a national museum at Place de la Concorde, while the Marmottan is a private museum in the 16th arrondissement. Both have Monet works, but not the same ones. See the Water Lilies at the Marmottan.
Which has the most Monet works?
The Marmottan, with over a hundred works, the world’s largest collection. The Orangerie has the eight monumental panels. The Marmottan’s itinerary is on the what to see page.
How do I get from the Marmottan to the Orangerie?
Line 9 to Franklin D. Roosevelt, then line 1 to Concorde, 25 to 30 minutes. See how to get there by metro.
Do I need to book both?
No. The Marmottan can be visited without a reservation. The Orangerie sells timed tickets, and the slot matters. See whether to book.