Visiting the Musée d’Orsay: everything you need to know to explore it with your family

Can you visit the Musée d’Orsay with a stroller? Where to change a baby? Are the different floors accessible by elevator, and what services are available for children? Before exploring Monet, van Gogh, Degas, or Renoir as a family, a few practical details help you plan the outing. Strollers, baby area, elevators, cloakroom, free admission, and a kid-friendly route: here’s what you need to know.

Good news for parents: visiting the Orsay Museum with a toddler doesn’t require turning into a stroller porter on the stairs. Housed in the former Orsay railway station, the museum has elevators and ramps to move between its levels. With a baby, a primary-schooler, and a teenager, the main question becomes less about navigating the building and more about deciding what you want to see.

Is it possible to visit the Orsay Museum with a stroller?

Yes, strollers are allowed at the Musée d’Orsay. The various areas of the museum route, the temporary exhibitions, and the shop spaces are accessible thanks to elevators and ramps. That said, be mindful of particularly bulky equipment: large prams and oversized baby carriers are not permitted inside the museum. If your stroller poses a problem, there is a solution on site. The museum offers free stroller loans at the cloakroom, upon presentation of a form of identification.

Should you plan on carrying your kids up the stairs?

In principle, no. Unlike some Parisian monuments where stairs quickly become the main hurdle with a baby, the elevators let you reach the museum’s different levels with a stroller. It’s a welcome advantage in a building spread across several floors. Still, it’s wise to consult the map before you start the visit to avoid needless back-and-forth, especially when a child starts to tire.

Where can you change a baby at the Musée d’Orsay?

A baby space is available on level -1 of the museum. This is something to look for as soon as you arrive if you’re visiting with a newborn or a toddler in diapers. With a toddler in tow, it’s wise to schedule breaks into the itinerary rather than rushing from gallery to gallery. Orsay is less compact than the Louvre, but a tour of the collections can still stretch on more quickly than you might expect.

What to see at the Orsay Museum with kids?

There’s no need to spell out the entire history of Impressionism to a six-year-old to enjoy the visit. The collections are precisely suited to shaping a route around instantly recognizable works and easily observed themes. Animals, portraits and landscapes can notably serve as a thread for the youngest visitors. Older children can embark on a quest to find works by Monet, Renoir, Degas ou Van Gogh, while the architecture of the old railway station and its big clock offer another way to approach the museum.

The museum also offers tools and itineraries designed for young audiences, as well as an audio guide tailored for children. As at the Louvre, it’s best to select a few works or a theme before your visit rather than trying to plow through all the rooms.

Should children have to pay to enter?

Access to the collections is free for anyone under 18. The free entry also applies to 18- to 25-year-olds who are nationals or long-term residents of an EU member country, under the conditions set by the museum. Even when children benefit from free admission, be sure to check the reservation options before you visit. During school holidays, weekends, or busy periods, booking your time slot in advance remains advisable.

Visiting the Musée d’Orsay with the family: what to keep in mind

Before your visit, here are the key points you should know:

Stroller : welcome in the museum.
Landaus and bulky equipment : not allowed.
Stroller loan : free at the cloakroom, upon presenting an ID.
Baby carrier : beware bulky models, which are not accepted.
Stairs : no need to haul the stroller up and down—the different levels are connected by elevators and ramps.
Baby space : available on level -1.
Children : free admission to the collections for those under 18.
18-25 : free under certain conditions, notably for EU nationals or long-term residents.
Youth : activities and an audio guide tailored for children offered by the museum.
What to see with children : Impressionist works, animals, landscapes, portraits, big clocks, and the architecture of the old railway station.
Reservations : advisable in advance, especially on weekends and during school holidays.
Organization : pick a few artists or themes before your visit to avoid crisscrossing between levels.

With elevator-friendly access, stroller-friendly facilities and a dedicated baby area, the Musée d’Orsay is thus one of Paris’s major museums that’s fairly easy to plan a visit to with a toddler. For older children, it’s better to turn the visit into a curated sampler rather than an inventory: a handful of Monet, Degas, Renoir or Van Gogh paintings, a quick look at the giant clocks, and a glance at the building itself already offer plenty to discover at Orsay without exhausting the whole group.

Musée d'Orsay: booking, prices, free admission, tips and current exhibitions
Would you like to visit the Musée d'Orsay, one of Europe's most visited museums and home to the world's largest collection of Impressionist paintings? We'll be happy to give you all the tips and tricks you need, as well as the works to discover, the current exhibitions, and the rates and free admission available, so you can make the most of your visit in the best possible conditions. [Read more]

This page may contain AI-assisted elements, more information here.