How to Beat the Crowds at the Musée de l'Orangerie
By the BeatTheCrowd team · Updated 21 October 2026 · 3 min read
Quick answer
The Musée de l'Orangerie costs about €12.50, and it's closed on Tuesdays. Book a timed slot online (even with a free ticket). It's open 9 am to 6 pm. Go at 9 am to see Monet's Water Lilies in calm, or after 4 pm. The free first Sunday of the month is very busy.
At a glance
- Adults
- About €12.50
- Free
- Under 18s, EU residents under 26, first Sunday
- Booking
- Timed slot recommended
- Hours
- 9 am to 6 pm
- Closed
- Tuesdays
- Best time
- 9 am, or after 4 pm
- Time to allow
- 1-1.5 hours
How busy is the Orangerie?
The two oval rooms of Water Lilies are the reason most people come, so they get crowded from late morning. There's a queue outside in the Tuileries Garden in summer and on free Sundays.
🔑 The free skip-the-line hack
Before you go, check how busy the Musée de l'Orangerie is likely to be. BeatTheCrowd shows the live crowd level and an hourly forecast for any date, adjusted for French school holidays, events and weather.
Check today’s crowds at Musée de l'Orangerie →Best (and worst) times to go
- 9 am: quiet Water Lilies rooms.
- After 4 pm: calmer before closing.
- Worst: late morning, weekends and free first Sundays.
🔑 The free skip-the-line hack
Our hourly forecast for the Orangerie shows how busy each hour is expected to be on your date.
Check today’s crowds at Musée de l'Orangerie →Insider tips that actually save time
- Book a timed slot to skip the ticket queue.