All visits around the Musée Gustave Moreau
Why the museum itself is not the focus of this page
I have been going to the Musée Moreau at least once a month for fifteen years, often with a group, sometimes alone on a Thursday morning. I have never had to queue there. The house receives around 40,000 visitors per year, which, for a national museum located in Paris, is very few. The ticket is one of the least expensive in the city, it is free on the first Sunday of the month and for EU nationals under 26, and it grants access to both studios and the apartment. All this is detailed on the page tickets and free admission; I will not repeat it here.
The interesting question, therefore, lies elsewhere: what do you do with the rest of the day? The visit lasts one hour, one and a half if you open the shutters of the drawing cabinets. You leave around midday with a whole afternoon ahead of you, in a neighbourhood that lends itself to walking. That is where the choice is made, and that is where the visits I compare become relevant.
A museum day: the pass and Orsay
Two different approaches. The Paris Museum Pass covers the Musée Gustave Moreau and around sixty other sites over consecutive days; it only makes sense if you plan to visit several major museums in a row, and you must accept the timed-entry slots at the Louvre and the Orangerie. Guided tours of Orsay, on the other hand, are justified by the paintings: Moreau’s Orpheus, Galatea and Jason are displayed there, and you understand the sketches on rue de La Rochefoucauld better after seeing what he submitted to the Salon. The group tour is led in English by an art historian; the one limited to six people is available in French.
Includes the Musée Gustave MoreauParis Museum Pass: 2, 4 or 6 days
Personal favouriteMusée d’Orsay: guided tour of the masterpieces
Small groupMusée d’Orsay: guided tour for a maximum of six people
The neighbourhood: Garnier and Montmartre
The Palais Garnier is a ten- to twelve-minute walk to the south. Montmartre is to the north, via Pigalle, a twenty- to twenty-five-minute climb. In both cases, there are two options. For Garnier, a self-guided entry to explore at your own pace, or a tour led by an actress playing an Opéra dancer. For Montmartre, a group walk with an English-speaking guide, or a private tour starting at Blanche metro station, which can be done in French. These are the activities my visitors most often book after the museum, as they require no transport.
Most bookedPalais Garnier: self-guided visit
UnusualPalais Garnier: theatrical guided tour
WalkMontmartre: guided art, culture and gourmet walk
PrivateMontmartre: private walking tour
How to choose
- You are staying for two days or more and want the Louvre, Orsay and the Orangerie: the pass, provided you book the time slots before you leave.
- You are coming for 19th-century painting and want to understand where Moreau stands in relation to the Impressionists: a guided tour of the Musée d’Orsay, the six-person version if you want it in French.
- You have half a day, children, or tired legs: the Palais Garnier on a self-guided visit, ten minutes away, with no transport required.
- You want to walk and see the Paris of the painters who followed Moreau: Montmartre, preferably in the late afternoon.
My combination when asked for a single day: the Musée Gustave Moreau at opening time, 10 a.m., when the studios are empty; lunch on rue des Martyrs; the Palais Garnier or Orsay in the afternoon. The schedules and possible sequences are on the page how long the visit lasts.
Paris Museum Pass availability
The pass is the only reservation that includes the Musée Gustave Moreau. Check the dates below, bearing in mind that the days are consecutive and that the museum is closed on Tuesdays.
I have written a detailed review for each of the seven tours, including visitors’ comments and what I disliked: they are all on the page our reviews. For the museum itself, start with the complete guide.
Frequently asked questions
Should I book the Musée Gustave Moreau in advance?
No. The museum does not sell timed entry slots and is rarely crowded: you buy your ticket at the counter upon arrival, or on the official website if you prefer. Cases of free admission and the combined reduced rate with five other museums are explained on the tickets page.
Which visit can I combine with the Musée Moreau in one day?
The simplest option is the Palais Garnier, a ten- or twelve-minute walk away: the museum in the morning, the opera in the afternoon, with no need for the metro. If you prefer painting, take line 12 to Solférino for a guided tour of the Musée d’Orsay. Hour-by-hour itineraries are available on the length of visit page.
Is the Paris Museum Pass worth it for the Musée Moreau alone?
No. The museum’s ticket is modestly priced, and the pass only makes sense if visiting three or four major museums in two days. It becomes worthwhile if the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, and the Musée de l’Orangerie are also on your itinerary; I explain the rule of consecutive days on the Paris Museum Pass page.
Are these visits in French?
Not all of them. The group tour of the Musée d’Orsay and the group walking tour of Montmartre are conducted in English. The Musée d’Orsay tour for six people and the private tour of Montmartre are available in French, and the theatrical tour of the Palais Garnier offers separate slots in French and English.