A tourist’s dream, Paris is where you can find all in close vicinity – whether it’s the perfectly planned boulevards, lavishly ornamented Maisons, or architectural wonders like the Notre Dame. Call it a photographer’s muse or an artist’s inspiration, the city has quite a lot to offer to its lovers. The city of Light is infamous for its remarkable history and contributions to the art world. Home to some of the iconic art galleries and museums in the world, including the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, the city also hosts many small museums.
Musée Rodin is one such gem, located away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and takes just about an hour if you’re looking for a short and relaxing art journey.
Musée Rodin - In a Nutshell
Handy information
| ⏰ Suggested Duration: | 1 hour |
| 🚇 Closest Metro Stop: | Invalides |
| ☀️ Best Time to Visit: | Morning or Late Evening |
| 💜 Must See: | The Gates Of Hell |
| 🎟️ Musée Rodin Entry Ticket: | €13.80 |
| 🎫 Rodin Museum + Picasso Museum | €25.81 |
Must-see
Casa del Guarda
The Stairway
Sala Hipóstila
Plaça de la Natura or the Greek Theatre
Austria Gardens
Things to know
Number of visitors per year: 7,00,000
Number of art pieces: 21600
Established: 1916
Architect: Jean Juste Gustave Lisch
Architectural style: Classical
Opening Hours And Address
Open Tuesday to Sunday - 10am - 6:30pm.
Entry closes at 5:45pm.
77 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris, France
Get there
Why Visit Musée Rodin?
The museum is dedicated to the French sculptor Auguste Rodin, who is also known as the founder of modern sculpture. The artist’s former residence, the Hôtel Biron is one among the two Rodin museums in Paris, with the other being his studio in Meudon. The museum holds his largest collection, with about 7,000 of his drawings and prints, and more than 6,000 sculptures.
Rodin was not just an artist, but a collector of art who curated several works in his life. His interest in cultural artefacts is reflected in the museum, with his extensive collection of ceramics, drawings, paintings, photographs, and more collected over time, with pieces from Egypt, Greece, Italy, and the Middle East. His collection includes paintings of maestros like Van Gogh and Pierre Auguste. The museum also displays the sculptures and paintings of artists Camille Claudel and Claude Monet. And luckily, most of these are on display, for you to see, except a few kept away for conservation.
He was a lover of nature and took great care of the garden in the museum, which is framed with roses. Featuring a simple axial layout with a water feature at the center, he has integrated some of his sculptures there, which the visitors can stroll around and see.
Whether you’re looking for sculptures, historical paintings, a place to unwind, or are just on the lookout for your next inspiration, be sure to visit the Musée Rodin!
Which Musée Rodin Tickets should you buy?
Looking for seamless ticket booking experience for your visit to the Musée Rodin in Paris?
Grab your Musée Rodin Tickets here.
Children under 18 and EU citizens under 26 can enter for free.
Plan your visit
Best time to visit the Musée Rodin
- Spring (March to May) is when the garden start showing signs of new blooms and display its eye-catching floral collections.
- Plus, hotel prices tend to be a tad lesser during these months.
Musée Rodin Timings
- Musée Rodin is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am - 6:30pm. The entry closes 45 before the closing time, at 5:45pm.
- The museum remains closed on all Mondays, and on the following days - January 1, May 1 and December 25.
- The museum closes early on December 24 and 31, at 5:30pm.The entry closes 45 before the closing time, at 4:45pm.
Getting to Musée Rodin
By Bus
- 69 - Get down at Esplanade des Invalides
- 87 - Get down at Duquesne - Lowendal
- 82, 92 - Get down at Vauban - Hôtel des Invalides
The following bus routes pass through Musée Rodin:
By Metro
- Take line 13 and stop at Varenne or you can take line 13/line 8 and stop at Invalides. The museum is just a few minutes walk away.
By Vélib' (Rental Bike Service)
- Take a bike from your nearest bike station, and stop at 9 boulevard des Invalides.
By RER (Train)
- Take line C, and get down at Invalides stop. The museum is just a few minutes walk away.
By Car
- The museum is located at 77 Rue Varanne in the 7th arrondissement, right next to the Invalides.
Type 77 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris, France on your smartphone/GPS app and follow the directions.
History behind the Musée Rodin Mansion
The Musée Rodin building was originally a mansion known as Hôtel Peyrenc de Moras, which was given out to tenants from 1788 onwards. Auguste Rodin rented four rooms on the ground floor in 1908 and later took over the whole building for himself in 1911. Now known as the Hôtel Biron, the building was then in the process of being purchased by the French state when Rodin negotiated.
He proclaimed to donate all his works to the French state, under the condition he gets the right to live and keep all the collections at the Hôtel Biron, which was agreed upon. The museum was later renovated in the 1960s, in 2003, and the latest one which took nearly three years to complete reopened in November 2015 on the birthday of Auguste Rodin. And that’s how we get to see the artist’s journey carefully preserved today at the Musée Rodin.
Intricate Details Of Musée Rodin
Auguste Rodin's sculptures invoke a sense of naturality. His sculptures are known for their unfinished look, sculpted after human bodies. Unlike their Greek counterparts, his works were appreciated for the sense of rawness.
Designed in rococo style by architect Jean Aubert, Hôtel Biron was built in 1732. The sprawling mansion is spread across eighteen rooms, with a high ceiling, making it the perfect canvas for displaying Rodin’s works.
The interiors feature windows framed by fine masonry and ornate hand-carved woodwork. The space has large windows to stream sunlight in, creating a natural spotlight for his works. The parquet tiles and wooden panelling blends in with the raw elegance of the space.
The collection includes:
- 6,600 Sculptures
- 8,000 Drawings
- 8,000 Old photographs
- 7,000 Objets d’art
The Musée Rodin Garden
The French-style seven-acre garden is the highlight of the museum. Divided into thematic areas, the garden gives a good view of the Eiffel Tower as well as a breath of fresh air. Offering an unbounded space for visitors to stroll around, the beautiful gardens hit the spot by providing the right ambience for his masterpieces displayed there, like The Thinker and The Gates of Hell or the Orpheus, shaded amidst the trees.
With the flowers always in full bloom, the garden is a fragrant visual treat. The garden hosts yellow forsythia, pink viburnums, blue ceanothus, roses, hydrangeas, and more.
Map of Musée Rodin
Top Things to See Inside Musée Rodin
Originally commissioned for a new museum in Paris in 1880, Rodin spend many years passionately working on this project. Inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, he depicts the first part - Dante’s Inferno on a life-size pair of gates. The gates contain more than 180 figures trying to escape massive swirls, as if like a warning about hell. The gate was reconstructed and cast in bronze later on, which Rodin never got to see in his lifetime.
The Kiss is yet another sculpture inspired by Dante. The marble sculpture originally represented lovers Paolo and Francesca from Dante’s Divine Comedy, exchnaging their first kiss. However Rodin later on decided that the depiction does not match the then new theme of the museum, and exhibited it as independent work in 1887. The sculpture has been an inspiration for many artists, and there are many recreations of the same by Rodin.
The Thinker depicts a man sitting on a pedestal, made of stone with his hand on the chin. The sculpture represents the thinking process and has been used to represent Philosophy for many years. There are about 28 life-sized reproductions of the same, though all were not supervised by Rodin. The man lost in thoughts artistically portrays both poetry and intellect, as per Rodin.
Père Tanguy, by Van Gogh is one of the excuisite paintings collected by Rodin. Featuring the old man, a colour grinder from whom Van Gogh used to exchange art supplies from, is painted in a Neo-Impressionist style. The image captures the man's modesty and kindness, and represents him as a Japanese sage against the backdrop of brightly coloured Japanese prints.
The sculpture by Camille Claudel, Rodin's pupil turned mistress until the end of their relationship 1898, represents her life through this personal art piece. It depicts a dancing couple, spinning in a close embrace, conveying the idea of passion and sensuality. Despite the criticism received initially, the art work has sustained its reputation over time. The sculpture was later on cast in bronze, over the plaster.
Insider Tips
- Try to avoid visiting on weekends, since that’s when most places including a museum are packed.
- Read up on Auguste Rodin in advance, so the trip will be more fun and interesting.
- Keep your phone on silent and turn off notifications before entering the museum for a seamless and distraction-free experience.
- Get tickets in advance to skip the lines and not tire yourself out.
- Do not forget to get the audio guides.
- Wear comfy clothes and shoes, since you have to walk around inside and stay focused on the exhibits rather than that tacky clothing.
- Have a snack before entering the museum, since it would typically take an hour or so before you get out.
Places to visit around Musée Rodin
Les Invalides is a complex of buildings containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France. The most prominent building is the domed church of Saint-Louis des Invalides, which serves as the final resting place for many famous French generals and war heroes.
The Musée de l'Armée is one of the largest military museums in the world. The museum traces its origins back to Napoleon Bonaparte, who decreed that a museum should be established to house the artifacts collected during his military campaigns. Today, the collection has grown to include over 500,000 items.
The Musee D'Orsay, situated on the left bank of the Seine, is home to a wealth of impressionist and post-impressionist artwork. The museum is housed in a former railway station and has an impressive collection of paintings by Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, and other well-known artists.
The Pont Alexandre III is a bridge that spans the Seine River, named after Tsar Alexander III, who commissioned the bridge in 1896. It is often cited as an example of Art Nouveau architecture. The Pont Alexandre III offers stunning views of some of Paris’s most iconic landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral.
FAQs
The best time to visit would be from March to May, in the morning when crowds tend to be fewer.
A ticket to Musée Rodin for an adult costs 12.80 Euros with Headout. If you are under 18, the tickets are free.
It would take an hour to cover the entire museum.
Yes, children don’t need tickets. Everyone under 18 is assured of a free entry.
Yes, Musée Rodin open is on all days, except Mondays.
Photoshoots should only be conducted with prior permission, and a fee may apply. Non commercial photographs can be taken only in the permanent collections gallery.
