Paris Museums Open Monday and Tuesday: How to Plan Around Closures

On Monday, choose the Louvre, Orangerie or Musée de l'Armée. On Tuesday, choose Orsay, Rodin, Picasso or Carnavalet. The Louvre and Orangerie close Tuesday. Orsay, Versailles, Rodin, Picasso and Carnavalet close Monday. Musée de l'Armée at Invalides is normally open every day.

Do not leave the closure day for whatever museum happens to be open. Match it to what you want to see, then build the neighborhood around it. Monday at the Louvre leads naturally to Palais-Royal and the Marais. Tuesday at Orsay pairs with Saint-Germain. Tuesday at Picasso or Carnavalet keeps the whole day in the Marais.

The Louvre

The Louvre normally opens Monday from 9am to 6pm and closes Tuesday. Book a morning time and choose a collection route before arriving. This is the obvious Monday anchor when the museum is a major reason for your trip.

Musée de l'Orangerie

The Orangerie opens Monday from 9am to 6pm and closes Tuesday. Choose it for Monet's Water Lilies and a more focused visit. Add the Tuileries and Place de la Concorde rather than forcing another major museum into the same day.

Musée de l'Armée

The Musée de l'Armée at Invalides opens daily from 10am to 6pm, apart from its annual holiday closures. Its ticket includes the permanent collections, exhibitions and Napoleon's tomb under the Dôme. Choose it when military history and the Invalides complex interest you more than painting.

Musée d'Orsay

Orsay opens Tuesday and closes Monday. Choose it for art from 1848 to 1914, especially when Impressionism is the priority. A morning visit leaves the afternoon for rue du Bac and Saint-Germain.

Musée Rodin

The Rodin Museum and sculpture garden open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 6:30pm. It is a good Tuesday alternative when you want art and time outside. The winter garden closes earlier as daylight changes.

Musée Picasso Paris

Musée Picasso opens Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30am to 6pm. The museum suggests roughly 90 minutes to two hours. Pair it with Place des Vosges and the northern Marais rather than crossing Paris for another collection.

Musée Carnavalet

Carnavalet opens Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Its permanent collection on the history of Paris is free and does not require a reservation. Temporary exhibitions have separate tickets and timed booking is recommended.

Monday: Louvre, Palais-Royal and the Marais

Book the Louvre in the morning, have lunch after leaving, then walk through Palais-Royal. Continue to the Marais by Métro line 1 or on foot if you want a longer city walk. Our Louvre food guide gives several breakfast and lunch choices, including quick bakery stops and a proper bistro table.

Tuesday: Orsay, rue du Bac and Saint-Germain

Start at Orsay, then have lunch near rue du Bac. Walk south and east through Saint-Germain, stopping for coffee or shopping rather than adding another ticket. Our Orsay food guide explains which restaurants work before, during and after the museum.

If you prefer the Marais, replace Orsay with Picasso or Carnavalet. Picasso is the paid, artist-focused visit. Carnavalet is the free choice for the history of Paris. They are close enough that the neighborhood remains the plan.

The Louvre normally stays open until 9pm on Wednesday and Friday. Orsay normally stays open until 9:45pm on Thursday. The Orangerie offers selected Friday late openings during exhibition periods, and Musée Picasso stays open until 10pm on the first Wednesday of the month.

A late opening is useful when you would rather keep daylight for gardens, shopping or a day trip. Give it enough time to be worthwhile. Last admission and gallery clearing happen before the published closing time.

Check the official calendar for the exact date. Exhibitions, holidays, strikes, renovations and room closures can change what is available even when the building opens on its normal day.

The Palace of Versailles closes Monday. Do not use Monday for travel to Versailles expecting the Palace to be open. The estate is large enough to deserve its own decision on another day.

Our Versailles day-trip guide covers the Palace, gardens and Trianon route. If you are still deciding whether it belongs in the trip at all, compare it with Giverny and Fontainebleau in the Paris day-trip guide.

If the Louvre and Orsay are both priorities, put them on separate days. Use our two-day Paris museum itinerary for the route, food and pacing. If only one fits, the Louvre or Orsay comparison helps choose by collection rather than reputation.

For ticket details, see the Louvre ticket guide. The broader first-visit booking guide puts museums in order with the Eiffel Tower and Versailles.