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One day in Paris, France

One day in Paris with children can start at the Musée de l'Orangerie, in the Jardin des Tuileries, go on to the Musée d'Orsay in the afternoon and end in the Jardin du Luxembourg. The Orangerie is closed on Tuesdays and Orsay on Mondays, so do the route between Wednesday and Sunday.

Children are 2 to 11 years old; infants are under 2.

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Updated 21 October 2026

Plan your trip to Paris

The Musée de l'Orangerie in the morning

Start at the Musée de l'Orangerie, in the Jardin des Tuileries on the Seine side, at the Place de la Concorde. It opens every day except Tuesday from 9:00 to 18:00, with the last entry at 17:15, and the rooms begin to close at 17:45. It is also closed on 1 May, on the morning of 14 July and on 25 December, and on Fridays during exhibition periods it stays open until 21:00, with the last entry at 20:15.

Monet gave the Water Lilies to the French State the day after the armistice of 11 November 1918, as a symbol of peace, and they were installed here in 1927, a few months after his death. He conceived a space of two elliptical rooms inside the museum for them, and the cycle is made up of eight compositions.

The Family Area at midday

Before lunch, families with children up to 12 can take a break in the Orangerie's Family Area, whose setting is inspired by the Water Lilies and by Monet's garden at Giverny. It opens during the museum's hours on weekends, on public holidays and in the school holidays, and you can enter with a museum ticket, as long as there is room.

It has activity centers for ages 2 and up and for ages 5 and up, a reading corner and sound nooks with podcasts about the works.

Pregnant women and visitors with babies have priority at the entrance. A lift takes strollers through the whole museum, and there are two baby-changing areas on level -2. Strollers and baby carriers are lent at the cloakroom in exchange for an ID, and bulky prams and baby carriers with a metal frame are not allowed inside.

The Musée d'Orsay in the afternoon

The Musée d'Orsay is on the Esplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, 75007 Paris. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 to 18:00, until 21:45 on Thursdays, and it is closed on Mondays.

Children under 12 have an audioguide of their own to rent, in French or in English. The cloakroom lends strollers in exchange for an ID, and there is a baby room on level -1.

The Jardin du Luxembourg at the end of the day

End the day in the Jardin du Luxembourg. Its hours follow sunrise and sunset and change on the 1st and the 16th of each month: it opens between 7:30 and 8:15, and it closes between 16:30 in December and 21:30 at the end of June, so check the table before you go.

The garden has chess, sandboxes, basketball, bowls, skittles and concerts. Other activities include the playground, swings, sailboats, carousel, ponies and puppet show. Check the official conditions for each activity.

Walking on the lawns is not allowed, nor are bicycles and scooters, and the garden has public toilets.

Plan your one day in Paris

Because the Orangerie is closed on Tuesdays and the Musée d'Orsay on Mondays, plan this route from Wednesday to Sunday, and check the hours of each museum before you go. Check each museum’s official admission and reservation conditions before visiting.

At the Orangerie, a timed ticket is recommended. In both museums nobody may run, touch the works, or eat and drink in the galleries, and photos are allowed without a flash or a selfie stick.

Metro lines 1, 8 and 12 stop at Concorde, the station for the Orangerie. For the Jardin du Luxembourg, take RER B to Luxembourg-Sénat or the Metro to Odéon, on lines 4 and 10.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you spend one day in Paris with children?

See Monet's Water Lilies at the Orangerie first, take a break in its Family Area, spend the afternoon at the Musée d'Orsay and finish in the Jardin du Luxembourg. Pick a day between Wednesday and Sunday, when both museums are open.

Where are Monet's Water Lilies in Paris?

At the Musée de l'Orangerie, in the Jardin des Tuileries: the cycle has eight compositions, in the two elliptical rooms that the painter conceived for it. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.

What should families check before visiting the museums?

Check each museum’s official admission and reservation conditions. A timed ticket is recommended at the Orangerie.

What can children do in the Jardin du Luxembourg?

Activities include the sandboxes, playground, swings, sailboats, carousel, ponies and puppet show. Check the official conditions for each activity.