Opened in 1919 in the private Parisian mansion where French sculptor Auguste Rodin collected his best works, the Rodin Museum is dedicated to the complex life and work of one of France’s most revered artists. The permanent collection at the main Paris site includes several masterpieces, including “The Thinker” and lesser-known works by Rodin himself, his brilliant student Camille Claudel, and others. Meanwhile, temporary exhibitions explore lesser-known aspects of the artist’s work. The Rodin Museum is also famous for its vast and amazing sculpture garden, one that is invariably a delight to wander and dream about.
There is also a secondary site for the museum at Meudon, on the outskirts of Paris, which houses plaster and wax studies of many of Rodin’s most important works. Top Rodin fans should visit the main site in Paris, then consider a trip to the Meudon branch to explore in more detail how Rodin developed his creative vision.
Temporary exhibitions:
The Rodin Museum regularly hosts temporary exhibitions that explore specific aspects of Rodin’s work, their collaborations and mutual influences with other artists, and other subjects. Visit this page for a list of current temporary exhibitions at the museum.
Highlights of the Permanent Collection:
The permanent collection at the museum includes over 6,000 sculptures (many of which are at the museum’s secondary site at Meudon outside of Paris) in bronze, marble, plaster, wax, and other materials. The plasters are found in Meudon, while the finished marble and bronze sculptures are collected on the main site of the Hotel Biron in Paris.
The sculpture collection on the Hotel Biron site houses some of Rodin’s most treasured works, including The Kiss, The Thinker, Fugit Amor, Thought, and a series of sculptures portraying the celebrated French writer Honoré de Balzac. There are also fifteen major works by Camille Claudel, Rodin’s talented student and lover time and again.
The collection of the Hotel Biron in Paris also features sketches, paintings and photographs used by Rodin for modeling in the early stages of his work, in addition to an extensive archive.
The sculpture garden in the museum:
Admission to the lush sculpture garden located behind the main museum will cost you an additional (nominal) fee, but on a sunny, warm day, it is well worth the additional cost. Spread over three hectares, the sculpture garden features several monumental bronze works by Rodin, as well as several marble busts and statues dating back to Roman antiquity. The garden also features a wide variety of plants and flowers, linden-lined walkways, a restaurant and a café.
Rodin’s main works in the garden:
- The Thinker (large scale, bronze)
- The Burghers of Calais (studies, bronze)
- Orpheus
- Hell’s doors
Location and contact information:
Address: 79, rue de Varenne, 7th arrondissement
Telephone: +33 (0) 1 44 18 61 10
Metro: Varenne (line 13), Invalides (line 8 or 13); RER: Invalids (line C); Bus: 69, 82, 87, 92
Information on the Web: visit the official website (in English)
Places of interest and attractions near the museum:
- Tower eiffel
- Museo de Orsay
- The disabled
Opening hours:
The museum, garden and shop are open from 10 am to 6:30 pm (Tuesday to Sunday)
Closed on Mondays.
Closed: January 1, May 1 and December 25.
Tickets and Admission:
- Free for all visitors the first Sunday of each month from October to March.
- Free for visitors under 18 years of age.
- Free for visitors between the ages of 18 and 25 who are EU residents.
- Free for disabled visitors.
- Free for unemployed visitors.
- Free for a variety of French teachers, students, artists, journalists, and art critics.
For up-to-date details on Rodin Museum admission tickets and discounts, check out this page on the official website.
The Paris Museum Pass includes entry to the Rodin Museum (Buy Direct at Rail Europe) .
