The Musee Rodin Museum in Paris
The Musee Rodin is housed within the old mansion house called the Hotel Biron, which is where the sculptor Auguste Rodin lived and worked, and housing a major collection of his works, this museum in Paris was officially opened in 1919.
About the Musee Rodin Museum
The Hotel Biron and its grounds opened to the public as the Musee Rodin museum dedicated to the famous sculptor Auguste Rodin back in 1919 and was listed as a historical monument in Paris in 1926.
The grounds, the mansion house itself and buildings such as the Chapel that was built when the estate was a convent and boarding school, have all undergone major renovations and restoration schemes to improve the visitor experience in order to admire even more of the famous works on display like The Thinker.
When the architect Jean Juste Gustave Lisch built the main chapel constructed within the grounds of the Hotel Biron in 1876, the interior design drew inspiration from 13th century churches, and when the Musee Rodin first opened in 1919, the nave was used as an exhibition hall.
But it was not until the 1960s that the chapel was converted into a true exhibition space when even the roof was removed and a glass ceiling was inserted to allow in more natural light.
Yet in 2003 a full renovation programme was implemented so that more space could be created for restoration workshops, office space and exhibition space, along with archive consultation and conservation rooms, with the inauguration of the renovated chapel taking place in the November of 2005.
The grounds of this museum cover an area of over three hectares and were divided into a rose garden, an ornamental garden and a relaxation area, plus you will find that they have two themed walks laid out called the Garden of Orpheus with its rockery and the Garden of Springs with its water.
Auguste Rodin fell in love with the garden, even though at the time he resided at the Hotel Biron it was rather overgrown, but he started to place selected works of his within the grounds, along with antiques from his own personal collection.
You will find that the first bronzes were placed in the gardens even before World War I, and since 1993 they are always being meticulously cleaned and treated to preserve their original appearances for years to come, which is where you can discover one of his most well known masterpieces called Le Penseur, which translates in English to The Thinker.
The marble sculptures that were produced by Auguste Rodin were also placed within the gardens, however, over time these were deteriorating due to constantly being exposed to the elements.
Therefore in 1995 a gallery was implemented at the Musee Rodin called the Marble Gallery with glass walls to protect the exhibits, and this also meant that the presentation was able to be laid out thematically, and more works could be put on display for the benefit of visitors.
The Hotel Biron mansion house is also a part of the Musee Rodin showing permanent collections, where you can discover more about the sculptor, his works, the different stages of his career, how he lived, plus even learn about his pupils such as Camille Claudel, who was also his lover at one point.
Incredibly there are over 40,000 documents relating to the entire body of works by Auguste Rodin with around 25,000 photographs, and approximately 7,000 of these were accumulated by the artist himself.
There are sections in chronographic order relating to the masterpieces of this world renowned artist and others in the museum collections including prints he produced, obviously sculptures, but also drawings, as he was a prolific draftsman who produced over 10,000 drawings, with around 7,000 now being held at the Musee Rodin in Paris.
This museum in Paris also has painting he collected and surrounded himself with, and although not every item is on display at any one time, temporary exhibitions are also held on specific subjects, but you will not be disappointed when you visit the incredible Musee Rodin, whilst you are on holiday in Paris.
Visiting the Musee Rodin Museum in Paris
The Musee Rodin Museum and its grounds are open every day except for on a Monday, the 1st January, 1st May and the 25th December, so you can choose to visit the entire Hotel Biron mansion house and gardens or just the gardens.
The museum itself is open from 10am through to 5:45pm and the gardens are open at the same times as the museum itself, yet we would like to point out that last entry is 45 minutes prior to closing.
You may be pleased to know that after all of the renovations were completed, the entire museum, auditorium and its grounds are accessible to the disabled, with ramps where needed and wheelchairs being available, along with disabled friendly toilets.
For those that are sight impaired, guide dogs are permitted, plus a set of gloves can be provided for people to discover specific objects by touch and although any person with disabilities should be accompanied by an able person, a museum guide will take you round to the items able to be explored by touch.
Induction loops have been organised for places such as the cloakroom and shop and the audio guides can also be fitted with an induction loop for those that are hearing impaired, yet all of these options are subject to availability.
The cost of entry to the permanent collections of the Musee Rodin along with the gardens and any temporary exhibitions being held at the time is a cost of €10 as of 2018.
You can also just visit the grounds of the museum for only €4 per person, but due to there being limited access between the months of January and March 2018 the cost is only €2.
Yet any person under the age of 18 or students from the EU up until the age of 25 can gain access for free, and those from outside the EU between the ages of 18 and 25 can still visit the museum for a reduced cost of €7, which is the same cost for any person visiting on a Wednesday from 3pm.
There is also free entry for any person on the first Sunday of each month from October through to March, otherwise the above rates apply.
An audio guide is also available for the permanent collections and the gardens at a cost of €6 as of 2018 and these are available in French, English, Spanish and Chinese, which is the same cost for an audio guide to the exhibitions within the chapel.
A cafe is located within the garden of the Musee Rodin, which offers a range of snacks, pastries and cakes along with hot and cold beverages, which is open on a Tuesday through to a Sunday from 10am through to 5pm.
Access to the Musee Rodin in Paris
Located in the 7th Arrondissement of Paris, when it comes to getting to this popular museum via public transport, you will find that the nearest Metro stations are called the Varenne stop or St Francois Xavier stop, both serving line 13, or alternatively to the east is the Rue du Bac stop serving line 12 and to the west is the Ecole Militaire stop serving line 8.
However, to the north of the Musee Rodin and the Hotel Biron you could utilise the Invalides stop serving lines 8 and 13, which is also an RER train station serving the RER C Line, and this also means you could visit Les Invalides and the Tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte, which are located very close by.
The Paris Buses via lines 28, 69, 80, 82, 87 and 92 are also within easy walking distance of the Musee Rodin and this is a lovely place to visit away from hustle and bustle, especially on a beautiful summer day within the grounds of this museum.
