Musée Rodin
Musée Rodin is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Paris audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~90 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type museum
- Suggested visit ~90 min
- Paris Paris guide
About Musée Rodin
Rodin's studio and home in the elegant Hôtel Biron, displaying The Thinker, The Kiss and The Gates of Hell in one of Paris's most beautiful sculpture gardens.
The Musée Rodin is one of the most rewarding museum experiences in Paris. Set in the elegant 18th-century Hôtel Biron, where Rodin lived and worked from 1908 until his death in 1917, it houses the world's largest collection of his sculptures, drawings, and personal possessions. The museum came about through an unusual arrangement: Rodin donated his entire life's work to the French state in exchange for the right to live in the mansion for the rest of his life.
The garden is the greatest joy: a two-hectare park where Rodin's most famous bronzes are displayed amid roses and box hedges. "The Thinker", originally called "The Poet" and conceived as a figure at the top of "The Gates of Hell", sits on its pedestal in the front garden. "The Burghers of Calais" (1889), one of his greatest ensemble works, stands nearby. Inside, room after room displays his extraordinary range: plaster maquettes, marble works, the erotic drawings, and the massive bronze "Gates of Hell", a project he worked on for 37 years but never saw cast in bronze during his lifetime.
Did you know? Rodin donated his entire life's work to France in exchange for the right to live in the Hôtel Biron for the rest of his life.
How long should you spend at Musée Rodin?
Plan about ~90 min at Musée Rodin. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Musée Rodin worth visiting?
Musée Rodin is one of the 44 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Paris, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Paris
Hear the story of Musée Rodin
Preview the Paris tour free in the Gingerguide app.