The Rodin Museum is dedicated to the work of sculptor Auguste Rodin. Housed in the former Hôtel Biron, an 18th-century mansion in the heart of the 7th arrondissement, it holds one of the richest sculpture collections in the world, surrounded by a beautiful 3-hectare garden.
The museum displays Rodin’s most famous works, such as The Thinker, The Kiss and The Gates of Hell, alongside pieces by Camille Claudel, the sculptor who was Rodin’s collaborator and partner for many years. It’s a must-visit for anyone who loves sculpture and 19th-century art in Paris.
Rodin Museum: opening hours and prices
Opening hours
- Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6:30pm (last entry at 5:45pm).
- The sculpture garden closes at 5pm for security reasons.
- Closed Mondays, January 1, May 1 and December 25.
- Early closing at 5:30pm on December 24 and 31 (last entry at 4:45pm).
Prices
- Museum entry fee: €15
- audio guide : €6.50.
- Combined ticket:
- Rodin Museum + Orsay Museum: €25
- Rodin Museum + Army Museum: €26
- Free for under 18 years old and for holders of the Paris Museum Pass.
You can also try one of the guided tours that will allow you to better appreciate the works on display in the museum.
Booking a time slot online is recommended to skip the queue, especially in high season.
Address: 77 rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris
Metro: Varenne (line 13) or Invalides (lines 8, 13 and RER C)
What to see at the Rodin Museum: collection and garden
Highlights of the collection
Inside the Hôtel Biron, you’ll find some of the most famous sculptures in art history: The Thinker, the iconic figure lost in contemplation; The Kiss, one of the most reproduced sculptures in the world; and The Gates of Hell, a monumental portal inspired by Dante, from which several of Rodin’s best-known figures originated.
The museum also holds The Burghers of Calais and the monumental Balzac, plus a room dedicated to Camille Claudel.
The Kiss
Carved in marble between 1888 and 1898 (181.5 x 112.5 x 117 cm), this sculpture originally depicted Paolo and Francesca, the tragic lovers from Dante’s Divine Comedy, killed by Francesca’s jealous husband and condemned to wander together for eternity. Rodin removed the figures from The Gates of Hell in 1886, feeling their theme of happiness and sensuality clashed with the darkness of the rest of the work. Exhibited on its own in 1887, it was an immediate success and lost its Dantean title to become universally known as “The Kiss,” now one of the most reproduced sculptures in the world.
The Thinker
Originally designed to sit above the doors of The Gates of Hell, where he may represent Dante himself pondering the fate of humanity, this figure quickly took on a life of its own. Enlarged and displayed independently, it exists in several versions and scales, from the original sketch to the monumental cast that now stands in the museum’s garden, and has become one of the most universal symbols of thought and the human condition.
The Burghers of Calais
Commissioned by the city of Calais to commemorate an episode from the Hundred Years’ War, this bronze monument (plaster completed in 1889, bronze unveiled in Calais in 1895) depicts six leading citizens of the besieged town who offered themselves as sacrifices, nooses around their necks, to spare their fellow townspeople from King Edward III of England. Rodin broke with conventional heroism by placing the figures at ground level rather than on a triumphant pedestal, each one expressing his own measure of doubt, resignation or courage in the face of death. He was assisted in this work by Camille Claudel.
The Gates of Hell
Commissioned in 1880, this monumental bronze doorway, 6 metres high, occupied Rodin for 37 years, until his death in 1917, without him ever truly considering it finished, as he constantly added and removed figures. Inspired by Dante’s Inferno, it brings together more than 200 figures and served as a wellspring of motifs for several sculptures that later became independent works: The Thinker, The Kiss, The Three Shades and Ugolino and His Children all originated here. The museum’s garden holds a bronze cast of the complete gates.
Balzac
Commissioned in 1891 by the Société des Gens de Lettres at the urging of Émile Zola, this bronze monument (1892-1897, first cast in bronze in 1939) was the result of an almost obsessive process: more than fifty studies, a trip to Touraine, and a complete reading of the writer’s work. Rather than pursue physical likeness, Rodin sought to capture Balzac’s creative spirit, wrapping him in a monk’s robe. Unveiled at the 1898 Salon, the work caused a scandal and was rejected by those who had commissioned it, before being recognised, much later, as one of Rodin’s most modern sculptures.
The sculpture garden
The 3-hectare garden is considered one of the most beautiful in Paris. It features a monumental cast of The Thinker, a bronze Gates of Hell, a rose garden and shaded groves that make for a lovely stroll between galleries. Many visitors spend as much time in the garden as inside the museum itself.
Exhibitions at the Rodin Museum
The Rodin Museum regularly organizes temporary exhibitions that put Rodin’s work in dialogue with contemporary artists or other major figures in art history. As of late summer 2026, no major new temporary exhibition had yet been announced at the Hôtel Biron for the following autumn/winter season; here is what was confirmed for 2026-2027:
- The Rodin Workshop 2026 (until September 6, 2026, at 77 rue de Varenne): this creative space for families, celebrating its fifth edition, invites visitors of all ages to try their hand at sculpture at the heart of the artist’s world.
- Rodin According to Rilke (June 26 – November 22, 2026, Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Martigny, Switzerland): an exhibition organized off-site by the Rodin Museum, exploring the dialogue between the sculptor and the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who for a time served as his secretary.
- Rodin fans could also see, at the Louvre Museum, the exhibition “Michelangelo / Rodin. Living Bodies” (April 15 – July 20, 2026), an unprecedented face-off between the two sculptors (now closed).
Staying in Paris for a few days? Consider the Paris Museum Pass, which includes the Rodin Museum along with dozens of other museums and monuments across the city.
Why Visit the Rodin Museum?
The Rodin Museum is an ideal stop for art lovers who want a rich experience without the scale of the Louvre: its human size, beautiful garden, and powerful masterpieces make for a visit that’s both accessible and memorable. Plan for 1.5 to 2 hours to enjoy both the galleries and the garden, and consider pairing it with a walk to nearby Les Invalides or the Champ-de-Mars.
It is also one of the coolest places in Paris, thanks to the plants and the shadows of the garden.
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