Orangerie musium

Are you planning to get a museum pass? If so, the Orangere museum is covered. As with the other museums, they should have another, much shorter entrance line.

If you get tickets ahead -- FNAC is one outlet or use a museum pass you will use a different security line which moves faster.

If you are going to more than just the Orangerie, investigate the Museum Pass: http://en.parismuseumpass.com/

If you aren't doing enough other covered museums to make the Museum Pass pay off, you can get advance tickets for just the Orangerie. If you scroll down on this page, it will take you to direct links on four possible websites (Ticketmaster, FNAC, DigiTik, and Paris Info). http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en/article/rates-and-ticket-office

Per the Orangerie website, these all have booking fees, so you should compare them to see which one has the lowest fees.

Marty, I don't know about June, but I was just there on Saturday, on a three-day holiday weekend in France. I arrived about 11 and there was a very short line, maybe 5 minutes. Plenty of breathing room with the water lilies!

Contrast that with the line at the Orsay yesterday (Sunday), about an hour at 2 pm and absolutely jam packed right until closing.

Also, although both museums are on the museum pass, there is a dual ticket covering both for 16€. That's what I bought since I didn't have time this trip (three full days) to justify the Paris Museum Pass. Add the Louvre at 15€ and you are still well under the two-day pass price at 48€. Your mileage may vary, but I can't appreciate more than two museums in a day if they are reasonably crowded.

Worth noting if you do get a pass of any kind: the security line at the Orsay for people with passes (the C line) was probably longer than the walk-up line. The PMP can save you money but not necessarily a lot of time!

I'll just add that one of the advantages to the Museum Pass is popping in to use the bathroom. I agree the lines have been very short at the Orangerie. I've done a couple of Paris Walks in the area in the last 2 days and getting in to the Orangerie was quicker than using the pay-to-pee public toilets in the Tuileries.

What does slow things down are the security procedures. At Les Invalides the other day they were wanding everyone (including chunky, gray-haired American tourists, lol!!) in addition to a bag inspection. I've not run in to wanding other places though.

We showed up just under an hour before they closed one day and not only was there no line, our ticket was discounted. We popped in, spent quality time with the water lilies, and walked through some of the other areas. It was nice to be in the water lily rooms without crowds - we could walk right up close to them, or sit on the benches and contemplate.

The last time we went to the Orangerie without tickets it was in November, so an uncrowded time, and it took half an hour to get in. I went last year with tickets because of the women's photography exhibit and it took about 5 minutes in the reserved security line.

I have seen the line stretching for blocks in high season.

I have seen 2 1/2 hour lines in pouring rain. Advance tickets are the key to entry, as well as the various passes/combos available online.

A few summers ago, I went to the Orangerie right when it opened. Got in easily and had plenty of time with the paintings with few crowds. When I left a few hours later, however, I noticed a long line to get in. It was a lovely experience and one of my favorite museums. It is likely a very different visit for those waiting in a long line and jostling with crowds.

Can't generalize about the length of the line due to the presence or absence of school groups visiting the museum who pass in front of ticket holders, or if there is an exhibit showing that's popular with Parisians. But do get your ticket ahead of time because you never know.