Photo: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, 2008.
The Quai d’Orsay Museum is an excellent example of the reconversion of a former rail station. The central location of the station by the Seine River and a large amount of available space fit very well the requirements of a world-class museum. The initial terminal facility was inaugurated in 1900 for the Paris International Exposition and remained in use as a railway station until 1939. It then served several other uses, including a theater. In 1986, the former rail station was inaugurated as a museum.