Admirers of the works of Auguste Rodin will soon be able to once again enjoy the museum that has housed his work since 1919.
The Rodin Museum, inside the 18th-century Hotel Biron, will reveal its three-year, €16 million ($17.4 million) restoration on Nov. 12, the 175th birthday of the French sculptor.
Before the makeover, the museum was plagued by a leaking roof, peeling gold leaf and creaky floorboards. It now boasts new rooms, more than 200 more sculptures, state-of-the-art pedestals and -- for the first time -- toilets and wheelchair access.
The restoration followed pressure to bring the impressive but aging townhouse up to modern requirements.
France's Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin called the museum restoration a "moral duty."
During his lifetime, Rodin faced criticism of the very works that have made him a renowned sculptor today.
The restoration is the first time the Hotel Biron has been fully revamped since he used the palatial building as his studio.
The museum is offering free admission on the day of the opening.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press