The Louvre

The Louvre is the most visited museum and arguably the most renowned museum in the world

Famous Glass Pyramid entrance to the Louvre
Famous Glass Pyramid entrance to the Louvre cc licensed photo by zoetnet

There are few museums anywhere in the world that have attracted more attention than the Louvre. The world's most visited museum, the Louvre is home to in excess of 35000 pieces of art dating from the earliest times to the 19th century and displayed in an exhibition space covering an amazing 650,000 square feet. Some famous pieces of art include The Madonna and Leonardo da Vinci’s Saint Anne, however there are literally thousands more works of art and historical pieces for visitors to view.

The Louvre has a lengthy and interesting history. During the 12th century, Paris was Europe's largest city. To protect the capital from the Anglo Norman threat king, Philippe Auguste, who was reigning at that time, decided to build a garrison to reinforce its western defences on the shores of the River Seine. The large fortress comprised of a moat, a huge tower at the centre of the structure plus other towers encompassed narrow gates at the wall on south and east sides. The solid building had two inner buildings butt against the exterior walls on the south and west sides. This magnificant structure lost its ability to be Paris' defence fortress as the city grew far beyond the original wall by the mid 14th century. Other defences were developed under King Charles V which enclosed the Louvre within the expanding city. In 1364 he commissioned his architect, Raymon du Temple, to transform the ancient garrison into a splendid royal mansion.

Each section of the Louvre has its story to tell and bears the mark of a different influential personality. The Louvre was turned into a museum in 1791 and first opened its doors as such in 1793. The first pieces on display were works of art that were donated or loaned by families that could afford to do so. Since then, the Louvre has simply grown in splendour and has had many galleries added and renovations done to turn it into the amazing museum that it is today.

The Louvre, as with most famous museums, offers floor plans, audio guides and guide books to visitors. It also features a number of cafes, media centres and even a bookstore for those that wish to bring a little of the Louvre home with them. The Tuileries Gardens offer a number of activities for the restless little ones who may not enjoy taking in the art of the Louvre as much as their parents. Instead, they can be amused with boat rides and trampolines and other play area activities in the gardens.

Nearby attractions: Jardin des Tuileries and Museum of Decorative Arts

Facts For Your Visit

Fee: Save time and skip the queue

Regular Hours:
May differ on holidays

  • Monday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Tuesday: Closed
  • Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Friday: 9:00 AM – 9:45 PM
  • Saturday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Sunday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Address: 75001 Paris, France

Phone: 01 40 20 53 17

Official Website: The Louvre

Reviews

Rated 4.7 out of 5 Star Rating

5 Star Rating Please read below! -Buy your tickets in advance! -If there’s a chance of rain bring appropriate gear as you queue outside to get in. -Ensure you have several hours free! -Download the map, it’s a life saver -plenty of food and drink at all price ranges available inside. -toilets are few and far between in the main wings, and the toilets in the main entrance get VERY busy, especially the ladies. Audio guides available and recommended. If you want to see the famous Mona Lisa get in as early as possibly and head straight there! We did and got to the front for a fantastic view of the lady herself and it really made our day! Be warned in advance this place is HUGE. We were there for 4hrs and still didn’t manage to see everything to its fullest extent. We bee lined to all our favourites and must sees. And then enjoyed the rest of the venue and a more gentle pace. Simply stunning , we’d love to go again one day! Highly recommend.
Ryno89 Mor - 2 weeks ago

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5 Star Rating What can be said, you need to visit once in your life. Obviously, Mona Lisa is the main attraction, but oh dear, there are so many great exhibitions. Can easily spend a whole day wandering around!
Zsolt Elekes - in the last week

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5 Star Rating The Louvre Museum is a must-go place when you visit Paris! Although the queue is long, the moving speed is fast. We purchased the tickets online and queued for just 5 minutes to enter the museum. We were amazed by the art and the amazing sculptures inside the museum. The museum is spacious with several floors featuring different types of art and themes. We spent nearly 4 hours here. Due to it being winter, it is less crowded compared to summer. Overall, it is definitely worth visiting once in your life. If you like art or history, go check it out!
Coby Khor - 2 weeks ago

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5 Star Rating Absolutely stunning and incredibly huge. Entrance is included in the Paris museum pass, which is incredible value for money, but we booked an entrance time slot online. Definitely make sure you book your slot in advance or you will be queuing for hours! Arrive half an hour before your slot so that you get in straight away when your time comes. We booked the second slot of the day and went to the Mona Lisa straight away: we didn't have to queue to see the painting for more than a minute, but when we went past later the queue was huge. There are also restaurants and gift shops inside the museum.
Beth K - 2 weeks ago

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5 Star Rating One day is just not enough to take in all of the beauty this museum has to offer. It is huge and well worth the money. I am happy it was not crowded because it is January and I hope to come back in the future the explore all the things I did not have time for today. Lovely.
Katarina M. - a month ago

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Directions

Metro / RER Line Nearest Station Walking Time
M1 or M7Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre‎3 minutes

How to get to The Louvre by Metro / RER

By Metro: From Metro Line 1 or 7 exit at Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre‎‎ Station and proceed to your right (west) along Rue de Rivoli and then cross the road to your left and proceed through the arches at Place du Corrousel. The entrance to the the Louvre is in the Glass Pyramid ahead and to your left.

The Louvre is also easily accessed from the Batobus.

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