Stories
The Louvre Museum
(Musée du Louvre)
Located in the center of Paris, on the Right Bank, the Louvre is the most visited museum in Paris—and with over 650,000 square feet, hosting more than 35,000 pieces of art and historical artifacts—it is the biggest museum in the world.
The Louvre has more entrances than the street-level the I.M. Pei glass pyramid, where hoards of tourists stand for hours under the hot sun, pouring rain, and icy winds. Click here for a map of 12 Louvre entrances, most missed by travelers. More informed people go in directly from the Louvre Métro stop, which may require crossing to the other side of the platform (steps above), which brings you to the coat check entry. Others enter through the heated/air-conditioned underground mall, Le Carrousel. And the really people smart people buy their tickets to the Louvre in advance and avoid lines at both of these entrances by sneaking in through the entrance in the Passage Richelieu. And there is also a public entrance to the Louvre‑the Porte des Lions‑located on the west end of the Denon wing. This entrance was built primarily to provide access to the new Art of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas Museum, which was created on the ground floor of Denon. A stairway from this entrance also leads upstairs to the Louvre itself, almost exactly where the Mona Lisa currently resides.
Visiting the museum can be daunting at best because of the sheer size of the palace. Try to plan your trip to the Louvre in two days. It is virtually impossible to see it all in one day so make sure you plan plenty of time to visit. If you cannot go in two days, only visit those exhibits which you find interesting. Go early in the morning or a few hours before closing as this is the best time to avoid lines an by all means use our hassle-free entrance tips!
The Top Five Things to See:
1. The Mona Lisa
2. The Winged Victory of Samothrace
3. The Venus de Milo
4. The apartments of Napoleon III
5. A stroll along the ground floor of the Richelieu wing around the Puget and Marly sculpture courtyards
The Louvre Museum
Paris 1st
Tél: 01 4020 5317
Métro: #1, #2 both Palais-Royal-Musée du Louvre.
Bus: 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95, Paris Open Tour bus
Batobus: Louvre stop, quai François Mitterrand
Velib: #01014 Rivoli Musee Du Louvre, 5 rue de L' Echelle
2011 hours: Mon, Thu, Sat, Sun 9am-6pm, Wed, Fri 9am-10pm
Closed on Tue and New Year's Day, May 1, November 11, Christmas Day.
Admission: 10€ for the Permanent Collection
Free on the first Sunday of every month
11€ for temporary exhibition tickets
14€ for combination tickets
Want a fly-through price? Enter at 6pm on Wednesday or Friday for 6€, stay til 9:45pm
Multimedia guide rental in several languages: € 6 Adult, €2 under age 18, €4 disabled visitors, job-seekers, and people on welfare benefits.
Amenities: Multiple information desks, cafés, coat checks, strollers and wheelchairs, and a membership center.
Handicap Accessible
Stories about The Louvre Museum
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A Ride Through History...The Louvre
By Lara RogersI always wanted to go the Louvre. Even before we ever thought we would live in Paris, I dreamed of going to the Louvre. Once in Paris, we went at least four times in our first two months. I'd like to say it was for our great appreciation of fine art and culture, but we actually never made it into the museum itself. We kept meaning to… but we were too busy Christmas shopping and couldn't make it past the shops. It was one of the few places we knew of that was accessible and the parking was so good.
Last Updated ( Thursday, 17 November 2005 ) -
The Louvre: Undoubtedly Paris' Most Famous Museum
By Karen FawcettThe Louvre Museum is huge--never-ending! It's like a cavern full of treasures with long corridors and a maze of rooms. Plan on getting lost several times and spending a minimum of five hours just to cover the basics. Last Updated ( Tuesday, 13 May 2008 ) -
Finding rare treasures below the Louvre
By Dan HechingAlternating bi-annually with the Biennale des Antiquaires, the SALON DU COLLECTIONNEUR is a playground for those with the cash to spend on Venetian scapes by Guardi or landscapes by Brueghel Le Jeune. Last Updated ( Friday, 03 April 2009 )
