EEA visitor rate For residents and/or citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) · €22.00 · Non-EEA visitor rate For non-residents and non-citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) · €32.00 · Under 18s and EEA residents under 26 See full list of visitors eligible for free admission · Free
The Louvre Museum is the largest art museum in the world by exhibition surface (72,735 m²) and visitor numbers (over 8 million per year). Housed in the former royal palace of the kings of France — built from 1190 as a defensive fortress under Philippe Auguste, then turned into a royal residence by François I and extended up to Napoleon III — it was opened to the public in 1793 by the Revolutionary Convention. The palace has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991 as part of the "Paris, Banks of the Seine" listing.
The collections span 8 departments: Near Eastern, Egyptian, Greek-Etruscan-Roman antiquities, Islamic art, sculpture, decorative arts, paintings and prints. Among the 35,000 works on display: Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, David's Coronation of Napoleon, Géricault's Raft of the Medusa, Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People. I. M. Pei's glass pyramid, inaugurated in 1989, serves as the main entrance and as a modern symbol of the museum.
Since 14 January 2026, admission has been differentiated: €22 for residents of the European Economic Area, €32 for visitors from outside the EEA. Timed online booking is mandatory for everyone, including those entitled to free admission. The museum is closed on Tuesdays. A tour of the highlights takes 2 to 4 hours; a complete exploration requires several days.
The Louvre Museum is open year-round except Tuesday. The Wednesday and Friday late nights (until 21:45) bring noticeably fewer visitors, ideal for the most popular works such as the Mona Lisa. Winter mornings (November to March) are the least crowded period. Summer (July–August) and school holidays draw the highest attendance, with queues even for booked visitors. The first Sunday of the month (Oct–Mar) is free for all but extremely crowded.