Musée du Louvre

Over het museum

The Louvre was originally a fortress built around 1190 by King Philip II Augustus. In the 14th century Charles V made it a royal residence. From 1546, Francis I transformed it into a Renaissance palace, with a wing designed by Pierre Lescot. Later kings enlarged the complex, notably with the Cour carrée and the Grande Galerie, which was to link the Louvre with the Tuileries palace. Louis XIV moved to Versailles in 1678, and the palace then housed academies and artists.

The museum opened its doors on August 10, 1793, during the French Revolution. Under Napoleon the collections grew considerably. In 1857 Napoleon III completed the link with the Tuileries; after the burning of the Tuileries palace in 1871, the Louvre took its present form. In 1989 the glass pyramid by architect Ieoh Ming Pei was inaugurated in the Cour Napoléon and became the main entrance.

The museum holds more than 500,000 works, of which over 36,000 are displayed across about 72,700 m². They are divided into nine departments; the most recent, devoted to the arts of Byzantium and the Christian East, was created in 2022. Among the best-known works are the Joconde, the Vénus de Milo, the Victoire de Samothrace, the Scribe accroupi and the Code de Hammurabi. A renovation with a new entrance has been planned since 2025.

Hoogtepunten

• The Joconde by Leonardo da Vinci
• The Vénus de Milo
• The Victoire de Samothrace
• The Code de Hammurabi and the Scribe accroupi
• Ieoh Ming Pei’s glass pyramid and the rooms of the historic palace
• Nine departments, from antiquities to 19th-century art

Opgericht

1793

Beheerder

Établissement public du musée du Louvre

Directie

Laurence des Cars

Bezoekers per jaar

ca. 8.700.000 (2024)

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Gratis toegang: Free for everyone on the first Friday of the month from 18:00 (except in July and August) and on July 14.

The €22 rate applies to nationals and residents of the European Economic Area; the €32 rate applies to all other visitors. There is no reduced rate for museum admission. A timed-entry booking is recommended for all visitors, including those eligible for free admission. Tickets are not changeable, exchangeable or refundable. Free admission is also available for other groups, such as job seekers, art teachers, journalists and ICOM members, on proof. A combined ticket, Louvre – Musée national Eugène-Delacroix, is available.

Toegankelijkheid

• Rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom: geen informatie
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

Wheelchairs, folding chairs and walking sticks are lent free of charge at the reception under the Pyramid, against an identity document. A central lift under the Pyramid and lifts from the Carrousel du Louvre serve the reception. Reserved parking spaces are in the underground car park next to the Carrousel du Louvre, with a drop-off area on Place du Carrousel. Visitors with disabilities and their companion have priority access. Dedicated pages exist for hearing, visual, intellectual and cognitive disabilities.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Doe- en voelstations
• Kinderwagenvriendelijk
• Verschoonruimte

Family guided tours (“Louvre en famille”, from age 6), workshops, storytelling sessions, shows and films for young audiences. The Studio space in the Richelieu wing offers a free 20-minute workshop without reservation, drawing activities, a reading corner and board games. The Louvre Kids app offers videos and stories for children aged 7 to 11. Free family routes are available on the museum’s website. A stroller or front baby carrier can be borrowed free of charge at the reception under the Pyramid. Most toilets have a baby changing table; the Studio has a baby area with a bottle warmer, microwave and nursing chair.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The main entrance is the Pyramid; the Carrousel du Louvre entrance (99 rue de Rivoli) is open to all visitors, and the Porte des Lions to ticket holders. Vélib’ stations are nearby, and there is bicycle parking in front of the École du Louvre. Taxi drop-off at the Rond-point du Carrousel.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museumwinkel
• Garderobe
• Kluisjes
• Wifi

Free Wi-Fi (network “Louvre_Wifi_Gratuit”) under the Pyramid and in the galleries; each connection lasts one hour and can be renewed. Free lockers under the Pyramid and at the Porte des Lions; bags larger than 55 x 35 x 20 cm are not allowed. Several restaurants, cafés and takeaway counters in the palace and gardens, for example Café Marly, Café Richelieu, Café Mollien and La Boulangerie du Louvre. Museum shop and bookshop, and online shop.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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