The Louvre is one of the most popular tourist places in Paris. The Louvre is one of the best, one of the largest and most visited museums in the world. The complex of buildings in which the museum is located was formerly the palace of the King of France. In 1793, the world's first public museum was opened here. It is here, in the Louvre, that such famous exhibits as “La Gioconda” (Mona Lisa) by Leonardo da Vinci and “Venus de Milo” (Aphrodite from the island of Milos, Venus de Milo, Aphrodite, “Venus de Milo”) are kept. In 2013, the museum was visited by 9.2 million people. This is the most visited museum in the world!
Collections of the Louvre Museum
The collections of the Louvre Museum contain about 380 thousand objects. About 35,000 exhibits are exhibited in exhibition halls with a total area of about 60 thousand square meters. It is impossible to see all the exhibits in the museum. Decide what interests you most before visiting the museum.
The museum's collection is divided into several sections by topic:
- Ancient East (Near Eastern Antiquities) - objects of art created on the territory of the ancient states of the Middle East and Mesopotamia.
- Ancient Egypt (Egyptian Antiquities) - objects of art created by ancient peoples who lived on the banks of the Nile and the territory of modern Egypt.
- Ancient Greece, Etruria, Rome (Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities).
- Islamic Art - objects produced in countries professing Islam, from the time of the emergence of Islam to the 19th century.
- Sculpture - European sculpture from the early Middle Ages to the mid-19th century. The famous Venus de Milo sculpture is located in the Sully Wing on the ground floor.
- Objects of art (Decorative Arts) – interior items, jewelry, furniture
- from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.
- Painting. Fine arts (Paintings). The museum has a large collection of paintings by famous artists.
- Graphic arts (Prints and Drawings) – drawings, engravings, books.
- Everyone wants to see the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. You will find this painting in the Denon wing, in the Italian painting department on the first floor.
Useful information
Location and transportation
The museum is located in the center of Paris, on the right bank of the Seine River, in the 1st arrondissement of the French capital. The Louvre Palace (which houses the museum) is a complex of several buildings. In the “Courtyard of Napoleon” there is the famous “Glass Pyramid of the Louvre”, which is the main entrance to the museum. There are other entrances to the museum.
- Entrance for visitors with pre-purchased tickets is via the Pyramid of the Louvre without queuing.
- For visitors without pre-purchased tickets, entry is through the Pyramid of the Louvre, the Lion's Gate (Porte des Lions) and the underground shopping center Carrousel du Louvre.
- For holders of the “Louvre member” card, members of the “Société des Amis du Louvre” and “American Friends of the Louvre”, entry is through Passage Richelieu.
Purchasing a ticket in advance online or in stores will avoid long waits in line.
According to visitor reviews, the queue at the Lion Gate entrance and through the underground shopping center Carrousel du Louvre is usually shorter than at the main entrance.
Nearest metro station: "Palais-Royal - Musée du Louvre" (lines 1 and 7).
The nearest RER stations are located approximately 800 meters from the museum. Châtelet - Les Halles station and Musée d'Orsay station on the left bank of the Seine River.
You need to know this
- Photography and video recording are permitted in the permanent exhibition halls. The use of flashes and other lighting devices is prohibited.
- Photos and videos are prohibited in the halls of temporary exhibitions.
- In the museum halls it is prohibited to use mobile phones, smoke, drink, eat, talk loudly, touch exhibits and run.
- There is an information center at the main entrance to the museum (under the pyramid) and at the Lion Gate, where you can obtain a map of the museum and other information free of charge.
Museum opening hours
The museum is open daily except Tuesdays and some holidays.
Opening hours from 9.00 to 21.45 on Wednesday and Friday, from 9.00 to. 18.00 on other days.
Ticket prices start from 11 € (2012).
Free admission for children under 18 and for all visitors on the first Sunday of the month.
Postal address: Musée du Louvre, 75058 Paris Cedex 01, Paris, France.