The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre) is one of the world's largest museums, and the most visited art museum in the world.
The museum housed in the Louvre Palace is a monumental landmark located in the center of Paris, on the Right Bank of the Seine.
More than 34,000 objects from prehistory to the 19th century are exhibited and you will find some of the most unique art and historic pieces in the world, among others the famous painting Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci and the greek statue Aphrodite, known as the "Venus de Milo" from year 200 bc.
The Louvre Museum
Visiting the Louvre
The Louvre has several entrances. If this is your first visit to the museum, you should take the main entrance access from Place du Carrousel through the glass Pyramid as it is a spectacular architectural achievement in it self. Other entrances is at the Porte des Lions and Galerie du Carrousel.
Because of the vast size of the museum it is recommended that you make a little research in advance to decide what to see. The museum is divided into departments with the following collections:
• Near Eastern Antiquities
• Egyptian Antiquities
• Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities
• History of the Louvre and Medieval Louvre
• Paintings
• Sculptures
• Decorative arts
• Arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas
Opening hours
The Louvre is open every day of the year (except Tuesday)
• Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Wednesdays and Fridays extended opening hours from 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
• December 24 and 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• January 1, May 1 and December 25 closed for holidays
Being one of the most popular attractions in Paris, prepare your visit well ahead by buying tickets in advance.
Address
Musee du Louvre
75058 Paris
France
Getting there
By metro
Line no.1 and 7, metro station "Palais-Royal Musée du Louvre"
By citybus RATP
Line 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95 stop in front of the main entrance at the Pyramid on Place du Carrousel
By car
Nearest parking is underground parking garage at the Louvre. Entrance from avenue du General Lemonnier.
By boat
Many tour boats stops at the quai Francois Mitterrand on the seine river, close to the Louvre
History
In the late 12th century the Louvre was first built as a fortress by Philip II. Parts of the original building has been escavated and can been seen in the basement of the museum.
Over the years the buildings have been extended several times and has served several purposes.
In the 14th century it was converted into a residence by Charles V and and later in the 16th century Francis I renovated Louvre in French Renaissance style.
After the Louvre was abandoned as residence (when Louis XIV in the 17th century moved to Versailles outside Paris), the Louvre was still used for the royal collection. Over the years this collection grew, but it was not until after the french revolution in 1793 the Louvre opened as public museum.
By 1874 the Louvre Palace had achieved its present form as we know it today. The last major renovation of the Louvre was done in the 1980'ties when the glass Pyramid, architected by I.M. Pei, was built over a new entrance in the main court.