The history of the Louvre Museum dates back to the late 12th century. The royal collection in the museum today began when King Francois I invited Leonardo da Vinci in regards to a work opportunity a few years before his death. As a result, subsequent royals continued this tradition and began to make room for antiquities inside the palace. It was King Louis XVI, who planned on opening a museum in the palace after acquiring several important paintings of the Spanish and Dutch schools.
The collections of the Louvre Museum first opened to the public on August 10, 1793. It is not possible to view all collections in the museum in just a single day. Hence, visitors are advised to spread their visit over several days. The layout of the museum can make navigating confusing, but it is otherwise an extremely visitor-friendly attraction. Moreover, the color-coded maps that are provided for by the museum make it easier for the visitors to plan and locate the departments, making it simple for them to know where the most famous exhibits are kept.
The galleries inside the Louvre Museum are quite spacious, but there are exceptions when it comes to extremely famous paintings such as the Mona Lisa, which attracts packed crowds.
The collections of the museum are divided into eight departments such as Paintings, Prints and Drawings, Greek, Etruscan, Roman Antiquities, etc. They are strategically distributed over four floors and three wings (Denon, Sully, and Richelieu).
Louvre Museum Map
Facts about Louvre Museum
- The Arts of Islam, opened in 1922, includes more than 1,000 works of Islamic art from the olden to the modern times.
- The largest section in the Department of Sculpture is French Sculpture, which is located in the lower ground floors and occupies much of the Richelieu (north wing) ground.
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Where is Louvre Museum ?
The Louvre Museum is located in Paris, which is in the north-center of France to the right of the River Seine. The nearest Charles de Gaulle Airport is about 35.8 km away from the museum (via route A1). The visitors may avail of the services of metro, bus, Batobus, or, may choose to travel via car to reach the museum.
Address: Louvre Museum, 75001, Paris, France
Best Time to Visit Louvre Museum
Paris is quite pleasant between April and June as well as September and November. However, accommodation during September through November may be hard to find because of annual fashion shows, bringing in a lot of visitors to the city during that time. Summer is not a good time to visit Paris due to the extreme weather.
Louvre Museum Hours
The museum opens every day, except for on Tuesdays and on French holidays.
- Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Wednesdays and Fridays: 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
Louvre Museum Tickets
It is possible to buy tickets online, in bulk or to buy a museum pass. The online tickets in advance would cost about $17, but they need to be picked from the selected stores rather than at the time of admission. The Paris Museum Pass offers free admission into more than 60 attractions in Paris, including the Louvre museum.
More about Louvre Museum
What are the coordinates of the Louvre Museum?
48.8611° N, 2.3364° E
Which are the interesting places located near the Louvre Museum?
Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame cathedral, Jeu de Paume, and Orangerie Museum.
Don’t Miss France major attractions : Paris, Chamonix, Eiffel Tower, Gorges du Verdon, La Madeleine