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Louvre Museum
🏛️ PARIS MONUMENT GUIDE

Louvre Museum Guide: Tickets, Reservations & Pass Compatibility

⏱️ Visit Time

3 - 4 h

🏛️ Category

National Art Museum

⏳ Era

1793 (opened as a museum)

📍 Address

Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France

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Practical Visitor Info & Tips

💶 Box Office Price

€32.00

🎟️ Reduced Price

€22.00

🕒 Opening Hours

Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: 09:00 - 18:00 · Wednesday, Friday: 09:00 - 21:00 (hours vary — see full schedule below)

📋 Entry Rules

Advance booking is recommended via the official ticketing platform.

🗓️ Seasonal Opening Hours
Year-round Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday 09:00 - 18:00 Last Admission: 17:00
Year-round Wednesday, Friday 09:00 - 21:00 Last Admission: 20:00

Closed On: Tuesdays, plus a small number of public holidays (check official calendar). Visitors are asked to vacate exhibition rooms 30 minutes before closing.

Free Admission Dates: First Friday of the month, 18:00-21:00 (except July and August). Always free for under-18s and EEA residents under 26 with ID.

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What The Ticket Includes

Access to both the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions on the same ticket.

Ticket Options & Pricing
OptionPriceReservationBooking
Standard Ticket (EEA) 22,00 € Recommended, not mandatory Online or on-site
Standard Ticket (non-EEA) 32,00 € Recommended, not mandatory Online or on-site

Overview & Visitor Introduction

The Louvre is the world's most-visited art museum, housing works from antiquity through the 19th century across the former royal palace on the Right Bank of the Seine.

Its collection spans the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and tens of thousands of other objects across the Sully, Denon, and Richelieu wings.

History & Architectural Significance

Built as a fortress in the late 12th century, it was expanded into a royal palace over several centuries before opening to the public as a museum in 1793 during the French Revolution.

The glass Pyramid entrance, designed by I.M. Pei, was added in 1989 and remains the museum's main access point.

What to See: Top Highlights

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Mona Lisa

Leonardo da Vinci's portrait, displayed in the Salle des États.

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Venus de Milo

The iconic Hellenistic-era marble sculpture.

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The Glass Pyramid

I.M. Pei's 1989 glass-and-metal entrance structure above the main lobby.

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Location & Google Maps

📍 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France Open in Google Maps

City Pass & Ticket Strategy

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Reservation rules differ by visitor type: a standalone ticket buyer only needs to book a slot if they want to (recommended, not mandatory), while a Paris Museum Pass holder must reserve one to guarantee entry, since the pass draws from its own limited daily quota of slots.

Paris Museum Pass

Included. You must reserve your entry time directly with the official provider. Confirmed directly on the Paris Museum Pass's own Louvre-specific page (parismuseumpass.fr/en/musees/musee-du-louvre), which explicitly tags the site "Mandatory reservation" and warns that access is no longer guaranteed once the pass's daily quota is exhausted.

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Paris City Pass

Included. The pass provider pre-books your entry ticket at checkout. Exact product name confirmed on the official Turbopass Paris City Pass page.

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Go City Paris All-Inclusive Pass Plus

Included. You must reserve your entry time directly with the official provider. Go City's All-Inclusive Pass Plus bundles an actual Paris Museum Pass rather than a separate Louvre product.

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Data Provenance

Source Musée du Louvre Official
Last Verified 2026-09-09

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to book in advance for the Louvre?
Booking a timed-entry slot is recommended for every visitor, including those with free admission, but it is not currently mandatory — on-site ticket-office purchase remains available (subject to availability). Only advance booking guarantees a specific entry time.
How long does a typical visit take?
The average recommended visit duration is 3 - 4 h.
Does the Paris Museum Pass include the Louvre, and does it skip the reservation?
The Louvre is included (free entry), but the pass does not skip the reservation step — in fact, the Paris Museum Pass's own site lists the Louvre as a "Mandatory reservation" site for its holders specifically, since pass admissions draw from a separate, limited daily quota. This is a stricter rule than the general "recommended" guidance for standalone ticket buyers.
Who books the Louvre reservation, and does it cost extra?
You book it yourself, directly on the Louvre's official reservation system linked from the pass's own booking page — it's free, but it's a separate step from owning the pass or ticket itself.
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