The museum
It began as a fortress, then a palace, then everybody's museum.
Eight centuries of French history sit inside these walls — and one very long queue outside them, unless you arrive with a timed ticket.
Timeline
Eight centuries, five turning points.
1190
A fortress, not a museum
Philip Augustus builds a fortified enclosure to guard Paris's western edge. Its foundations are still visible under the Sully wing.
1793
The museum opens
On 10 August the Louvre opens to the public with 537 paintings. Entry is free for citizens of the Republic.
1796
Closed for repair
Structural problems force the galleries shut. The collection is moved to safety while the building is made sound again.
1801
Musée Napoléon
The museum reopens under a new name with a far larger collection, much of it brought back from Napoleon's campaigns.
Today
Eight departments
Around 35,000 works are on display — roughly 20,000 more than the original opening collection — attracting some 9 million visitors a year.
The collections
Eight departments, one building.
You cannot see it all in a day — most first-timers spend two to three hours and head straight for the Denon wing.
01Egyptian Antiquities
02Near Eastern Antiquities
03Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities
04Islamic Art
05Sculpture
06Decorative Arts
07Paintings
08Prints and Drawings
How booking works here
You read the guide here; the ticket comes from The Top Tickets.
Every price, policy and opening hour on this site is taken from the live listing on The Top Tickets, the travel agency that issues the ticket, takes payment by Stripe and answers questions around the clock. This site does not hold your card details and does not operate the museum.
The Louvre is a registered name of the Musée du Louvre, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this guide.
Your next step
Choose a date and time on the live listing, add your travellers, and the tickets arrive by email and WhatsApp within minutes.
Book timed entryCheck the price list first