🇫🇷 Paris
The Louvre
museumhistorymust-seekid-friendly
Started life as a medieval fortress around 1190. The old stone foundations are still down in the basement — you can walk through them.
A 12th-century fortress, then a royal palace, then home to the world's most famous paintings. The collection is too big to do exhaustively — pick a wing and commit.
- Denon wing — Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Italian paintings.
- Sully wing — Egyptian antiquities, the medieval Louvre foundations.
- Richelieu wing — French paintings, Napoleon's apartments.
Getting there
- Metro: Palais-Royal / Musée du Louvre (lines 1 & 7) or Pyramides (lines 7 & 14)
- Bus: 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95
Three entrances (use whichever's shortest)
- Pyramid — main entrance, the famous glass one. Usually the longest queue.
- Carrousel — underground entrance through the Carrousel du Louvre shopping mall (99 Rue de Rivoli). Faster, especially with bags.
- Porte des Lions — closes 17:15, but a less-known third option for morning entry.
At the gate
- Tickets are timed-entry, nominative, and not modifiable — names must match ID at the security checkpoint, and a ticket can't be exchanged for a different day or time.
- Bring the ticket on phone (PDF or screenshot, QR code visible) and photo ID matching the ticket name. For free under-18 admission, the holder needs ID showing their date of birth.
- Security screens at all entrances. Suitcases not allowed; coats and large bags go to the free cloakroom inside.
- Audio guide is a paid extra (~€5) at the desk — or use the free Louvre app, which has solid commentary.
- Single entry only. Once you leave you can't come back on the same ticket.
Audio tour: Rick Steves' free Louvre Museum Tour is in the library, downloadable to your phone for offline use as you walk the galleries.