INSIDE: Curious about the Louvre for children? Take a look at our EPIC Guide to the Louvre for kids, including what we believe is the best time to visit the Louvre with kids.
Researching a possible trip to the Louvre for kids on your next Paris family vacation?
The Louvre in Paris is one of those bucket list adventures for many of us, but if you are travelling Paris with kids, it’s hard to know what to do.
There are so many questions when you are trying to decide IF you should you visit the Louvre museum with kids, or not?
Parents ask:
- Will there be stuff for the kids to see at the Louvre museum, or will it be over their heads?
- Will it be too crowded?
- Will they be able to see anything?
- Will they be interested in the paintings, masterpieces & sculptures in the Louvre?
- What age is too young?
- Should you take a toddler to the Louvre?
- What is the best time to visit the Louvre with kids?
- What is the best day to visit the Louvre?
- When are the Louvre quiet times?
Someone once asked us if the kids would see dead bodies?
True story.
There’s all kinds of questions when it comes to visiting the Louvre museum in Paris with kids!
Let’s see if we can answer some of them in our EPIC GUIDE TO THE LOUVRE WITH KIDS.
Take a look below.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, we may receive a small commission at NO extra cost to you.
Top Tips on the Louvre for Kids
Yes, exploring the Louvre with kids IS possible, despite the crowds, and yes, it can be good fun.
But there’s a caveat.
It’s a great day out, as long as you don’t plan on staying too long, or maxing out the kid’s patience in what is the world’s largest AND most visited museum.
Do reward your kid’s patience and good behaviour by breaking for a homemade croque monsieur.
This is France’s answer to grilled cheese.
Be sure to follow that with a sweet macaron or two at one of the local cafes or restaurants in Paris nearby.
A treat is always a good bribe!
If you are an art lover, we recommend returning without kids at some point too!
- Book your (Timed Entry) Skip the Line Louvre Museum tickets here.
- Book your Skip the Line Louvre Museum tickets with an audio guide and detailed map included here.
Image credit: Andy Rusch via Flickr CC BY-2.0
First up: The Best Time to Visit the Louvre with Kids?
Before we begin: Take advantage of the Louvre’s evening hours on Wednesdays and Fridays until 9:45 p.m and take the kids in the early evening when the crowds are less boisterous.
This is our pick of the BEST TIME to visit the Louvre with kids.
The other best time to visit the Louvre with kids is midweek, early afternoon, when the late-eater crowds disperse for a belated lunch.
Or, you could try to be in line right at opening if you only have a couple of hours, and can be out before the crowds thicken around mid morning.
Mid-morning entrances to the Louvre museum are best avoided with kids if you want to give them a chance to get up close and personal with the Louvre paintings and Louvre statues.
Image credit: Marcus Meissner via Flickr CC BY-2.0
Book a Louvre Family Tour
Our tip is book a Louvre kids tour, one with activities.
And go with the experts who know how to navigate around the crowds.
Our hot tip: This is our most popular recommendation: a family friendly tour of the Louvre with Get Your Guide.
Skip the Line Family Tour of the Louvre for Kids
On this tour above, kids see (and hear):
- Venus de Milo and stories of Greek mythology
- the much-adored Winged Victory of Samothrace
- learn about a variety of the antique statues
- the MONA LISA, along with stories about her intriguing smile and what it means
Plus, at the end of the guided tour, you are free to wander the Louvre museum until the kids have truly had enough!
Take a look at the full tour inclusions here.
Or, Book a Private Family Tour at the Louvre Museum
It’s also possible to book a private family tour, meaning you don’t have to worry about keeping up with the group, and can cut it short if the kids or toddlers get restless.
The guides who run these two-hour-long private Louvre tours for kids are very experienced with kids of ALL ages.
Guides have tricks up their sleeve (games, puzzles, quizzes) to make sure everyone is engaged and having fun as the whole family explores the history of art.
It’s definitely another good option if you want to visit the Louvre with kids.
Hot tip: Stop by the Aire de Jeux playground near the Louvre after your visit so the kids can run off steam!
Image credit: Ernest McGray Jr via Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0
Our Hot Tips for Visiting the Louvre Kids Style!
There’s three reasons to head to the Louvre with kids in tow.
- Louvre Paintings
- Louvre Statues
- Louvre Sculptures
Here’s a list of the best things to see at the Louvre with kids.
Image credit: David Stanley via Flickr CC BY-2.0
Tip No.1: Find the Best Kid Friendly Louvre Exhibits
Visiting the Louvre with Kids?
Unless you are on a mission to how much is possible to see in the Louvre Museum Paris in one day, we recommend you stick with the Highlights of the Louvre if you have the kids in tow.
Take a look below for our Louvre tips and ideas.
Mona Lisa
Without doubt, the main reason most people plan on visiting the Louvre museum is to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
People from all walks of life, and every country in the world, come to Paris to catch a glimpse of the world famous painting.
Fun fact: Did you know that Henri Loyrette, former director of the Louvre, said that 80% of visitors go for the Mona Lisa & then LEAVE!
(Don’t do that.)
Mona Lisa is now housed behind bullet proof glass in its own climate-controlled room.
Image credit: Jastrow via Wikimedia Public domain
Venus de Milo Louvre
The Venus de Milo with her missing arms, along with the Mona Lisa and Michelangelo’s David, are arguably the most recognised pieces of art in the world.
The Venus de Milo sculpture is over 2,000 years old.
She is one of the most iconic representations of classical female beauty still in existence.
The Louvre Pyramid
The Louvre Pyramid was built in the 1980s as the main entrance to the Louvre Museum by Chinese American architect I.M. Pei, but not without controversy.
Nowadays, the modern glass structure has become a landmark in its own right, although it is MUCH smaller in real life than what we expected!
It’s surprisingly small in fact, and is also surrounded by three more unassuming tiny pyramids too!
Image credit: Rijin S via Wikimedia Commons
Winged Victory of Samothrace (190 BC, Ancient Greece)
The Winged Goddess of Nike has pride of place over the Louvre’s Daru stairs as though she is on guard at the bow of a ship.
Another very, very old Greek work of art.
Image credit: Louvre Museum CC BY-SA
Great Sphinx of Tanis (Old Kingdom, 2600 BC, Old Kingdom)
This sphinx was excavated in 1825 from among the ruins of the Temple of Amun at Tanis.
It remains one of the largest sphinxes on display outside of Egypt.
Image credit: Louvre Museum (Public domain)
The French Crown Jewels (Department of Decorative Arts)
Little Princesses, Princes, and Disney Frozen Fans will be awed (and thrilled) by the jewel-embellished Coronation Crowns in the Department of Decorative Arts.
These custom-made crowns reflect the wealth and power bestowed upon the French kings at the time.
Image credit: Alan Light via Flickr CC BY-2.0
Tip No.2: What to see at the Louvre in 2 Hours?
Check out the Louvre Floor Plan PDF before you go.
This gives you a good idea of what is where, so you can plan your entrance, and your Louvre route.
If the Mona Lisa is on your list, head straight to the Denon Wing, Level 1 for the Paintings/Italy exhibition.
If you are asking the question, “If I only have two hours to spend in the Louvre what should I see?”, here’s a little secret!
The Louvre has already mapped out a number of routes you can take.
On this tool, you can choose:
- the time frame you have (eg 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, all day?)
- your audience (eg family, children, adults only, disability?)
- the day of your visit
- your chosen theme (Egyptian,
Click here to map your own route..
Be patient when using this tool.
Not every route will work every day, nor for your audience type.
Click around a few times before you give up.
The route will show underneath, and will list a suggested itinerary in bullet points.
Image credit: Chris Waits via Wiki Commons CC BY-2.0
Tip No.3: Wondering what to see in the Louvre that’s specifically for kids?
Here’s a few tips.
Tactile Gallery at the Louvre
- The Tactile Gallery is the only place in the museum where visitors are encouraged to touch.
- The gallery features plaster or resin casts of the original sculptures on display at the Louvre.
Thematic Trails for Kids at the Louvre
When visiting the Louvre Museum in Paris, you can also request one of their thematic trails for kids at the service desk.
DIY Sketching
If the kids are a bit older, they can always take their own pencils and drawing pads, and sketch as they go.
See below for more family activities in the Louvre.
Image credit: Dustin Gaffke via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-2.0
Tip No.4: Louvre Museum Kids Tours and Activities
The Petite Galerie is a permanent exhibition space in the heart of the museum, open to all, but that is designed with families and children in mind.
If you have children over 8, you might like to take advantage of the Family Tour.
- This runs in the Little Gallery (Petite Gallery) from 3.00pm – 4.30pm every Saturday and Sunday.
- This ‘tour’ encompasses walking, running and dancing to help children to discover the representations of the body in motion.
There’s also new interactive fun for 6-8 year olds where they investigate the scenario where a painting has disappeared!
Children question witnesses and suspects and interpret their attitudes and expressions to disentangle the false from the true! A journey-investigation in the heart of the collections of paintings.
Prices start from € 6.00
Image credit: Naturehead via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Tip No.5: Hire an Audio Guide or Download the Louvre App onto your Phone
Louvre Audio Guide
Families can also hire an audioguide on a Nintendo 3DS ™ XL – this guide is led by curators and speakers who guide you through the museum at your own pace, so you can make stops or detours when you need to!
There’s three possible ways to use the Audio Guide:
- You do not know the museum and want to be guided, choose the course “masterpieces” that will take you from the Venus de Milo to the Mona Lisa through the most beautiful spaces of the palace.
- You do not want to miss anything of the musts of the museum, we have selected them for you and put forward on our interactive plan.
- You want to wander as you please, more than 700 comments of works and rooms are at your disposal. And do not be afraid to get lost, thanks to a new interactive plan deployed on the double screen of the DS, you will be located and guided step by step in the museum.
The audioguide is available in 7 languages:
- Korean
- French
- English
- Spanish
- Italian
- German, and
- Japanese
Pay for one of these at the cash desk, or the vending machine under the Pyramid then take the voucher to the distribution counter, where you will be given the Nintendo once you’ve given them proof of ID.
For more information, click here.
Full hire price: 5 €
Preorder your Audio Guide here.
Image credit: Smerikal via Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0
Louvre App
You can also download their new personalised tour, My Visit to the Louvre, onto your phone.
If you do this, you can keep a record of your wanderings during your visit.
Download our new App “My Visit to the Louvre,” from home or at the museum, and create your very own, made-to-measure tour.
(Get it from the App store or Googleplay)
Tip Six: Plan your visit before your Louvre entrance
Plan your visit and you might time it right to enjoy one of the many family-friendly activities on offer:
- visit the cinema for young audiences and watch a montage of films and short sequences on the artist’s studio in the cinema of yesteryear
- or, enjoy a concert for families at the Louvre auditorium.
There’s also:
- fun drawing and painting activities
- storytelling
- workshops
Plus opportunities to play with science equipment such as globes, astrolabes or compasses as a scientific apprentice!
Workshops include:
“What if the paintings were animated?”
- Kids capture a movement, draw it and then create its flip-book – a small booklet animated pocket.
“Discover a painting”
- Kids can choose a character in motion, make it evolve and then photograph it to create its own animated GIF.
Fun Facts about the Louvre for Kids
With thanks to Just Fun Facts.
Looking for Le Louvre Facts before you go to set the mood and anticipation?
Here’s a few for starters.
How many artworks are there at the Louvre?
Did you know there’s over 35,000 objects on display out of a collection of 380,000?
The collection is divided among eight curatorial departments:
- 1. Near Eastern Oriental Antiquities
- 2. The Department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities
- 3. Egyptian Antiquities
- 4. The Department of Paintings
- 5. The Department of Graphic Arts featuring Prints and Drawings
- 6. The Department of Decorative Arts (Objects of Art)
- 7. The Department of Sculptures, and
- 8. The Department of Islamic Art.
With over 7,500 artworks, the Paintings Department is probably the most loved part of the museum.
How many people visit the Louvre each day?
Today the Louvre Museum is the world’s most visited museum.
On average, around 15,000 people visit each day.
65 percent of these Louvre visitors are foreign tourists.
How long would it take to see everything at the Louvre?
It would take 100 days to see everything in the Louvre if you looked at each item for 30 seconds, all day without a break.
What does the Louvre mean?
The Louvre is simply the name of one of the world’s most famous museums and is located in Paris, France.
There is no other meaning.
The Louvre is currently a museum but used to be a palace.
Image credit: Denis McLaughlin via Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0
More Le Louvre Facts
Did you know that the Louvre is not limited to the walls of the palace?
The gardens of the Carrousel and Tuileries, the Eugène-Delacroix museum and the gypsothèque in Versailles are also attached to it and await your visit.
When was the Louvre built?
The Louvre was built shortly after 1190 by King Philippe Auguste.
Originally a simple defensive fortress, the Louvre has long been one of the principal residences of the kings of France.
Becoming a museum in 1793, it presents more than 73,000 m² of Western art from the Middle Ages to 1848, as well as ancient civilizations that preceded and influenced it.
Image credit: Louvre Museum (CC0 public domain)
What is the oldest piece of art in the Louvre?
About 35,000 works of art are exhibited.
The oldest statue dates back more than seven thousand years.
The Statue of Aïn Ghazal was “modelled by hand on a skeleton frame of braided fiber ropes” so it stands.
When was the Louvre Pyramid built?
The Louvre glass pyramid was built in the 1980s as the main entrance to the Louvre Museum.
The modern glass structure is the most recognisable feature of the Louvre today.
Image credit: Olivier Bruchez via Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0
Become a Member
If you are staying in Paris for any length of time, become a Member of the Louvre.
Opt for the Family option of the Friends of the Louvre when you subscribe to the Louvre and you’ll enjoy one year of privileges for 1 to 2 adults, and up to 3 children, with Option Famille:
- A privileged and unlimited access to the collections,
- Reductions for the workshops,
- Free access to the young audience programming of the Auditorium, and
- 3 months subscription to Le Petit Léonard magazine
Image credit: Connie Ma viaWikimedia commons CC BY-2.0
The Louvre Shop
Located in the alley of the Grand Louvre, there’s a new bookshop/gift shop at the Louvre museum.
Beautifully curated, the Louvre museum shop has a wide range of products derived from the collections and exhibitions of the museum.
- Jewellery
- Gifts, Homewares, Glassware, Ornaments
- Casts
- Prints, Calendars, Posters
- Stationery
- Reproductions of works
On the first floor, you will discover an impressive art bookstore, and an area entirely dedicated to the children and young people.
Museum shops in Paris are FULL of unexpected and handmade treasures and you’ll find some of the BEST Paris souvenirs in them.
Do not leave without a quick look inside.
Image credit: Joe deSousa via Flickr Public domain
There are 15 cafés, restaurants and outlets throughout the Louvre, including the Cafe Marly restaurant pictured above.
Dine-in and takeaway eating establishments can be found:
- in the Louvre Museum
- the Carrousel Garden and
- the Tuileries Garden.
Find a list of budget-friendly cafes at the Louvre here.
(Be sure to click both the cafe, and restaurant tabs to see the full list)
Our tip for budget travel in Paris, would be to pick up freshly-baked sweet treats, pastries, and sandwiches from Paul’s Kiosk in the garden.
It’s the ideal spot for families to eat, with the museum and the Louvre Pyramid in view.
We also suggest planning your visit to include snack breaks.
There are plenty of places and spaces to eat around the Museum.
THE INSIDE SCOOP: Best Time to Visit the Louvre Paris
Correct at time of publication on Roam the Gnome. Please check with venue for updates. We apologise in advance if there have been any changes we are unaware of. All prices in EURO, unless otherwise stated
Where is the Louvre? The Louvre adddress is Musée du Louvre, 75058 Paris – France
Telephone: + 33 (0) 1 40 20 53 17
Website: Click here
Le Louvre Museum Hours 2020:
- Monday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday: 9 a.m. – 9:45 p.m.
- Thursday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Friday: 9 a.m. – 9:45 p.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. (until 9:45 p.m. the first Saturday of each month – Richelieu wing by prior reservation)
- Sunday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Guides begin to close the rooms from 5.30 p.m. or 9.30 p.m. on night days.
The Louvre is closed on the following public holidays:
- January 1
- May 1 Labor Day
- December 25 (Christmas Day)
Image credit: Gabriele B. (CC BY 2.o)
Louvre Admission – The Louvre Prices
- The Louvre ticket price for tickets purchased on site cost 15 euros per adult**(subject to change), however it is highly recommended you buy online in advance to guarantee entry as crowds are growing.
- Check the crowd calendar for the Louvre on this app
- Entry is free for children under 18, with proof of age.
Buy Louvre Tickets Online via this link below:
- Tickets are valid on the same day, for the Louvre museum (permanent collections and temporary exhibitions) and the Eugène-Delacroix museum.
- Book your (Timed Entry) Skip the Line Louvre Museum tickets here.
- Book your Skip the Line Louvre Museum tickets with an audio guide and detailed map included here.
- The Louvre cost online via the Louvre website is 17 euros per person.
What can I see with the Louvre ticket ?
In addition to the collections of the Louvre Museum, the ticket gives access to temporary exhibitions the same day and for 48 hours at the Musée Eugène-Delacroix.
Can we visit the Louvre museum for free?
Yes! The Louvre is free on one regular day every month.
From January 2019, the Louvre is open for free to all visitors, the first Saturday of each month from 6 p.m. until closing at 9.45 p.m.
The Louvre museum is FREE for everyone on July 14.
All young people under 18 enter for free all year round.
Image credit: John Donges via Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0
How to get to the Louvre
Follow these Louvre directions.
By Metro: Lines 1 & 7 (Station: Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre); Line 14 (Station: Pyramid)
By Bus: 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95 & Open Top (Bus Stop is in front of the Pyramid)
Velib bicycled hire stations near the museum:
n ° 1015: 2 place A. Malraux
n ° 1023: 165 Saint-Honoré street
n ° 1014: 5 rue de l’Echelle
n ° 1013: 186 rue Saint-Honoré
By car: an underground car park is accessible by Avenue du Général-Lemonnier every day from 7 am to 11 pm.
By Batobus: “Louvre” stop, François-Mitterrand platform
Image credit: Chad Goddard via Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0
Skip the Line Louvre Museum
Enter the museum in less than 30 minutes by purchasing your ticket online direct from the Louvre here.
When you arrive, join the Orange Line for direct entry.
Alternative entry to the Louvre
Entrances at the Carrousel du Louvre from the Métro station or at Passage Richelieu off Rue de Rivoli avoid the long lines.
You can buy tickets in advance, but you must pick them up in person at a different location.
Paris Museum Pass
The Paris Museum Pass includes the Louvre and offers savings for tourists who want to explore several museums during a two-day, three-day, or six-day stay in Paris.
Image credit: Martin Brochhaus via Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0
Buy Tickets to the Louvre on the day
If you are buying your ticket on the day, the main entrance and ticket office is at the Pyramid du Louvre.
Join the green line to queue for buying tickets.
We strongly advise buying tickets in advance to avoid this if you are travelling with kids!
Hot tip: You may try the blue line to purchase tickets if you have a stroller with you, or are pregnant.
Louvre Map
Facilities at the Louvre in Paris
Toilets: Yes, including baby change tables. Ask a staff member for directions.
Disability access: Yes. You can hire wheelchairs free of charge if necessary.
Closest ATM: On site.
Closest playground: Aire de jeux playground, in the Jardin des Tuileries
Picnic tables: Yes, at cafes and outdoors
Water Bubblers/fountains: Yes, outdoors
Scooters and Bikes: No
Dogs: No
Image credit: Guilhem Vellut via Flickr CC BY-2.0
Hot tips for Visiting the Louvre
Free Strollers at the Louvre & Wheelchairs too
- The Louvre has strollers, baby carriers and wheelchairs to borrow, free of charge to visitors who have difficulty moving around the museum.
- Speak to the receptionists in the reception area under the Pyramid.
- The loan is made in exchange for a piece of identification.
- All material borrowed from the museum can not leave the premises of the institution.
Free Wifi at the Louvre
- The Louvre has Free WIFI.
A network “Louvre_Wifi_Gratuit” is available under the pyramid and in the museum.
Once connected, you get one hour of free Wifi, renewable without limitation.
Where to stay in Paris near the Louvre?
We stayed at the Novotel Paris les Halles and we highly recommend it.
This Paris hotel is only a short 9 min walk to the Louvre, and there’s a very cool space-age playground about a minute away.
The Eiffel Tower is just 30 minutes from the hotel on the RER too.
(We booked a Skip the Line tour of the Eiffel Tower with Get your Guide, so when we got there the kids and I didn’t have to queue)
If you are visiting Paris with children, book a stay at the Novotel Paris les Halles.
Image credit: Pixabay
Toadstool Rating – Louvre Museum Paris
Looking for more things to do in Paris with kids?
Click the links in blue for more Paris attractions below.