How to Visit the Louvre Museum

The Louvre museum is perhaps the most famous art museum in the world. The sprawling palace holds scores of corridors with walls and walls of priceless art and sculpture. Visiting the museum can be daunting at best because of the sheer size of the palace. Follow these few steps to make your visit to the Louvre museum a seamless and memorable event.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Research the art of the museum before visiting. Knowing the history of the art helps to enrich the experience of viewing it, so do your homework before.

2. Determine which section of the Louvre you are most interested in. The museum houses everything from Egyptian and Mesopotamian art to French and German impressionism.

3. Visit the highlights of the museum first, so you can have time to explore the other reaches of the corridors. The most famous of the Louvre's art is located in the Sully wing. In the center of the Sully are greats such as Winged Victory and the Mona Lisa.

4. Obtain a museum guide from the front desk. They can be purchased for as little as 8 euros, as well as audio guides to the museum that accompany certain exhibits.

5. Plan your route in the museum so that you touch upon some of the best highlights of each exhibit. Start with the ground floor, the Richelieu floor, which contains sculpture. Then proceed to the 1st floor of the Sully that contains Egyptian, Etruscan, Middle Eastern and Greek and Roman antiques. The Sully wing also encompasses painting and medieval art.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to plan your trip to the Louvre in two days. It is virtually impossible to see it all in one day so make sure you plan plenty of time to visit. If you cannot go in two days, only visit those exhibits which you find interesting.
• Go early in the morning or a few hours before closing as this is the best time to avoid lines. A line at the Louvre can be as long as an hour if you go at peak visiting hours.
• If you are visiting Paris and plan to be there for a few days, purchase a museum pass. It gives you access to many of Paris' museums at a discounted costs and the convenience of bypassing lines.
• Some sections of the Louvre do not allow any kind of photography. Do not plan on taking pictures at all in those areas, but many areas allow non-flash photography.
• Do not lug around alot of excess baggage while visiting the museum, since it is sometimes very hot and crowded. Carrying extra backpacks and purses could result in theft or an uncomfortable experience.

Resources

• Visit the Louvre Museum's official site
• Learn more about art history.
• Buy a Paris museum pass.