Louvre Cuts Snaking Lines By Limiting Daily Visitors For ‘Comfortable’ Viewing

Beginning this week, those headed to the Louvre in Paris, France, may want to show up earlier in the day, as one of the world’s most popular museums has announced it has limited the number of daily visitors to just 30,000 people. 

The change, issued “in order to facilitate a comfortable visit and ensure optimal working conditions for museum staff,” cuts about a third of the 45,000 people that visited the establishment each day before the pandemic. 

According to ARTnews, the museum made the decision in June 2022 but had kept it under wraps, waiting until new President-Director Laurence des Cars took over before informing the public. It plans to work “ever harder at improving visitor conditions” and offer more exciting programs. 

Last year, the Louvre showed positive visitor figures despite ongoing travel restrictions. It welcomed 7.8 million visitors, a 120% increase from 2021, but still not reaching the heights of the 9.6 million who stepped through its doors in 2019.

Des Cars, as quoted by the New York Times, says she wants a visit to the Louvre to be a “moment of pleasure,” in particular, for visitors discovering the museum for the first time, who make up an estimated 60% of its tickets sold. 

Hopefully, with the new measures in place, first-timers to the famed museum will be able to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa and other famous works without having to jostle elbow-to-elbow or have their vision blocked by hundreds of smartphones. 

[via ARTnews and New York Times, cover image via Ixuskmitl | Dreamstime.com]