Louvre Museum at night – a complete guide for the best experience

Visiting the Louvre Museum at night offers a unique and magical experience. With fewer crowds, beautifully lit surroundings, and the glowing glass pyramid, it’s a serene way to explore the museum’s masterpieces. With the help of our guide, learn how to make the most of your evening visit.

Visiting the Louvre Museum is an unforgettable experience, and seeing it at night adds a new dimension.

As the crowds thin out and the iconic glass pyramid lights up after dark, the museum becomes a peaceful, almost magical place to explore.

It’s no wonder that many seasoned travelers prefer to explore the Louvre after dark. In contrast, others who visit during the day often return to the courtyard to admire the glowing pyramid in the evening.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about visiting the Louvre at night, from practical tips to what makes the nighttime experience so special.

# Louvre Museum entry ticket

There is no specific night-time ticket for the Louvre Museum. However, when booking your regular ticket, you can choose an evening time slot to visit after sunset. As night visits are very popular, these slots tend to sell out quickly. We recommend booking in advance to secure your preferred time and avoid missing out on this unique experience.

What’s ahead

Best entrance for a night visit
Nighttime dining nearby
Frequently asked questions

Five reasons to visit Louvre Museum at night

While visiting the Louvre Museum during the day is a fantastic experience, we think the experience is even more magical after dark.

If you have the flexibility, we highly recommend exploring the Louvre at night.

Here are five compelling reasons why:

1. Smaller crowd leads to a better experience

The Louvre is infamous for long daytime lines and bustling crowds, especially around its most famous works.

While booking your tickets online helps you bypass the ticket queue, you still face long waits at security and crowded galleries.

However, visiting at night drastically reduces this hassle.

With fewer tourists in the evening, you’ll enjoy a more relaxed entry process and have more personal time with iconic masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and The Winged Victory of Samothrace.

The quieter galleries allow you to immerse yourself in the art without being rushed or jostled by large tour groups.

2. The glass pyramid is at its best

While the Louvre Pyramid is a striking sight during the day, its true beauty shines after sunset.

As darkness falls, the glass structure illuminates, casting a warm glow across the courtyard, creating a magical atmosphere that enhances the contrast between the modern pyramid and the historic museum buildings.

The pyramid lights up around sunset, with exact timings varying by season. During the fall and winter months, when night falls earlier, you’ll have more time to admire this spectacular view.

Whether you’re standing in the courtyard or capturing the illuminated pyramid from different angles, the nighttime view is unforgettable.

3. The Courtyard is a cool hangout place

After dark, the Cour Napoleon (the museum’s courtyard) transforms into a lively hangout spot.

Locals and tourists gather to enjoy the illuminated surroundings, making it a relaxed and vibrant space to linger after your museum visit.

With the pyramid glowing in the background, this open area is a great place to unwind and take in the ambiance of Paris by night.

Plus, it’s one of the best spots for memorable night-time photos.

Even after the museum closes, the courtyard remains open for you to explore at your leisure.

4. The viewing experience doesn’t change

Almost all the Louvre Museum galleries use artificially designed lighting to ensure the art is perfectly illuminated at all times.

As a result, whether it’s day or night, you’ll experience the same breathtaking clarity and detail when viewing the museum’s renowned paintings, sculptures, and other works.

5. Pack more in a Parisian day

Visiting the Louvre at night frees up your entire day for other Parisian activities.

You can explore nearby attractions, shop, or relax at a café in the afternoon, then head back to your hotel for a brief rest before embarking on your evening visit.

Alternatively, you could spend the day visiting other landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, or the Musée d’Orsay, and then save the Louvre for the evening when it’s less crowded.

After enjoying dinner at one of the many nearby restaurants, finish your day with a serene and crowd-free stroll through the Louvre’s galleries.

Louvre Trivia
Did you know the Louvre Museum displays only 35,000 of its 380,000 artifacts? If you spent 8 hours a day viewing each piece for just 30 seconds, it would take 36 days to see them all.

Louvre Museum timings

The Louvre operates with varying hours throughout the week.

  • Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday: Open from 9 am to 6 pm
  • Wednesday and Friday: Extended hours from 9 am to 9 pm
  • Tuesday: The museum is closed.

Please note the last entry is 1 hour before closing, and the clearing of rooms begins 30 minutes before closing time.

Why Louvre is open till 9 pm on some days

The Louvre Museum extends its hours into the night on Wednesday and Friday for two key reasons.

First, as the world’s most visited museum, the Louvre attracts nearly 10 million visitors annually—over 30,000 each day. To accommodate this immense demand, the museum offers late-night hours once a week, giving more visitors the chance to explore its treasures.

Second, the Louvre takes on a captivating charm after dark. As night falls, the illuminated pyramid and surrounding buildings create a stunning, magical atmosphere that draws tourists to experience its beauty under the stars.

Friday night free

The Louvre Museum offers free admission for all visitors on the first Friday of every month after 6 pm, excluding July and August.

If you plan to enter the Louvre for free, just reach the Pyramid entrance with a valid photo ID, and you will be allowed to enter. 

Louvre Pyramid at night

The iconic glass pyramid was built as part of the 1989 redesign of the Louvre Museum and now serves as its main entrance.

It is one of Paris’ most recognizable landmarks, alongside the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.

At sunset, the pyramid illuminates, transforming into a glowing beacon that welcomes art lovers from around the world.

As night falls, it becomes a popular spot for visitors to gather, capturing stunning photos of the lit structure from various angles.

Tourists who linger around the illuminated pyramid at night often describe the experience as romantic and mentally stimulating, adding a special touch to their Parisian visit.

Here are some photographs of the Louvre Pyramid at night:

Louvre Pyramid at nightPin
Image: Michael Fousert
Glass Pyramid at NightPin
Image: Rafael Garcin
Louvre at Night with LightsPin
Image: Rafael Miranda
Sunset at Louvre MuseumPin
Sunset at the Louvre Museum. Image: Alexander Kagan

Best Louvre entrance for a night visit

The Louvre Museum has three main entrances: the Pyramid Entrance, the Carrousel Entrance, and the Porte de Richelieu Entrance.

The Pyramid Entrance (Le Pyramide) is the museum’s main and most iconic entry point. At night, this entrance provides the most memorable experience, as the glowing glass pyramid creates a stunning, illuminated backdrop, making it ideal for an evening visit.

The Carrousel du Louvre Entrance is located in an underground shopping complex next to the museum. This entrance is also known as the Inverted Pyramid Entrance due to its proximity to the famous inverted glass pyramid. If you’re arriving by metro, the Carrousel entrance is a convenient choice. After exploring the museum, we recommend exiting through the Pyramid entrance to enjoy the beautiful nighttime atmosphere in the Courtyard.

The Porte de Richelieu Entrance can be found by locating Louis XIV’s Equestrian Statue, situated in front of the glass pyramid. While this entrance is less crowded, it doesn’t offer the same dramatic evening experience as the Pyramid.

Visiting Eiffel & The Louvre on the same day?
Many tourists choose to visit both the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum on the same day. For easy navigation, check out our guide on how to get from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre.

Dining around the Louvre at night

The Louvre Museum has 15 cafes, restaurants, and takeaway outlets, providing both sit-down meals and takeaway options. However, only two remain open after 6 pm.

  • Café Marly, located directly opposite the Pyramid, is a sit-down restaurant that stays open until 2 am, making it a perfect spot for a late-night meal with a view.
  • Eric Kayser, near the Jardin du Carrousel entrance (by the Arche du Carrousel), offers baked goods and snacks and is open until 8.30 pm.

If you are looking for dining options nearby, try one of these two highly-rated restaurants:

  • Les Deux Magots: A short walk from the Louvre, this historic café in Saint-Germain-des-Prés offers classic French dishes and a great atmosphere.
  • Louvre Food Court: For a quicker, casual bite, the Carrousel du Louvre shopping area features a food court with various dining options.

FAQs about visiting the Louvre at night

People planning a night trip to the Louvre have lots of questions. We try to answer some of them here:

Is the Louvre Museum lit up at night?

Yes, the Glass Pyramid and the other buildings light up at sunset. The timings depend on the time of the sunset.

What should you wear while visiting the Louvre at night?

The Louvre doesn’t allow visitors to wear swimsuits or be naked, barefoot, or bare-chested. If you are visiting in summer, comfortable casual clothes should be perfect. If you are visiting in winter, wearing heavy coats and jackets is best. The galleries are adequately heated, and most visitors won’t need warm clothes once inside. Visitors who don’t prefer carrying their winter wear bring a backpack to keep them in the locker space.

Is there a Louvre night and day ticket?

Unfortunately, there are no separate day or night tickets for the Louvre. However, by booking a regular admission ticket for a time slot close to sunset, you can enjoy the museum in both daylight and as evening falls.

Is taking photographs of the Louvre Pyramid at night illegal?

No, taking photographs of the beautiful glass pyramid of the Museum at night is not illegal. That copyright rule applies to night photographs of the Eiffel Tower. But even then, nobody gets arrested for photographing the Tower after dark.

Is the Louvre safe at night?

The Museum and the area around it are some of the most touristy spots in Paris. They are as active at night as they are during the day, but the Louvre is perfectly safe to visit at any time of the night.

Photo of author
Researched & written by
Jamshed is a versatile traveler, equally drawn to the vibrant energy of city escapes and the peaceful solitude of remote getaways. On some trips, he indulges in resort hopping, while on others, he spends little time in his accommodation, fully immersing himself in the destination. A passionate foodie, Jamshed delights in exploring local cuisines, with a particular love for flavorful non-vegetarian dishes. Favourite Cities: Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Dublin, Prague, Vienna

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