Le Louvre with children

24 Aug 2016

Le Louvre with kids

I am a great believer in taking my children almost anywhere. We took a 15-month-old camping.  We took a 2-year-old to tour Brazil. We take our children to restaurants. 
And we have just taken 3 children (aged 2 to 8) to The Louvre in Paris.


1. Take the kids. Whatever the age, there will be something of interest.

2. Plan. This is the key. Plan what you want to see. The Louvre is huge. It contains more than 380,000 pieces of art. You cannot see it all. Have a look at the website beforehand and select your favourites.

3. Don't spend much more than 2 hours there. We found that after two hours, our kids were tired and lost interest. The Louvre is huge and walking from one place to another will also take time and tire little legs.

4. You can borrow a pushchair. Just ask when entering. All you need is a proof of ID.
5. Or take a baby carrier. This is what we did and it was easier to go up and down stairs (as it is an old building and there are lots). 

A photo posted by Expat/Travel Writer🌍Annabelle (@thepiripirilexicon) on


6. Our favourite section is the Egyptian one. There is lots to see: sarcophagi, mummies (humans and animals), jewellery, huge statues, hieroglyphs, etc. There is bound to be something to interest every member of the family. 

7. Listen to the kids and follow their lead. My toddler made very funny comments while we walked around about things he saw. He kept saying that the Egyptian statues were broken (he was right). He approached the labels and said: "here it is written that the head is broken" after seeing me read the labels to the 6-year-old.


8. Forget what everyone wants to see. If you got at peak time, forget the Mona Lisa. This is just my personal opinion. A room packed with people pushing to take a selfie next to it is not most kids' idea of fun. You also end up having to stand so far away from it, you cannot really look at it properly in my opinion. There are so many other beautiful paintings in there. 

9. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays!

10. There are a couple of itineraries specifically designed for kids on the Louvre website. Use them. Current themes are Islam art, Egypt, Kings. 

Have you been to the Louvre? Did you take your kids? I's love to hear your other tips.


Lou Messugo


5 comments

  1. I don't think I've been to the Louvre in ages... I don't even remember exactly, but I think I was there once on my first trip abroad as a high schooler and I remember long lines and crowds. Your post makes me want to try it again as an adult. ;-) #allaboutfrance

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  2. I'm also a firm believer in taking the kids along. Though, when we lived in France all my children were a little too young for the Louvre - we're saving it for when they are old enough to understand! I'll keep these tips in mind, especially the kids itineraries from the Louvre website - thanks! Visiting via #AllAboutFrance

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  3. Fantastic. I want to take the kids there and your tips are really helpful.

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  4. Love this post! And here's a great resource (in French) for visiting museums with kids: http://mom-art.org/

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  5. My kids' favourite section is also the Egyptian area. Your tips are spot on, just how we tackle museums with our boys. I think the main thing is not to try to do too much as they get put off. Better to leave after a short time and happy than later and miserable. Thanks for linking to #AllAboutFrance

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