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Wheelchair Access at the Louvre Museum

  Wheelchair Access at the Louvre Museum – The Musée du Louvre is one of the largest and most spectacular museums in the world. It is absolutely enormous and takes a full day or more to visit. It consists of 3 different wings with paintings, sculptures, and other objects spread across 4 floors in each wing. If you were to walk or roll the entire museum, you would have traveled 12 kilometers!

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The building was originally a royal palace, and they have done a good job improving wheelchair access at the Louvre Museum. The vast majority of it is handicapped accessible, but it is a maze to navigate with 18 elevators and 20 wheelchair lifts. Although there are 4 main floors, there are several levels in between the main floors. There is not an elevator or wheelchair lift at every staircase, so you may have to back-track to get to the exhibit you want to see. Be sure to use the Louvre accessibility map to figure out your way through the exhibits.

You can easily spend a full day here without visiting all the exhibits. Start with the areas you definitely don’t want to miss, and work your way to the exhibits you find less interesting. The Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Triump of Samothrace are three of the most famous items to see. At a minimum, make it a point to see these.

Download the Louvre Accessibility Map

In the Richelieu wing, be sure to catch some of the French sculputres and Felmish painting. The Sully wing houses the extensive French art as well as Egyptian and Greek artifacts. The Denon wing contains some of the most famous exhibits in the galleries for Roman antiquities and Italian sculptures and painting.

Although are guided tours, these are probably difficult to keep up with if you are wheelchair user because you would have to backtrack so much to use the elevators and wheelchair lifts. A better option is to get one of the audioguides and see the museum on your own.

View 13 Wheelchair Travel Tips for Paris

There are a few step-free entrances but the easiest one to find and use is at the pyramid in the main courtyard. If you are in a wheelchair, let a staff member see you and they will bring you to the front of the line.

There are several wheelchair accessible hotels near the Louvre Museum. You can get dropped off by a taxi or one of the accessible bus lines at the nearby Place du Carrousel. Alternatively, there is an underground parking garage that is connected to the museum.

I had a lovely trip to Paris last weekend with my carer and it was made all the better for the help your website gave me…..We went to the Louvre on the Saturday and were given a free pass and help getting around. The downside at the Louvre was the disabled loos were difficult to find and tucked away in the ladies so my carer left me outside and I struggled to get to them on my own. Not like the British Museum and other museums and galleries here where everything is well signposted and accessible. – Christine from London, UK

Is there an accessible entrance? Yes
Where is it located? At the pyramid in the central courtyard (disabled people can go to the front of the line)
Are there steps to get into the building? Yes
Is it just a single step, a few, or many? Many
Is there a ramp or elevator to get around the steps? Yes, there is an elevator in the pyramid
Is the door push/pull, revolving, automated by a button, or motion activated? Staff can open the door

Where is the closest place that cars/taxis can drop-off people? West of building on Place du Carrousel

Are there cobblestones or hills leading to the entrance? No, it is flat and smooth

What percentage of the attraction can be viewed without having to go up steps? 95% using 18 elevators and 20 wheelchair lifts

Which parts are not accessible? Very few galleries

Are there loaner wheelchairs? Yes

Is there an accessible bathroom? Yes
Is the door wide enough for a wheelchair? Yes
Are there grab bars? Yes
Is there a space to position a wheelchair next to the toilet? Yes

Are there guided tours that don’t have to go up steps? The 30 person group tour has steps to navigate. Keeping up with the group is probably difficult to do using the lifts.

Does advance notice need to be given for…
…handicapped parking? No advanced notice required. Located on General le Mommier 01 42 44 16 32
…opening of an accessible entrance? No
…loaner wheelchairs? Possible, call 01 40 20 53 17 or email handicap@louvre.fr
…accessible tours? No step-free tours available

Is there a discount for someone with a disability and/or their companion? Yes for both, free if proof of disability such as copy of disabled parking placard.

Address: 34-36 quai du Louvre, Paris, France, 75058
Telephone: 01 40 20 59 90 Message in French, can leave voicemail
Website: www.louvre.fr
Email: handicap@louvre.fr

The sidewalks near the Louvre Museum have curb cuts and the neighborhood is flat without cobblestones. The staff members in the orange vests (shown in the picture on the right) can escort disabled visitors to the front of the line.

 

There is level access at the entrance. The piston-like elevator takes you two levels down into the Louvre Museum.

 

The elevator at the entrance is located in the middle of the curved staircase shown in the picture on the left. There are various elevators throughout the buildings. The one shown below in the picture on right is one of the biggest ones:

 

Several places in the museum have levels in between the main floors. The Winged Triumph shown in the picture on the left and the French sculptures shown in the pictures on the right are examples of places you may have to do lots of back-tracking to get around:

 

The area around the Mona Lisa is crowded and shown in the picture on the left below. There are wheelchair accessible bathrooms shown in the picture on the right below:

 

Path from taxi drop off and bus stop to Louvre Pyramid entrance (100 meters):

 

Have questions about Paris accessibility? 
Our Paris accessible travel consultants have all the answers.

Read more:

Paris Accessible Travel – main page
   Pros and Cons of Paris Disabled Access
   13 Wheelchair Accessible Travel Tips for Paris France
   11 Keys to Success for Paris Disabled Travel
   Paris Accessible Travel Packages
Accessible Walking and Driving Tours in Paris
   Accessible Paris Boat Tour on the Seine River
   Highlights of Paris Accessible Driving Tour
   Classic Paris Accessible Walking Tour
   Wheelchair Accessible Tour of Paris Latin Quarter
   Wheelchair Accessible Guided Tour of the Louvre Museum
   Giverny & Versailles Wheelchair Accessible Tour
Accessible Hotels in Paris
Paris Accessibility Guide by John Sage
Paris Trip Planning by Sage Traveling – Travel with Ease!

 

Contact our Paris accessible travel consultants 

  

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