Since your concern is the level of crowds and not the price, I would recommend going on the day immediately after one of the "free days." The Louvre is free on the first sunday of every month so everybody who is in Paris that week will go when the museum is free. However, since you will be in Paris in late May, I doubt this will be an option. The museum is also free on all Monday and Wednesday evenings, so if you decide to go early in the afternoon on those days, then you’ll likely endure a thin crowd for the reasons mentioned above. Other than that, going really early in the morning on any day is the "guidebook recommended" option.

Sometimes the last couple hours before closing can have pretty light crowds too.

I was in Paris in June-August, and the Louvre didn’t really start getting crowded until July, so in May you should do well. I found that at night the museum was pretty free of crowds. We went on the nights it was open late early in June & it was like we had the whole museum to ourselves. A really awesome experience. Be careful to not get overwhelmed though. That museum has SO much. A really uncrowded area, that’s also pretty neat, is the section that has the history of the louvre itself. there is a section of the original medieval castle wall & stuff from that period. it’s a neat escape from the hordes around the mona lisa! caravaggio’s death of the virgin is breathtaking in person. much larger than i’d have thought! ENJOY!

When I went to the Louvre a few years ago, it was March and in the early afternoon. I don’t remember what day it was but it wasn’t crowded at all. We didn’t even have to wait in a line to get in.

I went to the Louvre at the start of June and there was absolutely no line at all to get in, and this is around 11am or so when we got there. I was so suprised, I thought it would ahve been crazy packed, but the only crowds I saw were near the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

The Louvre is awesomely designed. Even when they have long lines, its not as bad as some of the other big museums that arent built to properly move vast amounts if people in like the Uffizi.

Don’t plan to visit the Louvre Monday, 16 May (Pentecost Monday) unless you just want to take some photos outside. The Museum will be closed that day.

Thanks everyone!

quote:Sometimes the last couple hours before closing can have pretty light crowds too.

Especially true on wednesdays and fridays, the’re open late till around 9pm and admission is cheaper too. If you really want to avoid the crowds though, go on a tuesday. Hardly anyone will be there but it’s also closed so you’ll have a difficult time getting in. Learned that one the hard way.

If your going to be going to a few museums in Paris look into the museum pass. You don’t have to buy tickets at the museums, and there is a special entrance to the Louvre. My wife and I were able to go in there and skip the existing line to get in. Once your in there’s another line to buys tickets if I’m not mistaken. You can buy the museum pass at Metro ticket booths. Well worth it in my opinion.

see, I bought the museum pass and I thought it was a waste of money. Unless you have time to go to 3 or more museums, it won’t be worth your money. The reason I bought one is I thought there would be all these incredible lines to bypass and there were no lines at all…

just go there and wait in line like everyone else!!!!!!! it’s part of the experience!

The Luvre, and most other Parisian museums, shut on Tuesdays.