The Louvre shut its doors Monday after student protesters barricaded every public entrance, trapping thousands of would-be visitors outside the world’s most-visited museum.
Management posted the closure on X, telling the public that student strikes had forced the shutdown. “Dear visitors, due to student strikes, the museum is currently closed. We apologize for the inconvenience,” the Louvre wrote. No reopening time was given.
Visitors who arrived for Monday morning entry found the glass pyramid, the Carrousel du Louvre, and the Passage Richelieu all blocked. The barricades were thrown up by students from the École du Louvre, according to Agence France-Presse.
The students organized the blockade in solidarity with nationwide demonstrations over the rising cost of living and recent police actions, French media reported. On a typical busy day, the museum draws up to 20,000 people.
The Louvre disruption capped a violent weekend across France. Street clashes left hundreds of businesses damaged and nearly 2,400 people arrested nationwide.
The turmoil has hit other top Paris destinations hard. The Eiffel Tower was forced to turn away visitors and shut down completely for a full day after unionized staff staged a sudden strike, AP reported. The walkout was organized to protest limitations placed on female staff members during a private delegation’s visit, according to several French media outlets.
Further from the city center, the Château de Versailles has also scrambled tourists’ plans. The palace closed its interior to the public on Oct. 6 after a severe power outage hit the surrounding area, Xinhua News Agency reported.
These closures follow a pattern of operational crises at major French cultural sites. In September 2025, the Musee d’Orsay and the Arc de Triomphe both shut temporarily due to staff shortages during strikes over proposed government spending cuts, Artforum reported.
Monday’s Louvre blockade stands out for its direct physical occupation of the museum grounds by protesters rather than a labor dispute among employees. The École du Louvre students seized control of the entrances themselves, leaving management to turn away morning crowds.
The nationwide protests show no sign of easing, with international travelers now navigating a capital ringed by heightened security cordons and mass demonstrations.