The Louvre at Night with Kids

You probably have three worries: the size, the time of day and the rules. The Louvre is about 73,000 square metres, a late night runs until 9pm, and nobody may touch the art or run. Each has an answer, and for families who want a guide, the Louvre private night tours include the one evening built for children.

Is it worth it with children?

For most families, yes, if you plan. The evening is quieter than midday, so your child can see a statue without a wall of backs in front of it. Children under 18 of any nationality enter free with ID, so you pay only for the adults. And the museum's own advice to families is simple: keep it short, and let your children choose.

The museum splits its own family planning into one question: Egyptian antiquities or Italian paintings? For most children the answer is Egypt, and it happens to be in the quietest part of the building.

What children love most

• The Sphinx in the crypt. The Great Sphinx of Tanis guards the entrance to the Egyptian galleries on Level -1 of the Sully wing.
• The watching Scribe. Upstairs, in room 635, the Seated Scribe has eyes of rock crystal. Walk round the case and they seem to follow you.
• A tomb you can walk into. The mastaba of Akhethotep was rebuilt in the museum stone by stone.
• The fortress underneath. The medieval moat of the old fortress is on the same level as the Sphinx.
• The goddess on the ship. The Winged Victory of Samothrace, at the top of the Daru staircase, is a good last stop.

The Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa are worth seeing for the story, but the crowd round the painting is deep. Children tend to remember the Sphinx longer. Every room is placed on what to see at the Louvre at night.

A ninety-minute route for a family evening

Start underground and work upwards, so the calmest rooms come first and the busiest come while everyone still has energy. Each step is a short walk from the last, and you can stop wherever the children do.

1. The medieval moat and the Crypt of the Sphinx, Sully Level -1: about 20 minutes.
2. The first Egyptian rooms, with the Nile, daily life and the rebuilt tomb: about 20 minutes.
3. The Seated Scribe, room 635 on Sully Level 1: about 10 minutes.
4. The Daru staircase and the winged goddess, Denon Level 1: about 15 minutes.
5. If energy lasts, the Salle des États, room 711, then out through the Pyramid.

If you have teenagers, they often want the stories more than the art. Tell them, on the way to the Salle des États, that the painting in the glass case vanished on 21 August 1911 and was missing for over two years. Then let them find the Venus de Milo and work out why nobody ever gave it new arms.

What to prepare for

Everyone goes through the security check, and the bag limit is 55 × 35 × 20 cm. The lockers under the Pyramid are free. You cannot eat or drink in the rooms, so feed everyone before you go up, and remember that any exit is final. Photos are fine without flash, and the museum invites children to draw and to copy the poses of the statues.

The best guided evening for a family

The private family evening is the one built for children. It starts at 5:30pm at the arch facing the Pyramid, runs two hours with games and quizzes, and the guide leaves you inside to keep exploring. It costs $360.90 a person, quoted for two adults and a child; children aged 6 to 17 book at a lower rate. Its one review, from a family with two teenagers, praises a quick, good-humoured guide.

For a family that wants a Napoleon story, the late-opening private two hours list pushchairs and infant seats and also end inside, for $346.98 a person for a party of two. One family of five, aged 11 to 68, went on a Wednesday evening. And on the private evening in eight languages, one parent found the guide pitched the same two hours to the adults and to a four-year-old.

A group of six can work for older children, but free museum entry for under-18s does not apply within the group, so check each child's fare. The private options for families are compared on the Louvre private night tours page.

Practical tips for an evening with children

1. Book a time slot for everyone, free entries included.
2. Come by metro: the Pyramid is ten minutes from Palais-Royal – Musée du Louvre station.
3. Allow fifteen minutes for lockers and toilets before your slot.
4. Let each of your children pick one work to find, and start there.
5. For 7 to 11-year-olds, the museum's Louvre Kids app has stories to read before you go.
6. Audio guides are €6 on site, in French, English and Spanish, if a child likes to listen.

What to combine it with

The Tuileries Garden starts at the arch and is free. It is open until 9pm in September and October and until 11pm from June to August, so a summer evening can end with a walk and an ice cream outside. From November to March it closes at 7:30pm, so go before the museum. The Cour Napoléon stays open until 9pm if the children want to see the Pyramid lit. How the two late nights differ, including the free first Fridays that fill the rooms, is in Wednesday or Friday. Hours for every day are on the visitor guide, and the entrances, lifts included, are on the entrances map.

Evenings that work with children

Louvre Private Tour by Night for Kids

A private family evening from 5:30pm at the arch, with games and quizzes for the children along the way. Under-18s enter free, and the guide leaves you inside to keep exploring.

From $360 per person Quoted for two adults and one child; children 6 to 17 book at a lower rate

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Louvre Late Opening Private Tour – Fewer Crowds & Highlights

Two private hours from the horse statue by the Pyramid, on a Napoleon thread from Denon to Richelieu. Your guide leaves you inside, free to stay on until the rooms clear.

From $346 per person For a party of two; the per-person fare falls as your group grows

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Louvre Private Night Tour: After-Hours Exclusive Experience

Two private hours with a guide in English, French, German, Italian, Chinese or three more languages, meeting under the statue by the Pyramid. The route follows the highlights or what you ask for.

From $295 per person

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