The Louvre

The Louvre is a giant museum in the city of Paris. It holds some of the most famous art in the whole world. Millions of people visit it every year. The building used to be a royal palace for kings of France.

A Palace Turned Museum

The Louvre was first built as a fort in the 1100s. Later, French kings lived there as a fancy palace. In 1793, it became a museum open to the public. Today, it is one of the largest buildings in Paris.

A sky view of the huge Louvre museum in Paris, France.
A sky view of the huge Louvre museum in Paris, France. (Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière / Wikimedia Commons)

Famous Art

The Louvre holds the Mona Lisa, the most famous painting in the world. It also has the Venus de Milo, a Greek statue without arms. There are more than 380,000 objects inside. It would take many days to see them all.

Fun Facts

  • A big glass pyramid stands at the main entrance of the Louvre.
  • If you spent 30 seconds on each artwork, it would take 100 days to see everything.
  • The Louvre was once a home for the French royal family.

Did You Know?

During World War II, workers hid many of the Louvre's treasures in the countryside to keep them safe.