Louvre membership - worth it? and what other places does it cover

I think unless you're going to be returning later this year, it probably isn't worth it. I am a member but I go to Paris 3-4 times a year for generally 1-2 week stints and then 2 months in summer. To me I wager it's worth it.

I’ve been a member for a few years, but I’m in Paris at least twice a year, specifically to see the special exhibits. I also value the magazine produced by Les Amis du Louvre, but note that it’s entirely in French.

The membership gets you a discount (I forget if it’s 5 or 10%) at the gift shop, bookstore, and all dining venues. There are a couple of Euros off at the Grand Palais and a few Paris museums but not anything exciting, free entry at some museums in the provinces, and a discount at the Louvre Dubai.

I happen to be going tomorrow to a special exhibit and will check the gift shop discount.

Yes, you use the Richelieu entrance across from Palais Royal at street level.

This webpage lists the museums for which you'd have reduced entry: https://www.amisdulouvre.fr/partenaires/musees-partenaires

Unfortunately, there's no clue as to how much the reduction is. I think you'd have to go to the individual museums' websites (and the one I checked wasn't linked from the AmisduLouvre website) to determine the amount of the discount. Given that many museums have discounts for children, students, seniors and families, a modest discount off the full price might not be very meaningful for some visitors. Note also that at some museums it seems the discount only applies to a special exhibition--thought that may just be my misinterpretation.

If it’s a special exhibition, it’s because the museum is normally free but exhibitions cost extra. The reduction is usually a couple of Euros. I haven’t used the reduction since the start of Covid, but I remember having trouble applying it online and buying tickets in person before March 2020.

I had a membership for about 4 years in which we spent a couple of months in Paris a couple of times as well as shorter visits. It was very convenient and my membership allowed me to bring my husband as a guest on Weds and Fridays when the museum was open late -- but now that this is no longer, I think you can only bring a guest on Saturday which reduces the value if only one has the membership.

I can't see how it works for 7 or 8 days unless you conceptualize the cost as a donation to the museum.

For special exhibits there were some limitations around how long the exhibit had been open.

I would never count on benefits other places -- it is generally too cumbersome to bother with.

I went straight to the Richelieu entrance today, the one for members. There was the longest line there I had ever seen, and I've been a member for 14 years. French school groups, foreign school groups, foreign tourist groups were all in this line. However, the members had a separate roped off entry to the left of this long line, and we went straight in.

Special exhibits: members can bring a guest for free to special exhibits during the first two weeks of the exhibit. But guests can't enter the different wings of the Museum without a paid ticket afterwards. The Wednesday and Friday hours, when members could bring guests still haven't been re-established, as Janet said, due to Covid staffing shortages.

There was a discount at the gift shop, but I can't find the receipt to tell you if it was 5% or 10%.

One thing the membership would allow you to do is go to the Louvre for a few hours early in the morning, switch to a different activity in the middle of the day--plus have lunch--and then return to the Louvre later in the afternoon without needing a second ticket. For those wanting to visit the entire museum rather than just see some highlights, I think it would be wonderful. I'm probably going to end up doing this when I eventually get to Paris, even though I find it easier than most people do to spend most of the day in a museum. It will be a real luxury to be able to see the Louvre in more manageable chunks.

There's also the weather issue. I am not happy about having to buy timed entrance tickets ahead of time. I'd rather wake up, check the weather and then decide what sights to target that day. I'm not sure you can easily get same-day tickets to the Louvre online and have a lot of choice of entry times. (I haven't explored the website to check on that.)

“I'm not sure you can easily get same-day tickets to the Louvre online and have a lot of choice of entry times.”

I’d say no to this unless you are going in winter or shoulder seasons. I’d been watching closely for visits from April 13 to April 29. Days were definitely booking out usually several days ahead. That was the week before and after Easter so was really busy in Paris. I wound up waiting too late and having to get an afternoon time for my 1st visit which always is too hot and crowded for me. Got an opening time for the 2nd visit which was better. Both days were completely sold with big signs saying so by the entrances.

Thanks, Pam. I was afraid of something like this. And you brought up another point: For warm-weather visits, the temperature inside the museum would presumably be most comfortable at the beginning of the day, which would argue for multiple early-morning visits.

We became members in advance of a two-week stay in February of 2020. Bets was most helpful in answering my questions about it! We liked the flexibility of multiple shorter visits and a dedicated entrance so for us it was worth it. I think we ended up visiting 4 or 5 times. I haven’t don’t the math to see if we broke even. We also enjoyed a small discount on some items purchased within the Louvre.

Thanks for the insights - one comment is that I saw from the forum is the Louvre can get hot during the day - does that mean they do not have any temperature-controlled rooms even for the sake of the art - so during a heatwave, the place will be super hot? do all Paris museums suffer from this condition - here in the US they at least keep them somewhat normal temp and humidity to preserve the artifacts...

There's some climate control in some museums, but American style air conditioning is rare.

Yeah, ditto Bets’ answer. They also often feel stuffy, like there is not enough air exchange.

It gets really hot under the glass pyramid even though it might be just 65 or 70 outside. I try to move away from that central part as quickly as I can.