The Musée du Louvre in Paris has announced it will reopen on the 6th of July. The largest art museum in the world, it will be the first time in almost four months that visitors will be allowed to view the priceless art and artefacts that are on exhibit within the museum.
However, those who have visited before will find the experience to be much different than in the past. For starters, all victors who enter the 227-year-old institution will need to call in advance to schedule a time slot. They also will be required to wear masks if over the age of elven. Guests arriving at the Musée du Louvre will be met with signs that direct pedestrian traffic in one direction and those hoping to make use of its cloakroom will find it closed. Therefore, as a result, the Musée du Louvre will not be allowing in any large bags, suitcases, or knapsacks.
Additional Restrictions in Effect
In addition to the restrictions relating to travel within the Musée du Louvre and the mandatory mask requirement, only roughly 70 percent of the museum will be open for public access. However, to the benefit of those who book an appointment, they will be able to view many of the museums’ prized venues including its Roman and Greek Roman antiquities galleries, its English, Spanish and Italian paintings halls and those areas that are dedicated to 19th-century French painting. In addition, visitors will be able to see the top attractions such as the Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace.
In some respects, the new rules in place will benefit those hoping to catch a glance of the Mona Lisa, a painting that is often difficult to appreciate due to the large number of guests that pose to take selfies in front of the painting. The new rules will require that those wishing to view the masterpiece form in ques that respect social distancing and only allow two victors at a time will be permitted to view the Mona Lisa for 10-15 minute increments.
The Musée du Louvre welcomes the reopening, especially the chance to begin once again generating revenue. It is estimated that the museum has lost $45 million since March when it was forced to shut down amid the pandemic. Ticket sales are a substantial part of the museums’ estimated yearly revenue of $100 million, the remainder being part advertising, part sales from souvenirs.