Art lovers in Paris will have to pay extra to see the Mona Lisa in 2019 since the Louvre is going to increase admission by 29%. It will cost €22 to enter, the first increase of this kind since 2017.
The Louvre said in a statement on Friday that the new fee will help pay for free admission for visitors under the age of 18, as well as journalists and students, in addition to offsetting growing energy-related costs. The announcement coincides with the nation getting ready for the Olympic Games in Paris next summer, which will bring millions of sports lovers to the city and drive up expenses everywhere. For example, the city’s transportation department is considering almost tripling the cost of a Metro ticket from €2.10 to €4 (about $4.30) for the event, which starts on July 26.
The move from the Louvre also falls in line with a wave of increases in museum admission fees in New York City, starting in 2022 with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which will raise adult admission fees from $25 to $30.
The Whitney Museum of American Art raised ticket rates to $25 for seniors and students and $30 for adults in July 2023. Prior to this, ticket prices had not changed since 2016. The Guggenheim Museum similarly increased adult admission to $30, tying the Whitney Museum for the distinction of being New York’s most costly museum, citing a financial situation brought on by the pandemic.
The Louvre, on the other hand, announced that the increased admission fee is a component of a significant reorganization of its business strategy focused on controlling the museum’s infamous visitor congestion. The museum reports that daily attendance this year was reduced from 45,000 pre-pandemic peaks to 30,000.
