The Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum and home to the iconic Mona Lisa, abruptly shut its doors on Monday in France for a few hours after staff members launched a spontaneous strike to protest unmanageable working conditions and surging visitor numbers.
Frustrated tourists, many of whom had their Paris trips planned for months, were left standing in long, unmoving lines, bewildered, and without explanation.
The Louvre, with over 8.7 million visitors in 2024 alone, has become a symbol of mass tourism.
On Monday, staff members walked out during an internal meeting, refusing to return to their posts. Gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security personnel cited chronic overcrowding, understaffing, and deteriorating conditions. Union representatives described the situation as “untenable.”
The Louvre is no stranger to closures. It has shut down during war, terrorism threats, pandemics, and, on rare occasions, labor disputes. But Monday’s strike was particularly abrupt, offering no warning to the thousands of daily visitors.
Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is viewed by an estimated 20,000 people per day in the museum’s Salle des États.
In January, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a sweeping “Louvre New Renaissance” renovation plan, including a dedicated wing for the painting, upgraded infrastructure, and improved visitor flow. But with completion expected years from now, staff members say they need relief immediately.
Tourists took to social media to express confusion and disappointment.
We got in!!! #MonaLisa crowd is insane
Louvre Museum pic.twitter.com/6w5zZkUYEu
— Andy Signore (@andysignore) June 16, 2025
“Bought our tickets months ago… anyone know what’s really going on? Is this some Da Vinci Code BS?” one user wrote.
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Hours later, they updated: “We got in!!! #MonaLisa crowd is insane.”
Museum data from 2024 show that 77% of visitors came from outside France, with Americans making up 13% of all international guests. Visitors from China rebounded to 6% after a postpandemic lull. Notably, 66% of museumgoers were first-time visitors, and 41% were under age 26.
