France is home to the world’s most visited art museum, the Louvre in Paris.
The Louvre began as a medieval fortress in the late 12th century before becoming a royal palace. It opened as a public museum on 10 August 1793 during the French Revolution, initially displaying works from the former royal collection. Today, its holdings span Egyptian antiquities, Greek and Roman art, Islamic art, sculptures, decorative arts, drawings, and paintings.
Its worldwide fame is closely tied to masterpieces such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The museum welcomed about 8.9 million visitors in 2023, placing it ahead of other major institutions such as the Vatican Museums and London’s British Museum.
A common mix-up is confusing the Louvre with the world’s largest museum by collection or floor area; those rankings can use different measures. This question asks about visitor numbers, for which the Louvre is the standard answer.