In brief
No. As of September 2026, the Louvre’s own pages don’t list a free first Sunday; that information is out of date if you’ve seen it elsewhere. The museum’s stated free day is the first Friday of the month after 6 p.m. (except July and August), plus 14 July. Outside those dates, free entry is limited to specific categories, not a day of the week.
- The Louvre’s free-for-everyone day, per its own page, is the first Friday of the month after 6 p.m., except in July and August1.
- The Louvre is also free for everyone on 14 July1.
- The museum’s FAQ, which answers other free-admission questions directly, does not mention a first-Sunday rule2.
- Free admission on the first Friday evening still requires the same time-slot booking as any other visit12.
- Under-18s and EEA residents and citizens under 26 are free at any time, any day, with valid ID1.
- A disabled visitor and one companion are free at any time1.
- Also free at any time: certain teachers, ICOM members, journalists, and EEA jobseekers or income-support recipients1.
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This page answers one question: does the Louvre still offer free admission on the first Sunday of the month? It checks the museum’s own current pages rather than repeating what older articles say. For ticket prices, hours and how to book a visit generally, see The Louvre: Tickets, Entrances, Hours and How to Visit.
The short answer
| If you are… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Planning around a “free first Sunday” you read about elsewhere | Drop that plan. The museum’s current pages do not list it12 |
| Free by age (under 18, or EEA and under 26) | You’re free any day, any time, with ID — no need to wait for a special date1 |
| Hoping for one free day to visit with no ticket cost | Come the first Friday of the month after 6 p.m., except July and August, or on 14 July1 |
| Visiting the Arc de Triomphe, Sainte-Chapelle or the Conciergerie in the same trip | Check those monuments’ own pages separately; this page covers the Louvre only |
What the Louvre's own pages say
The Louvre’s hours-and-admission page has a section titled “Free admission” with one sentence: “The Louvre is free for all visitors on the first Friday of the month after 6 p.m. (except in July and August) and on 14 July!”1. That is the only date-based free-entry rule stated on the page. The rest of the free-admission list is by visitor category, not by calendar date: under-18s; EEA citizens and residents under 26; a disabled visitor and their companion; teachers of art, art history, applied arts, design, architecture or archaeology from an EEA country; ICOM members; journalists; and EEA-resident jobseekers or people on income support1.
The museum’s separate FAQ page, which is where a first-Sunday policy would logically appear if one existed, answers a related question about free admission by pointing back to the same categories and does not mention the first Sunday of the month anywhere on the page2. Between the two pages, that is a consistent, current answer: no first-Sunday rule, as of September 2026.
The free-admission categories, in full
Beyond the two general free dates, the Louvre’s own list of who enters free, and what to show at the door, is specific1:
| Who | Proof required |
|---|---|
| Under-18s | ID |
| EEA citizens under 26 | Valid photo ID |
| EEA residents under 26 | Valid photo ID plus a residency permit valid for longer than 90 days |
| A disabled visitor and one companion | Not specified beyond disability status |
| Teachers of art, art history, applied arts, design, architecture or archaeology (EEA) | A valid card, or a signed statement for the current school year showing the subject taught, plus photo ID |
| ICOM members | Valid membership card |
| Journalists | National or international press card |
| EEA-resident jobseekers | Proof of entitlement dated within the last year |
| EEA residents on income support | Proof of entitlement valid for less than six months |
Sources for the table:1.
None of these nine categories is date-based. They apply every day the museum is open, which is the practical difference between them and the first-Friday-evening and 14 July dates: the categories are about who you are, and the two dates are about when anyone can get in free regardless of category1.
Why this still gets repeated
Several older travel articles and forum posts describe a Louvre free Sunday, and some Paris museums and monuments do run free-Sunday programs of their own on a seasonal basis. A page describing one of those can be mistaken for the Louvre’s policy, or simply copied forward without checking. Whatever the origin, the Louvre’s own pages carry no such rule, and a “free first Sunday” claim about the Louvre specifically should be treated as outdated12.
How to actually get in free
If you qualify under one of the visitor categories above, admission is free on any day the museum is open, not only on a special date. The museum still recommends booking a time slot even for free admission, so build that into your plan the same way you would a paid ticket12. If you do not qualify under any category, the only free-for-everyone opportunities the Louvre currently publishes are the first Friday evening of the month (after 6 p.m., except July and August) and 14 July1. Expect both to be busier than an ordinary paid time slot, since they are the museum’s only general free-entry windows.
Tours worth considering
This section contains affiliate links. If you book through them, the site earns a commission at no cost to you. It does not change what is recommended.
A tour has nothing to do with whether admission is free — it is a separate, paid add-on regardless of which day you visit. If you already qualify for free entry under one of the categories above, skip any paid product; it would charge you for something the museum gives you at no cost. If you are paying for admission anyway and want the visit narrated rather than self-guided, see the small-group guided tour of the Louvre.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Louvre free on the first Sunday of the month?
Was the Louvre ever free on the first Sunday?
The museum’s current pages make no reference to a past first-Sunday policy, so that history cannot be confirmed from the museum’s own site. Only the current rule can be stated with confidence.
Is the Louvre free on the first Friday of every month?
Only after 6 p.m., and not in July or August. It is free for all visitors during that evening window1.
Do I still need to book a ticket if I'm getting in free?
Who gets into the Louvre free on any day, not just a special date?
Under-18s; EEA citizens and residents under 26; a disabled visitor and one companion; certain EEA-qualified teachers; ICOM members; journalists; and EEA jobseekers or income-support recipients, each with the relevant ID or proof1.
Is 14 July free at other Paris museums too?
This page covers the Louvre only; check each museum’s own site for its own rules.
Does the first-Friday-evening rule apply to the Musée National Eugène-Delacroix too?
The Louvre’s free-admission section, on the page covering the main museum’s own ticket, states the rule for “the Louvre” and does not mention the Delacroix museum, which is a separate site with its own hours and ticket1.
Related Articles
Sources
- Hours & Admission — Musée du Louvre. Accessed 2026-09-19.
- FAQ — Musée du Louvre. Accessed 2026-09-19.