Four thieves robbed the Louvre museum in Paris on Sunday, in what French newspapers are calling a “spectacular” heist and a “particularly rapid and brutal” theft, according to a release issued by France’s cultural ministry. In total, eight “priceless” jewels were stolen, Le Monde reported (though one art site estimates the pieces are worth tens of millions of euros).
Among the royal gems that were pinched is a necklace, with eight sapphires and 631 diamonds, and the crown of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, encrusted with nearly 2,000 diamonds and 212 pearls. Another crown of the empress’s was nabbed, too, covered in some 1,356 diamonds and 56 emeralds, but it was dropped when the robbers fled, according to a report from Le Monde.
How did the robbers get inside the Louvre?
Anyone who’s waited in line to visit the Louvre knows that security is thorough—but the four thieves managed to get in and out in seven minutes, per a thorough analysis from the Reuters news agency. Using a small truck with an extendable ladder, they parked outside the building that houses the Gallery of Apollo, which faces the Seine.
After cutting through the windows with power tools, they blitzed through the gallery at around 9:30 a.m., local time, smashing glass cases and grabbing eight pieces. The alarms went off, but the foursome managed to flee, making their getaway on two scooters. At the time, the museum, which opens daily at 9 a.m., had been open for 30 minutes.
One Reddit user reported, “We were in the Apollo gallery and someone tried to break in through the window. They were hitting it and had power tools. Everyone ran out and they closed the gates to that gallery.” They added, “It was odd. I really did think it was construction at first until people started running. I saw the opaque window being pushed in and thought it must be a temporary construction window cover. I don’t think anyone really knew what was happening, but one of the staff started screaming at everyone to exit, so we did.”
Joan and Jim Carpenter from Santa Cruz, California, were on their way to see the Mona Lisa when they were “swept out” of the gallery, Joan told Reuters, adding, “I knew something was up because of the way they swept the whole museum,” said Joan. Still, despite their visit being cut very short, the pair were in good spirits, reported BBC. “This is our last day of a long trip,” Jim said, “and it’s the most exciting part today.”
French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on a post on X, “The theft committed at the Louvre is an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history. We will recover the works and the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Everything is being done, everywhere, to achieve this . . . ”
Have there been previous thefts at the Louvre?
This is far from the first time the Louvre has been robbed. Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa has been under glass since the 1950s, but not so in 1911, when Vincenzo Perrugia, a former museum staffer, hid in a cupboard overnight, then swiped what is now the world’s most famous painting and walked out with it under his coat. In December 1976, thieves made off with a diamond-studded sword that has never been recovered, and the same goes for a 19th-century landscape painting that was reported to have been cut from its frame in 1998.
When will the Louvre reopen?
On Monday, October 20, the Louvre remained closed following the robbery. As of press time, there has been no communication from the famed art institute about its reopening plan. The museum is always closed on Tuesdays, so at the earliest it would reopen on Wednesday, October 22. Given the damage to the Gallery of Apollo, this area may reopen later than the rest of the museum.
Will I be reimbursed for my Louvre ticket?
If you had a ticket for the Louvre for Sunday, October 19, Monday, October 20, or any other day on which the museum is closed because of the robbery, you should be reimbursed, per a post from Louvre on Facebook. If you’re not, you can request a reimbursement here, by choosing the subject refund request.
How can I get a new Louvre ticket?
For those impacted by the closure who will still be in Paris in the coming days, you can try your luck booking a new ticket online, assuming the museum reopens soon. Due to a current school vacation period in France, advance tickets are required through November 2. As of this writing, there are still plenty of Louvre tickets available.
What other museums can I visit in Paris?
The Louvre collection is spectacular, but it’s also the world’s most visited museum, with the crowds to match. The City of Light has more than 130 museums, including some of our editors’ favorite Paris museums, like the Hôtel de la Marine, where a dazzling exhibition on royal jewelry will run from December 10, 2025, through April 6, 2026.
With the city’s iconic Centre Pompidou on hiatus for a massive five-year restoration project, Afar recently rounded up some impressive art alternatives in and around Paris, including Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, home to pieces by Chagall, Picasso, Modigliani, and Braque, and Grand Palais, a celebration of art both old and new.
