How to Visit the Louvre Consultation Room: The Louvre’s Hidden Gem

I have been to the Louvre SO many times in my collective 18 visits to Paris. However, I only learned about the Louvre Consultation Room this year!

I had the pleasure of visiting in April, and I will be forever changed. I’m beyond grateful to have experienced this hidden gem of the Louvre, and I’m going to tell you all you need to know to plan a visit for yourself!

It all started one mid-winter’s day when a follower of mine sent me a message asking if I had heard about the Louvre Consultation Room. I had no clue what she was talking about. She then referred me to the amazing Zero to Travel Podcast episode titled Beyond the Mona Lisa: Exploring the Louvre Museum + How to Visit Without the Overwhelm with Elaine Sciolino. I’m so thankful she did!

As soon as I heard about this, I NEEDED to find a way to visit for myself. So, I did, and I’m here to tell you all about it.

In this post, I’m discussing what this is, how to even get an appointment for the Louvre Consultation Room, how to request art works, and what it is like visiting.

This is the best way to see the Louvre, and you need to stick around to learn how to do it too! 

Don’t have time to read this now? Save it for later here!

What is the Louvre Consultation Room?

The Louvre Consultation Room, or La Salle de Consultation, is a library-like room in the Louvre where you can view works that are not on display.

It isn’t a gallery. You have to specifically request works you’d like to see ahead of time, and then they are brought to your table to view. This is open to researchers as well as to the public with a reservation. 

And, because hardly anyone knows about it, they don’t get many reservations. 

No lines, no crowds. Just you sitting comfortably and examining art up close! I witnessed Delacroix, Pissaro, Rembrandt, and more up close and held them in my hands (they were in matting so I didn’t directly touch the art)! 

It is a truly special and spectacular way to experience the Louvre.

Note: Definitely check out Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love with the World’s Greatest Museum by Elaine Sciolino for all of her expert tips for the Louvre, including the Louvre Consultation Room.

Where is the Louvre Consultation Room?

You actually go through a special entrance to get here. You enter through the Porte des Lions. If you’re facing the Louvre Pyramid with your back to the Jardin des Tuileries, it is on your right, toward the edge of the Louvre, near the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.

How to Get An Appointment For the Louvre Consultation Room

Yes, reservations are required for the Louvre Consultation Room. Here is what you need to do:

• Email [email protected] to request your appointment. 
• Give a reason. I gave that I was writing this article, but this is open to the public, so your reason can be that you would love to admire the art, etc. 
• Give dates you are available. It’s best to have a few dates in mind, as my original request wasn’t available, but the following day was, so I confirmed that date. 
• List the works you’d like to see. This is SO important. List several (I listed out 19) because they may not have all the works available or they couldn’t be viewed because they were too fragile (i.e. the works by da Vinci). Include their reference numbers. 
• Do this well in advance. I sent the original email on February 18 for my April 28 visit. I didn’t hear back until March 5. If you don’t hear back within a few weeks, I’d follow up.
• Send the request in French. Now I learned this through forums online, but people mentioned sending the request in French was best. You can use tools to type it out and translate it if needed. I typed it out in French and then used a tool to make sure it was grammatically correct. 

How to Find Works You Want to See in the Consultation Room

This is the website you’ll use to find works you’d like to see: https://arts-graphiques.louvre.fr/ 

The thing is, there are a lot of options to choose from! 

A lot of people like to see works from the famous Edmond de Rothschild Collection. For this specifically, you’d email [email protected] to make an appointment. 

However, I saw what people recommended in forums.

But then, I just started using the search function on the website for artists I liked (and their original works- you can sort this on the Work Records section of the search to the left after you select the artist) and made my list using some of those recommendations from forums as well as works I looked up on my own. 

Here were the works that were approved that I requested: 

• Buste de Jeune Homme (Hans Holbein) INV18693, Recto
• Campement au Maroc (Eugene Delacroix) RF4772 Recto
• Deux canots échoués, l’avant tournée vers la gauche (Claude Monet) RF 11998, Verso
• Vue d’Eragny (Camille Pissarro) RF 29957, Recto
• La Nuit (Eugene Delacroix) RF4049 Recto 
• Figure debout, drapée, tenant un immense glaive (Edouard Manet) RF 30376, Recto
• Portrait de Nina de Villard, Mme Callias (Edouard Manet) RF 5177, Recto 
• Portrait de la reine Marie-Antoinette, de sa fille et de son second fils (Francois Dumont) RF 28719, Recto 
• Lion couché, de profil, dormant (Rembrandt) INV 22888, Recto
• Vieillard à la barbe carrée dit l’homme au bonnet agrafé de pierreries (Rembrandt) 2318 LR/ Recto
• Sur la falaise (Berthe Morisot) RF 3429, Recto 

This is the format I’d request them in as well in the email!

Day Of: What Is It Like to Visit the Louvre Consultation Room

I won’t lie, I was nervous. You go through security to get in, sit in a room under the watchful eye of someone, and everyone there is extremely knowledgeable about art. 

It’s hard not to feel intimidated, especially as someone who isn’t an art expert, but I truly love and appreciate art. Thankfully, that’s all that matters, because the people couldn’t have been nicer. And if you love art, they are very excited to share it with you!

I showed up at the appointed time, got a name tag (which I will keep forever), went through security, was led upstairs via elevator, and I placed my belongings in a locker.

I then had to sign a lot of things, put in my address, and write down on slips of paper the works I was requesting (the person there will guide you through all this). 

After that, I sat at my library table, was given an easel and magnifying glass to enjoy the art, and had what I can only describe as a multi-course feast for the eyes.

They brought in red portfolios full of works of art–both what I had requested, but you can also look at all the work in the box! I’d set it up on the easel, get a closer look with the magnifying glass, and just admire it!

So you get to see a lot more than what you request depending on what you request!

Once you’re finished with the box, you close it, and someone takes it away and brings something else! 

Aside from the portfolio boxes, they even wheeled in a couple of works to see and placed it on the table like the Portrait de la reine Marie-Antoinette, de sa fille et de son second fils by Francois Dumont. 

I even saw someone else in the room who had requested a book and was turning the pages ever so gingerly!

It was epic! I held works by Pissarro, Delacroix, and Rembrant in my hands! I mean yes, they were in protective matting so I wasn’t touching the paintings/drawings directly, but it was insane!

I spent almost 3 hours admiring all of the works I had requested plus the extras in the portfolios. I nearly cried admiring the Pissarros. 

This was probably the best experience I’ve ever had at the Louvre. It is so special that I cannot recommend doing this enough! 

Tips For Visiting the Louvre Consultation Room

They will give you a list of instructions and rules before you go, so definitely read that ahead of time! But here are some of tips for visiting the Louvre Consultation Room.

1. You’ll need your passport. You need this for check-in. 
2. You also need clean hands. They have a sink near the lockers or you can wash your hands in the bathroom before going in if you have lotion on or something. 
3. They have lockers. You’ll have to put pretty much everything in a locker except you can bring your phone and camera.
4. For a visit in English: During my visit, the staff member who helped me was very kind and spoke English, which made the appointment much easier. We ended up going back and forth between French and English, because I do speak decent French, but communication was no problem. That said, I can’t guarantee every staff member speaks English, so it’s a good idea to ask when scheduling your appointment whether an English-speaking staff member may be available.
5. Plan to spend a lot of time there. I was there for almost 3 hours! Now there were 2 other people who came in after me and left before me, but I think they only looked at a few pieces. So depending on how much you request, you may be there for a while!
6. Be super careful. This goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. The work here is quite fragile, so handling it super carefully is key. 
7. Access is for individuals. I had a question regarding this and if you can bring others. Visits are for individuals only. You can always email and ask if you can come together, but they may not allow it. 
8. You can take notes using a pencil. NOT pen or ballpoint pencil.
9. Adults only. As you can imagine with works as fragile as this, children are not allowed. 
10. Louvre Consultation Room Hours: The Louvre Consultation Room is open Monday-Friday from 1:30-5:30 pm. So even though the Louvre is closed on Tuesday, you can visit here! It is closed on public holidays and the first Tuesday of the month. 

Is Visiting the Louvre Consultation Room Worth It?

I can without a doubt say that yes, this is 100% worth doing if you’re an art lover! 

I love the Louvre, and even in my Louvre videos I recommend exploring lesser visited spots like the Richelieu Wing. But it is the most famous art museum in the world, and I love it!

For Louvre fans who love art, I highly recommend a blissful afternoon of exploring famous artists’ work up close without the crowds.

I cannot believe I didn’t know about this sooner, and I’m so grateful that I got to experience this! I highly recommend making an appointment to do this for yourself! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some extra answers to your questions regarding visiting the Louvre Consultation Room.

1. Can anyone visit the Louvre Consultation Room? 

Yes! Other than children, of course. This is open to the public. While it is open to students, artists, and researchers, people who want to visit because of a special interest in viewing the works can visit too. However, you’ll need to make an appointment. 

2. How do I make an appointment for the Louvre Consultation Room?

I go into detail on this above, but you’ll need to request a visit by emailing either [email protected] or for the Edmond de Rothschild Collection, [email protected]. 

3. Is the Louvre Consultation Room free to visit?

Yes, it is free to visit! You do not need tickets to the Louvre to visit the Louvre Consultation Room. 

4. Can tourists visit the Louvre Consultation Room?

Yes! You do not have to be a Paris resident or French citizen. I was visiting on a recent trip and was able to visit! Just bring your passport! 

5. Can I view artworks that are not on display at the Louvre?

Yes, that is exactly what you get to see! Check this site for works to request: https://arts-graphiques.louvre.fr/ 

6. How far in advance should I request an appointment?

I booked my appointment over 2 months in advance, but I think at the bare minimum a month in advance is a good idea. But the earlier the better as spots are limited.

There you have it! This is everything you need to know in order to visit the Louvre Consultation Room! Enjoy your visit!