THE PARIS ART JOURNAL
Where is the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, and how to see her without the crowd
Room 711, Denon wing, Level 1. The fastest route, the quietest hours, the giant Veronese everyone turns their back on, and the stolen-painting story that made her famous.
In this article
For two years, the most famous painting in the world was not in the Louvre at all. On 21 August 1911 Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian who had worked at the museum, walked out with the Mona Lisa, kept her hidden in a trunk in Paris, and was only caught in Florence in December 1913 when he tried to sell her. The empty hooks on the wall drew crowds of their own, and the theft turned a respected Renaissance portrait into a global superstar.
The crowd never really left. Today she hangs behind glass in the Salle des États, Room 711, and Le Figaro reported in June 2026 that 80% of Louvre visitors come for her. You cannot have her to yourself, but you can get far closer to it than most people do. Here is exactly where she is, when to go, and the extraordinary painting that almost everyone in that room turns their back on.
Where exactly is the Mona Lisa?
- Room 711, Salle des États
- Denon wing, Level 1
- Behind glass since 2005
The Mona Lisa is in the Salle des États, Room 711, on Level 1 of the Denon wing. From the Pyramid hall, follow the Denon signs, climb to Level 1 and keep going through the Italian painting galleries. The Louvre's own trail puts it simply: go straight on and take the first right into the Mona Lisa room.
She has hung in this room since 1966, and since 2005 she has lived inside a glass case that controls temperature and humidity. That case is there for a reason: Leonardo painted her on a poplar panel, which has warped over the centuries and carries a crack. This is the original, not a copy. François I bought the painting from Leonardo in 1518; Leonardo had kept it with him rather than hand it over.
Most visitors miss this: the biggest painting in the Louvre is behind you
Turn around. On the opposite wall hangs Veronese's Wedding Feast at Cana, the largest painting in the Louvre: almost 70 square metres, more than 6 metres high and almost 10 metres wide, with around 130 figures at a Venetian banquet. Painted in 1562 and 1563 for the refectory of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, it was confiscated by Napoleon's army in 1797 and reached Paris in 1798.
When looted art was returned after 1815, the Cana stayed. France kept it in exchange for a painting by Charles Le Brun, the Feast in the House of Simon. So the smallest celebrity in the room faces the biggest canvas in the building, and most people never look at it. Give it five minutes while the Mona Lisa line shuffles forward behind you.
When to go: the quiet windows
The Louvre opens from 9:00 to 18:00 on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and until 21:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays. It is closed on Tuesdays. Admission costs €22 for EEA residents and €32 for everyone else; under-18s and EEA residents under 26 enter free but still need a reserved slot.
From 17 October to 1 November 2026 every visitor must reserve in advance, so book the earliest 9:00 slot or an evening slot as soon as your dates are fixed. There is no official wait time for the Mona Lisa, and it varies hour by hour, which is why timing matters more than anything else.
| Time | Crowd | Why | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening, 9:00 | Lower | Room fills once the first waves arrive | First-entrance tours, early official slots |
| Wednesday or Friday evening | Lower | Open to 21:00, last entry 20:00 | Independent visitors |
| Late morning to mid-afternoon | Highest | Tour groups and day visitors overlap | Avoid if you can |
| Tuesday | Closed | The Louvre is closed every Tuesday | Plan around it |
Official Louvre tickets and hoursOfficial website. No commission.
The insider workaround: first in, straight up
A first-entrance tour does one thing better than any ticket: it puts a guide at the door at opening and walks you directly to Room 711 while most visitors are still reading the map. The semi-private options cap the group at six, which also means you can actually hear the guide in a busy room.
If you prefer to go alone, take the earliest official slot, skip everything else on the way, and save the Grande Galerie for the walk back. You will pass Leonardo's other works there, and most people rush straight past them on the way in.
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission.Tickets and tours that include the Mona Lisa
If official slots are gone, a guided tour with reserved entry is the most reliable way in, and every highlights tour stops at the Salle des États. Direct-entry tickets from approved resellers are another option; always check the meeting point and cancellation terms before paying.
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission.Her next move: a room of her own
The Mona Lisa is going to move again. Under the Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance project, the museum plans a dedicated space for her beneath the Cour Carrée, and in May 2026 an architecture team led by STUDIOS Architecture Paris with Selldorf Architects won the international competition for the new spaces. Press reports point to completion around 2031, so for now Room 711 is still the place.
Insider tips for Room 711
A few small habits turn Room 711 from a crush into a moment you will actually remember.
Questions before you go
Where is the Mona Lisa in the Louvre?
In the Salle des États, Room 711, on Level 1 of the Denon wing. From the Denon galleries, go straight on and take the first right.
How can I see the Mona Lisa without crowds?
Go at opening on a first-entrance tour or with the earliest official slot, or visit on a Wednesday or Friday evening when the Louvre is open until 21:00. Avoid late morning to mid-afternoon.
How long is the wait to see the Mona Lisa?
The Louvre does not publish a wait time and it changes through the day. Waits are generally shortest just after opening and in the evening sessions.
Is the Mona Lisa in the Louvre real?
Yes. The Louvre displays Leonardo's original painting, on a poplar panel, inside a climate-controlled glass case installed in 2005.
Do I need a ticket to see the Mona Lisa?
Yes, a standard Louvre ticket includes her. From 17 October to 1 November 2026 every visitor must reserve a time slot in advance.
Reviewed . Room, history and hours were checked on louvre.fr on 17 October 2026. The 80% figure is from Le Figaro (June 2026); the 2031 completion date is from press reports, not the Louvre.
