MON DIEU!

Louvre Surges Ticket Prices After Failing to Protect Its Own Art

The Paris museum just got a lot pricier—and hopefully more protected.

The Louvre’s ticket prices are skyrocketing—so much so that it feels like a robbery. The New York Times reported Thursday that the Paris museum is hiking prices by almost 50 percent for Americans and other visitors outside the European Economic Area. Beginning Jan. 14, tourists will pay €32 (about $37) instead of €22 ($25) to enter the museum and admire what hasn’t been stolen. The price increase is tied to “Louvre—New Renaissance,” a massive overhaul aimed at beefing up security and infrastructure and moving the Mona Lisa to a new exhibition space to address overcrowding. The museum is still reeling from October’s sensational jewel heist, which saw $100 million in treasures vanish from the world’s most visited museum. Eight suspects have been arrested so far, the latest on Nov. 25. The thieves raided the Apollo Gallery on Oct. 19, using a cherry picker to enter through a top-floor window. They then turned off security cameras using the system’s password: ”LOUVRE.” The stolen jewels have yet to be recovered.