by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:40 AM ET, Mon December 15, 2025
The Louvre Museum workers’ union started a strike today, Monday, December 15, leaving the museum bereft of workers, and therefore unable to open, disappointing travelers.
Travelers won’t be able to visit the museum for the foreseeable future. The Louvre’s website posted a notice for today, saying, “Due to public strikes, the Musée du Louvre is closed today. All reservations for today's date will be refunded. We apologise for the inconvenience.”
According to ABC News, striking workers surrounded the Louvre Museum’s iconic glass pyramid entrance to demonstrate for increased staffing and better working conditions at the museum, such as increased security.
The museum is closed on Tuesdays, so travelers will have to wait and see if the workers will return to work on Wednesday to open the museum, or if the workers will vote again to continue their strike.
The museum made global headlines in October this year when it became the victim of a brazen jewel heist in broad daylight. Thieves made off with $102 million in jewels, which included historically significant French crown jewels.
A report by the French Senate found that outdated equipment, broken cameras and understaffing in control rooms led to the thieves’ escape, as police were routed to a different location than the actual scene of the crime.
The CFDT, the union that’s striking, demanded more security staffing and front-facing staff, improved working conditions, stable long-term budgets and leadership that “truly listens to staff.”
The French Culture Ministry said on Sunday that it asked Philippe Jost, who managed the Notre Dame Cathedral’s reconstruction project, to propose a complete reorganization of the museum, which will happen in February.
The last time the Louvre Museum workers went on strike was this June, protesting the Louvre’s overcrowding—it caps daily visitors at 30,000 a day, which is quite high for the size of the building—and chronic underfunding.
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