If you think the line at the Louvre in Paris is long at the moment, brace yourself because it is probably going to get a lot longer. French national museums, including the Louvre, will allow free admission to their permanent collections from now until June 30th 2008 as a part of an experiment to boost the number of visitors. The idea is to attract more locals to the museums, but foreign visitors are welcome to enjoy the same benefits. This experiment’s ultimate goal is to attract as many visitors as possible and will cost the French government and private donors an estimated $320 million in lost ticket sales.
Britain allowed free museum admission to their national museums in 2001 which led to a significant increase in attendees. Hopefully the results are the same in France. Bring extra snacks and books to keep busy while in line.