Paris may have been the center of the world’s attention during the Summer Olympics, but its most celebrated museum experienced a sizable drop in attendance figures.

During the Games, which took place between July 27 and August 11, the Louvre received 331,759 visitors, representing a 22 percent decrease compared to the same period from last year, according to figures the museum shared with Artnet News.

This may be partly due to safety-related measures. Ahead of and during the Olympics, city authorities put a security perimeter into place around much of central Paris. This restricted the use of the Seine’s quays and bridges as well as metro and railway stations that typically provide access to the museum. Accordingly, in the nine days preceding the Games, from July 15 to 26, 166,604 visitors entered the museum, a fall of 45 percent compared with the same period from 2023.

Visitor figures were further impacted by the museum’s closure on July 25 and 26 in the run-up to the opening ceremony, which took place on the River Seine.

“This slight drop is not a surprise,” a spokesperson for the Louvre told Artnet News via email. “The experience of the 2012 London Olympics suggested a drop in attendance figures at cultural venues.”

Bearers of the flame JR, French photographer and street artist, and Sandra Laoura, French skier, pass the Olympic flame on July 14, 2024, at the Louvre in Paris, France. Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images.

But if attendance fell, visibility rose. Throughout the Games, the Louvre served as a backdrop to a number of spectacles including the passing of the Olympic flame, and the Olympic cauldron was placed in the Tuileries Garden, in front of the museum. Road cycling and the marathon also passed by.

In the long term, the museum believes this will greatly benefit its image. “The Louvre, its iconic works, and its palatial architecture enjoyed great visibility,” the spokesperson said, noting that 25 million people in France alone tuned in for the event. “The success of the 2024 Olympics and its beautiful images of Paris and of the Louvre will have positive effects on the museum’s attendance in the autumn.”

Across 2024 so far, the Louvre’s visitor figures stand at a little over five million, a decrease of four percent compared to the same period in 2023. But the Louvre, the spokesperson said, is not focused on attendance rates, but rather on the quality of the visitor experience. “Since 2022, the museum has set daily visitor capacity at 30,000 visitors per day in order to improve visiting conditions.”

In January, the museum raised its prices for the first time in seven years, with general admission increasing from €17 ($18.90) to €22 ($24.50). This matched price increases that were seen across the city’s cultural institutions, with the Palace of Versailles raising admission by €1.50 ($1.70) to €21 ($23.40) and the National Monuments Center, which operate about 100 cultural establishments, increasing prices by an average of €1 ($1.10).

To celebrate the Games, the museum also hosted a special exhibition on the Olympics and invited members of the public to join workout classes surrounded by its masterpieces. And, in a popular post on X, rapper Snoop Dogg made an after-hours visit, basking in the glow of some of the institution’s best-known works.