Empty Cour Napoléon
A still courtyard portrait interpretation with the pyramid and palace. The generated empty setting is not a crowd forecast or a reservation.
Louvre Museum
A visit worth keeping.
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Glass, stone, and a person in the frame: the Louvre courtyard offers several stories before you ever enter a gallery. Make space for the architecture and keep any museum visit as its own part of the day.
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Photo guide
Photographing Louvre Museum: light, spots and crowds.
Checked October 14, 2026 against the sources listed here. Hours, access and rules change, so recheck the official source before you go.
- Best light
- The Cour Napoléon is closed in by palace wings on three sides and opens west-northwest toward the Carrousel and the Tuileries, so late-afternoon and evening sun comes in through the open side and lights the pyramid's west face and the Sully wing behind it, while in the morning the sun is ahead of you, over the Sully wing, so the pyramid is backlit from the Carrousel side. From about April to early September, dusk comes after the courtyard's listed 9 p.m. closing, so blue-hour shots inside the courtyard are an autumn-to-spring plan.
- Crowds
- The museum recommends booking a time slot, even for free admission, and requires reservations for all visitors in peak periods (for example, 17 October to 1 November 2026). Inside, its help center says the Sully and Richelieu wings are much quieter.
- Entry
- The courtyards are open to walk through during their own listed hours, separate from museum admission. The museum is ticketed, closed on Tuesdays and open late on Wednesday and Friday evenings; book a time slot and check current hours at louvre.fr.
Where to stand
- Cour Napoléon
Walk around the pyramid to choose its backdrop: from the west side it sits in front of the Sully wing, and from the north or south the long Richelieu or Denon facades run behind it. The museum lists the courtyard as opening well before the galleries, so early morning is the quiet window.
- Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and Place du Carrousel
Facing east-southeast you get the pyramid with the Sully wing behind it; turn around and the Tuileries, Place de la Concorde and, about 3.3 km away, the Arc de Triomphe line up along the same axis. The arch stands at the Louvre end of the Tuileries Garden, which has its own seasonal hours.
- Cour Carrée
The enclosed square courtyard east of the pyramid, through the Sully wing, gives you the palace facades on all four sides without the glass. It keeps its own listed hours, longer than the galleries'.
Photo rules
- In the permanent collections you can take photos and videos for personal use, but selfie sticks, flash and lighting are not allowed.
- In temporary exhibitions, photos or videos of certain works may be prohibited.
- In the gardens, don't touch or climb the sculptures or walk or sit on the lawns.
- Drone filming and photography are banned in Paris unless the Préfecture de police grants an exemption, and only professional companies authorized by France's civil aviation authority (DGAC) can apply.
Sources
Let the geometry support the person.
Start with a frame that shows how the pyramid sits against the palace. For a portrait, choose one diagonal or a smaller section of the façade instead of trying to fit every edge into the same photograph.
Check the space around a face and the edges of the glass before taking another frame. A modest change in framing can separate the person from a strong line without climbing onto a ledge or blocking an entrance.
If a museum visit is part of your plans, decide which galleries matter and reserve time for them. Courtyard portraits should fit around that visit rather than use up the attention you wanted to give the art.
Three ways to remember Louvre Museum.
Choose a curated Experience after you unlock this Landmark. The previews show creative directions, not customer results. Memories are generated interpretations, not documentary photographs of the scene.
Pyramid Reflections
A portrait interpretation shaped by glass, water, and stone. It does not promise the same reflections or access to a particular position during your visit.
Palace Noir
A monochrome treatment of the palace’s scale and geometry. Keep it as a creative Memory alongside the photographs of your actual visit.
Be there first.
Create when you’re ready.
Unlocked checks your current location when you choose Unlock. It does not need to track your route in the background. Your reference photos and Memories stay private.
How your photos and location are handledVisit Louvre Museum.
Open the Landmark in the app while you are in its supported area.
Collect your badge.
Allow the location check and confirm the Landmark is unlocked before leaving. Your badge and visit date join your free Passport permanently.
Choose your Experience.
Add your reference photos and create a Memory now or later. Your first GPS-verified Landmark unlock grants one welcome credit for your first Memory.
Before you choose.
Does Empty Cour Napoléon reserve an empty courtyard?
No. It is a generated Experience in Unlocked, not a private-access product. The courtyard remains subject to real visitor conditions and site restrictions.
Do these Experiences provide a Louvre museum ticket?
No. Arrange museum admission separately through the official venue channels. The app verifies presence within the supported Landmark area and creates Memories; it does not grant gallery access.
Can I create a Louvre Memory once I am home?
Yes, if you completed the Landmark unlock in its supported area during your visit. The unlock remains available, so reference-photo selection and Memory creation can happen later.
Your next badge starts here.
Check app availability before your trip, then complete your Landmark unlock while you are there.