Is there a short cut or other tip for beating the crowd to get a good viewing of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre?

No.

Whenever someone figures out how to beat the crowd, the word is circulated immediately and crowds form at the former shortcut.

Last April (2003) we went on Weds night about an hour before closing, and there were only two other people there; I have a great photo of my granddaughter and Mona with no other heads blocking the view.

I was there 15 minutes before closing (and they start moving you out at 1730, not 1800 for all the exhibits) in February and it wasn't crowded at all.Neither was the line to get the Louvre from the Mall.

Yes, go in late January.

I was there in Sept. I got to the "underground" entrance 15 mins before opening time. Once I got thru security, I went straight to the info desk to pick up a map, then picked up an audioguide, then walked straight to Mona Lisa.

When I got to Mona Lisa's room, there was only 5 other people there. I was able to enjoy viewing Mona Lisa without being elbowed or pushed. I stayed there for a good 10mins and the crowd stayed about the same.

I walked past the room a few hours later, and it was packed, as well as a long line outside waiting to get into the room.

I guess your best bet is either go early or late.

Hmmm...thanks yk, but what is the 'underground' entrance?

I used the entrace at the Metro which I would assume is the "underground entrance"
I also got there before opening. I already had my museum pass and did not stop to check bags or coats. I went on what I called the "biggie" tour. Mona Lisa, Venus etc... and moved with SPEED between my stops. (no looking at anything else.) Doing this I saw all of the "MUST SEES" with minimal crowds. I then spent several hours enjoying other exhibits in the Museum. (This method involves a lot of walking as you have to backtrack have the speed tour to look at great things that caught your eye as you went racing by!)

There's also an entrance through the Carrousel du Louvre center.

My best tip is to go at night during the prime dining hours, when it's possible to see all the biggies instead of other people's heads.

We were there on a Thursday afternoon last month, maybe around 3. There was a small crowd of 20 or so, didn't seem so bad. We went a bit further and had to sit for a couple of minutes as we had walked from the Eiffel Tower to the Arc and down thru the Tuilleries. In that 15 minutes, a line of about 200 people had formed!

mdtravel-

Yes, CarolA answered your question. The "underground" entrance would be the entrance from the Metro. Also, I forgot to say I had the Museum pass as well.
If you do plan to go in the morning to beat the crowd, it's best you familiarize yourself with Louvre's layout on their website before you go:

http://www.louvre.fr/louvrea.htm

The Mona Lisa is in the Denon Wing, 1st floor, Room 13.

BTW, if you are planning to spend at least a few hours at the Louvre, the audioguide is a good investment.

Not only is the Mona Lisa in the Denon Wing, an entrance has been added at the end of that wing (that not many folks seem to be aware of yet). You can find the specific location of the entrance on the diagram at the Louvre website.

If you enter via this entrance around opening time, Mona Lisa is up a flight or two of stairs and a few rooms down the hall (there are signs). You'd get there WAY ahead of all who use other entrances.

We were there less than 2 weeks ago (sigh) and were there on a Wed. night. There were very few people there and no lines. We got a great viewing right up front.

One key is to have the Monument & Museum pass to get into the Louvre more quickly to begin with!

Hi md,

As noted above, the shortcuts have now been distributed to the whole world.

There are so many entrances to the Louvre now, you don't really need a museum pass any more or have to worry about lining up before opening time.

Just another suggestion...while the Mona Lisa is a WONDERFUL painting, there are equally WONDERFUL paintings by Delecroix, Inges, Rembrandt, to name but a few. Last time I was at the Louvre there was a "traffic jam" at the Mona Lisa, but I had the entire Rembrandt room all to myself.

Monday, April 26, 2004 "Louvre: Mona Lisa deteriorating quickly"

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/artand...archpagefrom=1

Many of you likely do, but I hadn't known this...

"In 1911, an Italian painter stole the painting from the Louvre to get it back into Italian hands. After a lengthy police inquiry, which involved a long list of suspects including French poet Guillaume Apollinaire, the painting surfaced in Italy two years after it disappeared."

You could buy the painting and view it privately. That is the best way I know of.
You might get a bargain price; the painting itself is going downhill fast. I don't know if pollution is getting it, but the curators are worried.

Perugia was the name of the thief and Picasso was a suspect but after a brief "interview"they let him go.