Here we will pit two of the world’s most renowned museums against each other in a battle of pure European culture – the Louvre Museum in Paris and the British Museum in London. As a visitor of many worldwide museums I’ve enjoyed both of these, and in this article I’ll compare these cultural giants against each other to let you know which museum is best for you, The Louvre or The British Museum.
At both of these museums you will see some world famous artefacts and works of art. I challenge anyone to get around one of these in a day as I found you need more than one visit to see everything in either The Louvre or The British Museum.
Let’s get down to the numbers;
| The Louvre | The British Museum | |
| Size (gallery space) | 73,000 square metres | 25,000 square metres |
| Admission cost | €22 | Free |
| Location | Central Paris | Central London |
| Number of artefacts | Approx. 0.5 million | Approx. 8 million |
The Louvre
The Louvre, located in the heart of Paris, is not only one of the largest museums in the world but it is also a former royal palace, which adds to its opulence. Its huge collection has an impressive 35,000 works of art on display. It will cost you to get in though.
The museum has the iconic glass pyramid entrance to the labyrinthine corridors which are home to priceless historical masterpieces, it’s an amazing piece of human creativity. This museum does display archaeological finds but The Louvre is predominantly an art museum.
The British Museum
On the other side of the English Channel, there’s the British Museum, right in Bloomsbury, Central London, near Oxford street, which is a prime place to stay too. While it may not boast the same square footage as its French counterpart, the British Museum makes up for it with its huge collection, most of which is not even on show!
The British Museum holds a staggering 8 million artefacts! They span a huge chunk of human history. So it’s a real treasure trove of worldwide cultural riches.
Visual appeal
Both museums are impressive in their architecture and interior. The Louvre is a former palace so you can imagine that it looks very historical and grand both inside and outside, despite the modern pyramid entrance, which does add another impressive feature. Inside is unbelievable. You will walk through the most luxurious royal rooms dripping with gold, velvet and amazing detail.
The British Museum is also a historical looking building from the outside, but as you enter it has a very clean, white, modern feel to it. The roof is an impressive curved network of triangles and the rooms are all huge in size. There’s so much to see that even in large rooms certain significant artefacts go unnoticed by passers by. That said, they are all very well presented. Due to its layout you don’t really get to admire the outer walls as much and it is quite well hidden in the back streets.
At the time of visiting I claimed The Louvre to be the most impressive man made building interior that I had ever seen so that is the clear winner for me.
Winner: The Louvre
Value for money
The Louvre offers a range of ticket options, with standard adult admission priced at €22. Visitors under the age of 26 from the European Economic Area get free admission.
Meanwhile, the British Museum stands out for its commitment to free access for all! That’s right – admission to this world famous museum is entirely free of charge, allowing visitors from around the globe to explore it without breaking the bank. It’s a no-brainer. The British Museum is a clear winner here.
Winner: British Museum
Location
Location, they say, is everything. Sat right on the banks of the Seine River, the Louvre has a prime spot in the heart of Paris, which is also an expensive place to stay surrounded by iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame Cathedral. Its central location is ideal and quite picturesque. I actually sat having lunch outside what I thought was a ‘very nice, grand building’ as it looked like a good spot to sit by from the back, I didn’t even realise I was sat outside the Louvre!
Meanwhile, the British Museum is right in the heart of London, down the back streets near busy Oxford street. Its central location is easily accessible by public transport, with a number of tube stations within walking distance. However, it’s not the most glamorous surrounding when compared to The Louvre’s location
Winner: The Louvre
Best Artefacts
Ah, now for the pièce de résistance – the artefacts themselves. In the Louvre, you’ll encounter a huge amount of different things to see from across the globe, including famous works such as the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and of course, the world renowned Mona Lisa. From ancient Egyptian artefacts to Renaissance masterpieces, the Louvre’s collection is mostly art based but does feature plenty of other treasures.
Meanwhile, the British Museum showcases a next level of diversity in its artefacts extracted from every corner of the globe (even if most of them are unfortunately stolen). Highlights include the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon Marbles, and the colossal Easter Island statues.
With galleries dedicated to Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East, the British Museum offers an unmatched range of historical finds.
Winner: British Museum
The best bits of The Louvre
- The visual detail of the whole museum
- Galerie d’Apollonn royal area
- Unreal artworks
The worst bits
- The queues outside to get in
- The paid entry cost
- The queues inside to see The Mona Lisa
My rating: 4.5/5
The best bits of The British Museum
- Unmatchable world famous artefacts
- Plenty of space to get around
- More worldwide highlights on show
The worst bits
- Not as stunning in looks
- So many stolen artefacts
- Giant open rooms allow for missing big artefacts
My rating: 4/5
The Louvre Vs The British Museum Conclusion: Who is the winner?
It’s so close for different reasons but for me the winner is The Louvre, which was decided for me on the visual appeal and pure grandeur of the building. I’m also a fan of huge and impressive artworks so that is a factor in my decision too.
The British Museum has by far the best artefacts but The Louvre wins in other areas to clinch it even if the tourists inside around the Mona Lisa are an irritance.
That said if you’re not so much into art then The British Museum will likely be the one for you.
Whether you find yourself wandering the halls of the Louvre in Paris or exploring the galleries of the British Museum in London, both are considered among the best museums in the world so you’ll have a great time but be sure to leave yourself at least 2-3 hours time in each.