Place du Carrousel Plaza

Address: Place du Carrousel, 75001 Paris, France (square in front of the Louvre)

Hours: Open 24 hours

Admission: Free

Place du Carrousel is the small open space between the entrance to the Louvre and the Tuileries Garden in Paris’s 1st arrondissement. The square is best known for the monumental Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel that stands at its center.

The compact square frames views of the Louvre Palace, the glass Pyramid and the long westward axis that continues through the Tuileries toward the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées. The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel with its three openings and sculptural group is a frequent photo subject and a convenient meeting point for visitors moving between the museum complex and the gardens.

Commissioned by Napoleon to commemorate his military campaigns, the arch was built between 1806 and 1808 to serve as a ceremonial gateway from the Tuileries to the Louvre. The monument and surrounding square have retained their role as a formal approach to the royal and then national museum precincts.

Situated in the heart of the 1st arrondissement, the square sits directly west of the Louvre Palace and immediately east of the Tuileries Garden, within easy walking distance of the Palais-Royal and Place de la Concorde.

• Sightline: The arch lines up with the Louvre courtyard and the Champs-Élysées axis, offering one of the clearest sightlines through the historic east-west axis of Paris.

What to See#

• Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel: A three-arched triumphal arch built 1806-1808 to mark Napoleon’s military victories; the central opening is higher than the two flanking arches and the structure was designed by Charles Percier and Pierre-Fran7ois-L9onard Fontaine.

Place du Carrousel sits immediately west of the Louvre and east of the Tuileries Garden in central Paris (1st arrondissement). Take Paris Métro Line 1 to Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre or to Tuileries - both stops are a very short walk (a few minutes) to the square; RER A users can change at Châtelet-Les Halles and walk about 10-15 minutes. By road it is in the heart of central Paris, so driving is generally unnecessary and parking is limited.

• Go at dawn or early morning for unobstructed photos of the Louvre pyramid and Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel before the crowds and tour buses arrive.
• Enter the area through the Tuileries Garden or Rue de Rivoli for quieter access and better photographic angles than the busiest Louvre courtyard gates.
• Most people focus on the pyramid-take time to study the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel's sculptural details and the surrounding Tuileries statuary, which are easy to miss amid the larger monuments.