The Fondation Louis Vuitton (Louis Vuitton Foundation) is a corporate foundation created in 2006 to promote art and culture, especially contemporary art. It also aims to perennialize the patronage actions undertaken by the LVMH group (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) since 1990. The Musée Fondation Louis Vuitton was inaugurated on October 27, 2014 and welcomes more than one million visitors every year. Even if the museum is very new, it is already considered to be one of the must-sees of the capital. Here you have a complete guide to the Fondation Louis Vuitton: access, entrance tickets, opening hours, programs, and you will find all the information you need to organize your visit.
Where is the Fondation Louis Vuitton?
The Fondation Louis Vuitton is located in the northern part of the Bois de Boulogne, more precisely in the Jardin d’Acclimatation. Impossible to miss, you will recognize it due to its particular shape, which is reminiscent of a sailboat with sails blown up by the west wind. This “twisted” architecture is the signature of Frank Ghery, a visionary architect who creates shapes never imagined before, and revolutionizes the use of glass to create a light, bright, unique and innovative building. Frank Ghery is also the architect, inter alia, of the French cinémathèque, also located in Paris.
How to get to the Fondation Louis Vuitton
To get to the Foundation, you can take the metro line 1 to La Défense, and get off at Les Sablons station. Once you are in this station, take the exit Fondation Louis Vuitton. If you prefer buses, this station is also served by line 73 ; you just have to get off at Les Sablons and then walk 15 minutes till the Foundation entrance. It is also possible to take bus 244 and get off at the stop Fondation Louis Vuitton, which is located just in front of the museum. However, pay attention because this line only serves this stop on weekends and holidays. On working days, this same line serves the Jardin d’Acclimatation stop, ten minutes’ walking distance from the Foundation.
The Foundation offers a shuttle service to its visitors. Shuttle schedules are organized to take into account the Foundation’s opening hours; there is one shuttle every 20 minutes. The first departure is from Place Charles de Gaulle, at the corner of Friedland Avenue and near the metro exit, 15 minutes before the opening time of the Foundation. The last shuttle departs from the Foundation 7 minutes after closing (there’s no shuttle on Tuesday, the Foundation’s weekly closing day). A round trip shuttle ticket costs €2, but it is free for members accompanied by a guest (as well as for disabled visitors and the person accompanying them).
This service is strictly reserved for visitors of the museum who have a valid entrance ticket and a shuttle ticket. The access to the shuttle will be denied to any person without these two tickets.
Finally, if you want to come to the Fondation Louis Vuitton by car, a drop-off area and 5 parking places for disabled people are available in front of the Foundation. Otherwise, it is also possible to park in the surrounding streets or in Neuilly (Boulevard Maillot, for example).
The Foundation is open to everybody, including disabled people. These people have also priority access to the entrance. Ticket and entrance access priority is also provided to visitors who cannot stand for long periods. Reception and cultural mediation agents are present throughout the foundation to help people with disabilities.
For further information about the access to the Louis Vuitton Foundation, click here.
Opening hours and ticket prices
The opening hours of the Fondation Louis Vuitton change according to the exhibitions. Normally, the Foundation is open from 11:00 to 20:00 from Monday to Thursday (except Tuesday, the closing day of the museum), from 11:00 to 21:00 on Fridays, and from 11:00 to 21:00 on weekends. However, we suggest you verify the opening hours before your visit because they are often modified.
Click here to check the opening hours
Every first Friday of the month, the Foundation organizes a night-time visit (Nocturne de la Fondation) to see and live the building, its works and its exhibitions differently. During these visits, the museum closes its doors at 23:00 instead of 21:00.
The entrance ticket to the Louis Vuitton Fondation costs €16 and also gives access to the Jardin d’acclimatation (which is located next door). People under 26, students and teachers benefit from a reduced price of €10. People under 18 years of age, professional artists, national and regional interpreter guides, national speakers, jobseekers and RSA’s beneficiaries only pay €5, upon presentation of a supporting document. There is also a “family” offer of €32 for one or two adults and up to 4 children under 18 years old. Disabled people and their accompanying person, members of the ICOM or ICOMOS, journalists and art critics can enter the Foundation free of charge upon presentation of a supporting document.
For further information about pricing conditions, click here
You can buy your tickets directly at the Foundation (some terminals are available outside the building), or simply by booking them online in advance.
When to visit the Fondation Louis Vuitton
The Fondation Louis Vuitton is open all year. It closes only on January 1st, May 1st and December 25th, as well as Tuesdays, the weekly closing day.
Since the Foundation ticket gives access to the Jardin d’Acclimatation, many families come on weekends. Therefore, we advise you to avoid coming on Saturdays and especially Sundays, because these are the two biggest days of traffic at the Foundation. It is better to come on working days, and at the end of the day, from 16:00 or 17:00, if you want to visit it in the best possible conditions. However, do not get to the Foundation too late, because it takes at least two hours to visit, or more if you come with children or if you want to take the time to walk in the Jardin d’acclimatation.
In addition, we advise you to avoid, as far as possible, going to the Foundation during the first 3 and the last 3 weeks of temporary exhibitions (you can check the agenda on the website of the Louis Vuitton Foundation). On the other hand, the night-time visits on Fridays are not very crowded, so take advantage of it!
How to visit the Fondation Louis Vuitton
The Louis Vuitton Foundation has, of course, a permanent collection, but also offers temporary exhibitions, events, a rich musical programme and a great variety of activities. The works of the Foundation are arranged in 11 galleries on 3 storeys.
Permanent Collection
The permanent collection, a constantly evolving body of works, follows four different directions: Contemplative, Pop, Expressionist, Music & Sound. At the moment, the collection comprises more than 250 works (architecture, painting, sculpture, photography) made by around a hundred artists.
You will find more information about the permanent collection on the website of the Louis Vuitton Foundation
Temporary exhibitions
Two temporary exhibitions are organized at the same time at the Foundation for a period of around two months. Exhibitions are also organized as part of the Foundation’s “Beyond the Walls” program. This program shows works of the Louis Vuitton Space Collection in Tokyo, Munich, Venice and Beijing, that have never been exhibited. This initiative illustrates the Foundation’s desire to promote international projects and make them accessible to the widest possible audience.
You will find more information about the temporary exhibitions on the website of the Louis Vuitton Fondation here
Events
Specific events are organized frequently at the Fondation Louis Vuitton: night-time visits, once a month, but also meetings with artists, sociologists, philosophers, scientists, anthropologists, etc., or contests (photo, …).
You will find more information about these events on the website of the Louis Vuitton Foundation.
Musical Programme
Following the same idea, the Foundation organizes concerts and recitals in its auditorium, open to all forms of artistic expression. It is a place dedicated to creation, the meeting point for musicians and artists from all disciplines. It is intended for an audience of up to 1000 depending on its configuration, and its architecture and equipment offer a unique setting for artists and the public. Guest musicians and creators will show in their creations the diversity and vitality of the world of music.
You can find more information about the Foundation’s Musical Programme on the website of the Louis Vuitton Foundation.
Activities
For the Louis Vuitton Foundation it is very important to welcome its audience in the best possible way. That’s why it offers different attractions so as to meet the curiosity of everyone, novice or expert, and share the sensitive experience of this unique place. For example, workshops are planned especially for families, in which a cultural mediator shows the building to children and helps them to understand the exhibitions. In addition, welcome events and specific workshops can be organized for school groups.
“Micro-visits”, free and without the need for a reservation, guided by a cultural mediator, can be carried out everyday from 12:30 to 18:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays) on weekdays, and from 11:00 to 20:00 on weekends and holidays. These micro-tours last 15 minutes and reveal some of the works of the Foundation. They depart every 30 minutes from levels -1, 1 and 2 at the designated meeting points.
The night-time visits (not to be confused with the Nocturne de la Fondation, which is only once a month, the first Friday) are thematic and allow participants to discover or deepen a concept of the exhibition, guided by a cultural mediator. They take place every Friday from 19:00 and are also free and do not need a reservation. They last 45 minutes.
Every first Friday of the month, the Foundation organizes a Nocturne to discover the building, its works and its exhibitions in a different way. Offbeat visits, artistic, musical, participative and pleasant moments characterize these evenings. La Nocturne requires a booking (€10 full price, €5 reduced price).
If you register online and show a supporting document, a deaf cultural mediator can make a guided tour of the Foundation in French sign language.
For further information about the activities offered by the Foundation, please click here.
Useful tools to visit the museum
Three free applications can be downloaded to help you understand the Fondation Louis Vuitton:
– the Fondation Louis Vuitton app, that serves as an audio guide and on which you can consult the agenda of the Foundation (exhibitions, events, musical programme, etc.) – available on App Store and Google Play.
– The application “Archi Moi” – designed for 8-12 year old children, it helps them to understand the architecture of the building (only available on the App Store).
– The application “Lucky Vibes”, a music and skill game whose different levels help you discover anecdotes about the Foundation. By participating in its “competitions”, you can win tickets for the Foundation – available on App Store and Google Play.
For further information about useful tools to visit the Foundation, please click here.
I aim to share my tips and recommendations for the beautiful country of France. My goal is to help you plan your next adventure, whether it’s a weekend getaway or a once-in-a-lifetime trip. From finding the best hotels and restaurants, to discovering unique activities and sights, I’ve got you covered!
