The Louvre Museum, one of the world’s most visited cultural institutions, remained closed Monday after staff staged a walkout in protest of overcrowding and strained working conditions.

The unscheduled closure caught thousands of visitors off guard, with long queues forming under the museum’s iconic glass pyramid as security, gallery attendants, and ticket staff refused to report to duty. Workers cited chronic understaffing and unsafe visitor volumes as key reasons for the strike.

The walkout took place during what was supposed to be a routine internal meeting. Instead, frustrations boiled over, with staff demanding immediate improvements to support the daily influx of tourists — which exceeds the museum’s infrastructure capacity. Despite recent pledges from President Emmanuel Macron to fund long-term renovations, workers say conditions are deteriorating too fast to wait.

Union representatives warned that the museum’s facilities — from restrooms to temperature control systems — are failing to keep pace with rising attendance, with some internal reports describing parts of the building as no longer weatherproof.

Staff also pointed to the exhausting pressure of managing the overwhelming crowds, particularly in areas such as the Salle des États, where visitors cluster to view the Mona Lisa.

Although a 10-year plan, dubbed the “Louvre New Renaissance,” includes the creation of a dedicated gallery for the Mona Lisa and a new visitor entrance by 2031, workers say the situation requires more urgent action.

The Louvre welcomed nearly 9 million visitors in 2023, and while daily admissions are technically capped, staff say the sheer volume still leads to unsafe and unsustainable conditions.

Talks between Louvre management and union representatives are ongoing. As of Monday afternoon, the museum remained closed to the public.