In October 2025, the world was stunned after robbers pulled off a dramatic daytime heist, stealing crown jewels worth €88 million from Paris’s Louvre Museum. Since then, the museum’s Apollo Gallery has remained closed to visitors. On Wednesday, the gallery finally reopened to the public, although there is no jewellery on display.
Louvre’s Apollo Gallery Reopens To Public
According to The Economic Times, the Louvre Museum has reopened its iconic Apollo Gallery to visitors for the first time since the €88 million crown jewel theft in October 2025. However, those hoping to see the famous royal jewels will be disappointed, as the gallery no longer displays its historic jewellery collection.
Instead, visitors can admire the gallery’s magnificent 17th-century architecture, elaborate ceiling paintings and ornate interiors. The museum has restored the space to its original ceremonial role, removing the crown jewels and other precious artefacts that were previously exhibited there.
Commissioned during the reign of King Louis XIV, the Apollo Gallery was designed by architect Louis Le Vau and decorated by painter Charles Le Brun around the theme of the Sun King. Its lavish design later inspired the famous Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles.
Louvre director Christophe Leribault said the former jewellery collection will be displayed elsewhere in the museum, adding that the reopening also gives visitors a chance to appreciate the gallery’s remarkable architecture and artistic heritage in a new light.
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Stolen Jewels Remain Unrecovered
The dramatic theft took place in October 2025, when two men used a movers’ lift to reach the Louvre’s second floor in broad daylight. In a heist that lasted less than seven minutes, they smashed a window, cut open display cases with angle grinders and escaped on scooters ridden by two accomplices.
According to Reuters, most of the stolen crown jewels are still missing. The only item recovered so far is a crown belonging to Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III. It was found damaged near the museum and is currently being restored.
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FAQs
Has the Louvre Museum's Apollo Gallery reopened?
Yes, the Louvre Museum reopened the Apollo Gallery to the public on July 22, marking its first reopening since the 2025 theft.
What can visitors see in the Apollo Gallery now?
Visitors can admire the gallery's grand architecture, ornate interiors, elaborate ceiling paintings and historic décor, which inspired the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles.
What happened during the Louvre crown jewel theft?
The robbers used a movers' lift to reach the museum's second floor, broke into display cases with angle grinders and escaped on scooters in a heist that lasted less than seven minutes.