Successive heat waves hit museum, monument revenues in France

Successive heat waves that swept France over the summer also led to a plunge in museum and monument revenues across the country, French daily Le Monde reported Thursday.

The French outlet reported that several museums and monuments adjusted their opening and closing times, made structural changes to their buildings, or refunded tickets, resulting in revenue losses during a summer marked by successive heat waves.

The Château d'Azay-le-Rideau, for instance, was forced to close early seven times, while its opening time was brought forward. A misting booth was installed in the park and an air conditioner was added to the reception area as at least one visitor fell ill each day at the height of the heat wave.

The castle still saw a 10% drop in visitor numbers in July and a 15% decline in August.

The National Monuments Center (CMN), which oversees around 100 monuments, reported that it had to refund €525,000 ($611,000) worth of tickets following early closures.

At the Chateau de Versailles in Yvelines, 11 days of early closures were recorded, accompanied by a 33% drop in attendance. The losses are estimated at more than €260,000 ($302,600).

The Grand Palais, meanwhile, recorded lost revenue of around €160,000 ($180,000) from ticket sales and shops. The Musee d'Orsay and the Musee de l'Orangerie had to refund €70,000 ($81,400) and €60,000 ($69,800) worth of tickets, respectively.

The biggest impact, however, was reported at the Louvre, which closed early 11 times in June and July, resulting in 60,000 canceled tickets and losses of €1 million ($1.1 million). The museum also saw a 9% decline in attendance compared with 2025.