Louvre gallery reopens entirely empty after heist

The Louvre's Apollo Gallery, the site of the brazen museum heist last fall, reopened to the public Wednesday morning.

The gallery, which once held collections of precious objects and jewels from French royals, is now entirely empty.

The space had been closed since Oct. 19, 2025, when four thieves stole $102 million worth of jewelry from the gallery, including a crown made of gold, diamonds and emeralds that belonged to Empress Eugenie of France.

The Louvre Museum removed all items and display cases in the gallery "to restore the painted and sculpted wall decorations to their rightful place," according to a Louvre Museum press release. 

The press release said the removal of objects allows for the gallery to regain its "stately purpose," as it was conceived as a work of art itself in the 17th century.

The massive doors to the gallery opened Wednesday in front of cameras as visitors lined up outside.

The gallery, which connects the Apollo Rotunda and the Salon Carré, will serve as a space for strolling and contemplation within the museum, according to the release.

The jewels stolen in the heist remain missing, except for Empress Eugenie's crown, which was recovered outside the museum after having been dropped in the thieves' escape. 

Christophe Leribault, president of the Louvre Museum, said in an interview with Le Parisien that the jewelry that was not stolen will be placed in a secure vault with no windows that will be created in another part of the museum.

The Apollo Gallery was originally built over 350 years ago as a reception gallery for French King Louis XIV. The gallery, decorated by prominent artists including Delacroix and Le Brun, served as a model for the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, according to the press release. 

"It is one of the most iconic spaces in the Louvre, with its rich decor of stucco, paintings and tapestries," the press release said.

The October heist set off global outcry and a nationwide manhunt for the thieves, who broke into the museum through a second-floor balcony using a ladder in broad daylight. 

Authorities have arrested 11 total suspects in relation to the heist after extensive investigation by authorities involving the analysis of DNA evidence and video footage.

Two suspects were arrested in connection to the robbery while attempting to flee the country, French National Police confirmed to ABC News on Oct. 26, 2025.

Five more suspects were arrested several days later in Paris suburbs, and an additional four suspects were arrested nearly a month later on Nov. 25, 2025.

Six of the suspects have been released from detention. The remaining suspects are awaiting trial.