The Musée du Louvre, the world's most visited art museum, has set a new attendance record with 8.5 million visitors in 2008, reports Deutsche Presse Agentur. The figure represents an increase of about 200,000 from 2007 and an overall rise of 67 percent from 2001.

The largest group entering the museum comprises those that are 25 years and younger, making up 40 percent of the Louvre's visitors.

The Louvre mounted 15 special exhibitions last year, with the most popular featuring the ancient city of Babylon and the Venetian Renaissance artist Andrea Mantegna.