Nobody warned you, because usually nobody could. A Louvre strike (or any unexpected closure really) tends to start the same way, a staff meeting that morning turns into a walkout, and by the time you arrive with your ticket in hand, the museum simply can't open its doors. So what do you actually do next? Here's what I've seen happen, and how I'd handle it if I were you.

TL;DR:

A Louvre strike is usually about a delay, not a lost day. The museum reopens later the same day more often than it stays shut entirely.
The refund isn't automatic. It depends on whether the closure holds for the whole day. If the museum reopens later, you might not get one, since technically you can still get in.
If you do go back later, expect real crowds. Everyone turned away in the morning tries to get in at the same time as everyone with an afternoon slot.
Paris on the Spot is a Paris travel app I built, and its ‘Plan B feature’ exists exactly for this: it gives you a alternative in seconds, not just a suggestion to figure it out yourself.

Wait It Out, For About An Hour

The most useful thing you can do first is just stay around the entrance, ideally still in the queue, for about an hour. Staff on site usually don't have an answer right away either, they're waiting on the same information you are, but an update tends to come within that window, so this isn't the moment to wander off yet. Checking the Louvre Instagram accountwhile you wait is worth doing too.

If after that hour you're still willing to give it more of a chance, that's when it's worth stepping away for another hour rather than just standing there. The Tuileries garden is right next door, and a slow walk through it, coffee in hand, is a genuinely nice way to pass the time. If it's raining, the covered external galleries along the Louvre itself are a good spot for a photo or two instead, or head for a coffee, Café Blanc on rue Croix des Petits Champs, Café Plume on rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, or Café 52 inside the Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal on rue de Valois all work well and are close enough to walk back in a few minutes.

Wait, or Move On?

If there's still no real answer after that time, a few questions help sort out how hard to fight for it faster than any list of backup activities would:

How many days do you have left in Paris? If this is your only shot, waiting it out matters more.
Was the Louvre specifically what you wanted, or would another museum do just as well? There's no shortage of options in Paris. (And even without going inside, the gift shop can be worth a stop too, though you'll still need to queue for security in the line for people without tickets.)
What's already on your schedule for the rest of the day? A packed itinerary tends to make the decision for you either way.

If the Louvre is your highlight

It can be worth cancelling whatever you'd planned for later in the day to come back if it reopens.

If it does reopen, the Louvre honors your ticket anytime later that same day: you can walk back in whenever it suits you rather than sticking to your original hour. What it doesn't fix is the crowd though.

Since these closures happen with zero warning in the morning, everyone who was turned away earlier is also trying to get in later, on top of everyone who already had an afternoon slot. So if you do go back, expect real lines, this isn't the quiet reopening you might be picturing. Good to know: the Louvre stays open until 9 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays, so if it's one of those days and it reopens, there's more room in the evening than you'd think.

Another option is to check whether another day of your trip has availability, on the Louvre's own site the odds are slim since most slots get booked well in advance, but guided tour sites like GetYourGuide sometimes have openings even when the official site doesn't, with plenty of different tour options to choose from, at a higher price, but it's worth a look.

Plan your Plan B

Once you've decided to move on for the day, the next question is simply what to do instead, and that's where Paris on the Spot app (my app!) comes in, specifically its Plan B feature. It works around 3 approaches:

Keep the same vibe: if you're moving on but still want that grand, art-filled feeling the Louvre promised, this points you toward another museums with the same kind of grandeur and art history.
Stay and switch: if you'd rather not go far, this keeps you right around the Louvre but swaps the activity entirely.
Mix it up further out: if you're happy for a bigger change of scenery, this proposes different neighborhoods, a real reset rather than a nearby substitute.

Adjust your plans withthe Paris on the spot app: get it on the App Store or Google Play.

Regarding your Louvre tiket, just know that a refund isn't automatic, it depends on whether the museum stays closed all day. If it does, you'll automatically receive the refund, though the process can be slow, up to 30 days. If it reopens later that day, there's a high chance the Louvre won't process the refund, since technically you could still get in.

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If you found this blog post useful, you might also enjoy: You Don't Need to See Everything to Have Seen Paris and The Secret to Getting Lost in Paris.