Museums and science
Marvel at the Arts et Métiers machines
Musée des Arts et Métiers · Paris
In the museum's former church, Foucault's pendulum swings beneath the aircraft of Clément Ader and Blériot, hanging from the vaulted ceiling.
Rainy day in Paris with kids
A rainy Wednesday or a grey weekend is no reason to stay home: museums designed for children, aquariums, indoor playgrounds and workshops keep everyone busy and dry. Here are 24 ideas picked from over 650 places on the Trottimap map.
Animals and farms
Watch the alligators beneath the Palais
Aquarium tropical du Palais de la Porte Dorée · Paris
In the basement of the Palais de la Porte Dorée, an Art Deco building from 1931, the aquarium brings together more than 300 species in over 80 tanks.
Museums and science
Follow the parade of taxidermy animals
Grande Galerie de l'Évolution · Paris
Beneath the great glass roof, a long caravan of taxidermy animals crosses the nave, from the giraffe to the elephant, while the lower level is devoted to marine life.
Museums and science
Visit an art exhibition made for children
Musée en Herbe · Paris
This small museum near the Louvre regularly changes its art exhibitions and designs them for children as much as for adults, with a playful trail to follow as a family.
Museums and science
Go down into the Paris sewers
Musée des Égouts de Paris · Paris
Beneath the Pont de l'Alma, a 500-metre route follows real tunnels still in use, with their street signs and the rumble of water.
Pools, beaches and water
Whizz down the Aquaboulevard slides
Aquaboulevard · Paris
This large indoor water park in the 15th arrondissement combines a wave pool, eleven slides, jacuzzis, geysers and water mushrooms.
Museums and science
Ride century-old merry-go-rounds
Musée des Arts Forains · Paris
In the former wine warehouses of Bercy, a guide shows you rooms full of century-old merry-go-rounds, automata and funfair stalls.
Museums and science
Pose with the stars at the Musée Grévin
Musée Grévin · Paris
More than 250 wax figures await visitors, from sports stars to cartoon heroes, and children spend the visit taking photos next to them.
Castles and heritage
Go down into the Paris catacombs
Catacombes de Paris · Paris
Twenty metres beneath Denfert-Rochereau, a one-and-a-half-kilometre route follows old quarry tunnels where the bones of several million Parisians are stacked.
Parks and nature
Explore the jungle of the Serres d'Auteuil
Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil · Paris
This City of Paris botanical garden combines late 19th-century glasshouses with contemporary ones opened in 2019 around a Roland-Garros court.
Shows and workshops
Watch dancers rehearse at the Centquatre
Le Centquatre-Paris · Paris
Under the vast halls of the former Paris municipal undertakers, entry is free and groups of young people rehearse dance, hip-hop or juggling all afternoon.
Museums and science
Discover Georges Méliès's special effects
La Cinémathèque française · Paris
In the building designed by Frank Gehry, the Musée Méliès tells the story of the birth of cinema with old equipment, sets and film clips.
Pools, beaches and water
Cruise the Seine on a bateau-mouche
Bateaux-Mouches · Paris
Setting off from the Pont de l'Alma, the boat sails up the Seine to the Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis, then back down towards the Eiffel Tower, in just over…
Museums and science
Admire the armour at Les Invalides
Musée de l'Armée · Paris
In the Hôtel des Invalides, the armour rooms line up knights on horseback, helmets and swords that captivate children from the moment they walk in.
Museums and science
Discover contemporary art at the Palais-Royal
Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain · Paris
The Fondation Cartier has left Boulevard Raspail for a vast building opposite the Louvre, on Place du Palais-Royal.
Museums and science
Step into Giacometti's studio
Institut Giacometti · Paris
In an Art Deco mansion in Montparnasse, the institute displays Alberto Giacometti's reconstructed studio, with his furniture and belongings, alongside temporary exhibitions.
Museums and science
Follow the letters at the Musée Postal
Musée Postal · Paris
The former Musée de La Poste, renamed Musée Postal, tells how mail has travelled through the centuries, from post-rider relays to rare stamps.
Leisure parks
Play at the children's café by the canal
Cafézoïde · Paris
On the edge of the Bassin de la Villette, this community café is designed first and foremost for children, who find games, books and workshops while their parents have a coffee nearby.
Also worth a visit
- Play with science at La VilletteCité des enfants, Cité des sciences et de l'industrie · Paris · From age 2 · Museums and science
- Go bouldering near the BnFArkose Chevaleret · Paris · From age 4 · Sport and adventure
- Have lunch at Un Air de FamilleUn Air de Famille · Paris · All ages · Shows and workshops
- Lie down on a bed of nailsScience Expériences Bercy · Paris · From age 4 · Museums and science
- Tour the night sky at Les ÉtincellesLes Étincelles du Palais de la découverte · Paris · From age 6 · Museums and science
- Play with sound at the PhilharmoniePhilharmonie des enfants (Philharmonie de Paris) · Paris · From age 4 · Museums and science
By theme
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