Science and Technology Museums in Paris

Cité des Science et de L’Industrie
30, avenue Corentin-Cariou, 19th
M° Porte de la Villette
It will be hard to decide what to do first in this enormous, modern science complex with interactive exhibits on everything from outer space to genetically manipulated plants. It has a planetarium, movie cinemas, 10 themed gardens and an aquarium, adventure playground designed for 3- to 12-year-olds and much more.
The Explora features exhibits, models, robots and interactive games, demonstrates scientific techniques and presents subjects that include the universe, the earth, the environment, space, computer science and health. The Children’s City is divided into exhibits for 5- to 12-year-olds, including: Machines and Mechanisms, the Living Species, and Techniques of Communications.
The gigantic Géode sphere, is a wonder, with a huge hemispheric IMAX screen that shows many films. The Cinaxe is a simulator that projects movies on a screen while accelerating and moving the audience in different directions. You can climb aboard an actual submarine in the l’Argonaute exhibit and participate in technology demonstrations at the Technocité.

Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace
Aéroport de Paris-Le Bourget 93350
M° La Courneuve, RER Le Bourget
Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace in Bourget is the place where Charles Lindburgh had landed after his 33 hour flight from Long Island. It has more than 180 machines. The museum covers the aerospace era from the 1879 heavier-than-air glider Massiat-Biot through World War II aircrafts to the Ariane rocket.
The huge hangar now houses two models of the Concorde. If you never got a chance to fly it, at least you can comfort yourself to see that the cabin is actually quite cramped!

Musée des Arts et Métiers
60, rue Réaumur, 3rd
M° Arts et Métiers or Réaumur-Sébastopol
There is much to see in this century old museum that specializes in technological inventions and discoveries and has about 3,000 such items on display. From computers and cars to early aircraft and even a scale model of the Statue of Liberty that you can climb inside.
A tribute to the inventive genius

Musée d'Histoire de la Médecine
12, rue de l'Ecole de Médecine, 6th
M° Odéon
This small museum, housed in the Academy of Surgery of the College of Medicine, offers an important antique collection of medical instruments and types of operations used in the past. It’s in French - bring along your French-English dictionary!

Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle
Jardin des Plantes - 36, rue Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, 5th
M° Jussieu, Gare d'Austerlitz or Censier Daubenton

Musée Pasteur
25, rue du Docteur Roux, 15th
M° Volontaires or Pasteur
This museum is dedicated to Louis Pasteur, the inventor of penicillin, rabies vaccine, cause of vineyard blight, and pasteurization .It is composed of the living quarters of Louis Pasteur, an exhibition room with scientific objects and the crypt where Pasteur rests.
Printed guides available in English.

Palais de la Découverte
Av. Franklin-D.-Roosevelt, 8th
M° Champs Elysées-Clemenceau or Franklin-D.-Roosevelt
Palais de la Découverte was founded in 1937 with the intention of making people aware of the scientific method. You can experiment and understand the basic laws of physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, medicine, and information technology. Don’t miss a collection of original designs by the master Leonardo da Vinci.
The highlight of the Palais de la Decouverte is its Planetarium, which has a cycle of eight shows on different space-related themes, including the solar system, stars and galaxies, and eclipses. You can view the entire Planetarium schedule on their website.
One thing to keep in mind about the Palais de la Decouverte is that most of their expositions and shows are in French only.

Below is our selections of the Science and Technology museums in Paris. Just click on the link to any of the museum titles below to visit the museum's website, where you will find all the relevant detail information you'll need. Some Paris museum websites are only in French, but most have an English version of the site.