City of Science and Industry, Paris
Plan your visit
City of Science and Industry
1 attraction · 2h 30min · transit route
Tickets ~€15
Step-by-step route with transport options and cost breakdown
About City of Science and Industry
Europe's largest science museum occupies a converted 19th-century livestock auction hall in the Parc de la Villette, northeastern Paris. Architect Adrien Fainsilber transformed the abandoned industrial shell into a 30,000 m² exhibition space across seven levels, organized around three principles: light, water, and vegetation. The main Explora area covers permanent exhibitions on topics from neuroscience and energy to cosmology and satellite observation, with hands-on experiments and interactive displays throughout.
City of Science and Industry — Planning Your Visit
Opening Hours
Ticket Prices
Exhibitions (Explora + Planetarium + Argonaute)
RecommendedAccess to all permanent and temporary exhibitions, one Planetarium show, and the Argonaute submarine. Youth 6-25 pay 12€. Education pass and large family card holders also 12€. Online booking with timed entry slots strongly recommended.
Cité des Enfants (ages 5-10)
Hands-on science activities for children aged 5-10. Sessions at 09:45, 11:30, 13:15, 15:00 and 16:45. Reservation recommended. Note: the 2-7 years section is closed until June 2026 for renovation.
Combined: Exhibitions + Cité des Enfants
Access to both Explora exhibitions and Cité des Enfants in a single visit. Youth 6-25 and education/large family card holders pay 16€. Children 2-5 pay 14€.
La Géode (IMAX Cinema)
Hemispherical IMAX cinema with 1,000 m² screen. Managed by Pathé. Open Tuesday-Sunday 09:30-22:00, Monday 13:00-22:00. Separate admission from museum exhibitions.
In day plans, the recommended ticket is pre-selected and included in the total price.
The museum was built inside the steel skeleton of an unfinished livestock auction hall that had been abandoned since 1973 following the "Villette scandal" — a massive cost overrun and corruption affair. Architect Fainsilber kept the original concrete piles and roof beams (now painted blue) while removing an internal steel structure weighing roughly the same as the Eiffel Tower.
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