Science Museum in Paris – Palais de la Decouverte

Paris is full of art museums and historic buildings. While many tourists flock to them, there’s one spot I think everyone should visit (tourist or local) – Palais de la Decouverte. In English, it translates to Palace of Discovery. In other words, it’s a science museum in Paris.

My wife and I came across some fun and interactive exhibits – from mechanical engineering to astronomy. To give you an idea of what you’ll find at the science museum in Paris, here’s a rundown of some of our favorite exhibits.

And in case you were wondering, they have information printed in English as well. So it’s not just a museum for locals, but tourists can enjoy it as well.

Astronomy: Space, Stars, Planets and Astronauts

Standing in a long room, you see a massive yellow ball on the wall. Around it you see orbits and the relative size of planets positioned proportionately next to it. I was amazed to see such a big gap between the orbit of Mars and Jupiter. Even with how close the earth is to the sun, Neptune (the farthest planet from the sun) was at the other end of a very long room. It’s a great visual representation of how vast space really is.

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The science museum in Paris has an entire wing dedicated to astronomy. There’s a grand staircase leading up to the planetarium. A long exhibit room is full of things about lunar exploration and the moon landing. You can also learn about each of the planets and other fascinating elements of the world outside of our own.

Human Biology

The human body is amazing. It was interesting to explore different systems of the body and how they all work together. I took particular interest in the heart area, since I have atrial fibrillation, or an abnormal heart rhythm. I sat in a little pod and could see my rhythm – which was very much normal. Another exhibit allowed me to see exactly HOW my heart was pumping in real-time.

If parents are taking their young children to this science museum in Paris, just note that the reproductive system in both men and women is described, so if you walk them through this area, there may be some added discussions you’ll want to have with them – or use it as a way of having “the talk” with them. 😉

Each of the exhibits are fascinating and we spent time learning about the muscular system, digestive system and much more about the human body and the amazing machine it it.

Mathematics: Symmetry, Pi and More

“That’s math” is a statement my fifth-grade son makes often. Well, he wouldn’t be wrong in this portion of the museum. There are several rooms that make math fun and engaging. It includes a large room dedicated to numbers and science, including computer programming.

One of my favorite rooms was around symmetry. There were several hands on exhibits and displays that show how different symmetrical shapes can all fit together in interesting designs. You’re even able to try your hand at creating a tile mosaic using symmetrical shapes.

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One pièce de résistance is the Pi room. Near the upper wall of the dome-shaped room is 3.14. Wrapping around the room multiple times are the subsequent 105 numbers that occur after .14. It was pretty cool to see, and it wouldn’t surprise me if my son decided to spend hours in that room to memorize each number in Pi that was listed.

Spend some time in these areas of the museum, as it will allow your kids to experience just how cool math can be. After all, “That’s math.” 😉

Mechanical Sciences

The most interactive area of the museum was around the rotunda on the second floor. About every 20 feet there was a new thing to try. We tried out Newton’s Cradle, a weighted car, and an exercise bike that shows how many calories you can burn through exercise. My wife rode as hard and fast as she could to test it out, but it was a little too much in a short period of time. So take it easy.

There were two other experiments using marbles. Race three marbles down three different tracks to see which one finishes first. But the one I enjoyed trying out most was to roll a marble down a short a ramp onto a spinning disc. How many times can you get the marble to make a complete circle before it’s flung off the disc?

Lights & Optics

Invisible light isn’t as invisible as you would’ve thought. You just need the right tool to see it. It was interesting to see things through a whole new light. Literally.

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Another area of the museum had some optical illusions. There was a face of Einstein that kept looking at us as it rotated in its box. Another optical illusion made it look as if my wife and I were the same height standing next to some windows for a photo op.

One room had various lenses in it. You can see how light is refracted or reflected. We found it funny to look through one of the large lenses. It reminded me of a mirror at a Fun House.

Geosciences: Earthquakes & Volcanoes

The museum wouldn’t be complete without something centered on earth science. I always enjoy seeing a stretched slinky and the rhythm a simple bounce in it can sway from end to end. It takes me back to my eight-grade science class with S-Waves and P-Waves of an earthquake.

There are some interactive screens you can navigate through to learn more about tectonic plates, magma and volcanoes. You can also learn about some of the larger earthquakes in France, and other parts of the world.

Special Exhibits

While there are countless permanent exhibits in this science museum in Paris, they often host special exhibits. When we were there, we learned about poisonous animals and plants.

The current exhibit at the museum is On Love – at least until August 2020.

The Details

Address:  Avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 75008 Paris

Hours of Operation:  The museum is closed on Mondays (like many other spots in France), so plan accordingly. Tuesday through Saturday, it’s open 9:30-6 p.m. On Sundays and public holidays, the museum is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Costs: The full rate is roughly $10. Those under 25, plus students and those over 65 have a reduced rate of roughly $8. Access to the museum is included in the Paris Pass.

Website: http://www.palais-decouverte.fr/en/home/

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