Les étincelles du Palais de la découverte

Palais de la découverte

CLOSED FOR RENOVATION - Set just off the Champs-Elysées, the Palais de la Découverte is a fascinating place for all the family to mix learning about science with fun.

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Description

Who said science had to be serious? Certainly not the astronomers, mathematicians and physicists at the Palais de la Découverte, founded in 1937 and close to the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais and the Arc de Triomphe just a short walk away. They had but one credo: to encourage learning in a way that was fun and accessible to all.

Learning through Interaction

The Palais de la Découverte offers a variety of open-access areas for hands-on exploring as well as organised workshops for scientific experiments. Here, children and adults are allowed to touch, participate, and experiment – just like real scientists! In the Life Sciences section, for example, there are areas that explore different modes of communication between animals, as well as the magic of human biology.

Learn how to do coding in the digital and information technology area, or how to read terrestrial and meteorological phenomena in the geosciences room. Or why not try out being a chemist or a perfumer in the astonishing chemistry lab?

You can finally make your peace with maths, thanks to workshops on symmetry and fractal geometry, while the electromagnetic space in the physics rooms will make your hair stand on end, literally! And, if you think it’s impossible to watch the stars in the middle of the day, just take a turn around the planetarium, the oldest in France.

Temporary exhibitions offer the chance to gain a deeper understanding of specific scientific subjects within the museum’s domain.

Keep making learning fun with the exhibitions in Paris Region.

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Community facilities

Access and contact

Avenue Franklin-D.-Roosevelt
75008 Paris 8ème

Metro Champs-Élysées, lines 1 and 13 Bus 28, 42, 52, 63, 72, 73, 80, 83, 93 RER C Invalides

Days and opening hours

Warning, this place is temporarily closed

Prices

  • Adult: 9 € Teenager (24 years): 7 € (For less than 25 years old) Child: 7 € Student: 7 € Large family: 7 €.
    Free entry for children < 6 years, teachers. Group rate available for > 20 people.
    Tickets give acces to all showrooms and exhibits.
    Happy Hours :€ 3 for studients from 15:00, from Tuedsay to Friday excluding public hoidays (all zones), with proof
    Extra charge for planetarium : €3 Extra charge for some activities : €3.

Facility

  • Restaurant

Activities

  • Children&#039;s entertainment

Tour

Spoken languages

  • English
  • French

Guided tour languages

  • English
  • French
  • French sign language

Documentation languages (home)

  • English
  • French

Bulletin board languages

  • English
  • French
  • French sign language

Single mean time tour

120 mins

Single services tour

  • Unguided individual tours available permanently
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Accessibility

See on accessible.net

Access

Pratical informations

Extérieur
  • access to the establishment: graspable outside call button
  • floor-level pathways
  • pathways that change levels are offset by a sloping surface
Parking
  • reserved and adapted parking space located close to the entrance of the site
  • parking spaces laid out and connected to the road or building by an accessible pathway
Accueil
  • reception desk easily identifiable and accessible
  • free admission for one accompanying person
  • free admission on presentation of proof of entitlement
  • the accessible entrance is the main entrance
  • the accessible entrance is the secondary entrance (indicated)
  • staff informed or trained
  • specific tariff policy
  • revolving entrance door
  • automatic entrance door
  • manual entrance door
Information
  • accessible information plates
  • all documentation graspable
  • performance room with a reserved space
Vestiaire
  • accessible cloakroom
Équipements
  • multimedia content access system
  • spaces equipped with reserved spaces and adapted to people in wheelchairs
  • floor-level establishment
  • wheelchair loan
  • seated area available
  • seated areas available (several spread out across the entire site)
Sanitaires
  • présence d’un lave main dans les sanitaires adaptés
  • accessible communal toilets
  • toilets: transfer direction onto the toilet seat to the right
  • toilets: transfer direction onto the toilet seat to the left
Escalier
  • Communal staircase adapted for secure movement
Ascenseur
  • adapted elevator
  • elevator
Accueil
  • acceo: instant speech transcription and visio-interpretation in French sign language (LSF)
  • reception/information desk equipped with a hearing assistance system with a magnetic loop
  • reservation/contact via SMS and/or email
  • reservation possible by webcam
Information
  • staff trained in French sign language (LSF)
Signalétique
  • uniform signage to help people find their way around
  • text/image signage
Équipements
  • performance or tour assistance aids
  • visual alarm with flashing light in isolated spaces
  • intercom equipped with a hearing assistance system with a magnetic loop
  • audiovisuals are in French sign language (LSF)
  • subtitled audiovisuals
Visite
  • independent visit possible
  • guided tour in French sign language (LSF)
  • guided tour in international sign language (ISL)
  • guided tours with lip reading
  • guided tours with an amplifying device
  • guided tours with a magnetic loop device
Extérieur
  • exterior pathways identifiable by touch
  • exterior pathways visually identifiable
  • exterior lighting control system in communal areas
Accueil
  • interior pathways identifiable by touch
  • interior pathways visually identifiable
Équipements
  • Braille documentation
  • documentation in enlarged characters
  • swell paper documentation
  • floor-level establishment
  • offset or no obstacles at face height
  • navigation assistance tool (e.g. map/model - in relief/large characters/contrasting colours)
  • possibility to control the lighting
  • magnifying glass loan
  • glass surfaces identifiable via contrasted elements in relation to the immediate surroundings
  • audiodescription system
Ascenseur
  • elevator with audio announcements for each floor
  • elevator with identifiable call buttons
Visite
  • Legible information plates
  • specific accessible information plates
  • tactile tour
Extérieur
  • the dangers identified have been addressed
Information
  • brochures/documentations classified by topic
  • simplified adapted documentation (illustration through images, photos, drawings)
Signalétique
  • adapted signage
Visite
  • adapted activities
  • educational workshops
  • adapted room cards
  • specific tours
Extérieur
  • floor-level pathways
Accueil
  • adapted opening hours (morning performances)
  • children's programme
  • childcare service
  • family tariffs/free admission for children
Information
  • secure and closed establishment
Vestiaire
  • large lockers or left luggage lockers for pushchairs
  • possibility to leave pushchairs at the cloakroom
Équipements
  • floor-level establishment
  • baby carrier loan
  • pushchair loan
Sanitaires
  • toilet facilities suitable for children (toilet seat and washbasin height)
  • changing table
Visite
  • children's visit booklets/games
  • pushchairs accepted for the tour
Extérieur
  • floor-level pathways
  • Pathways that change levels are offset by a sloping surface
Accueil
  • pets accepted on site and during guided tours
  • reception desk easily identifiable and accessible
  • reception/information desk equipped with a sound amplification system
  • free admission for persons aged over 60
Information
  • Offer adapted to seniors
Vestiaire
  • cloakroom
Équipements
  • documentation in enlarged characters
  • floor-level establishment
  • wheelchair loan
  • magnifying glass loan
  • cane wheelchair loan
  • seated areas available (several spread out across the entire site)
Sanitaires
  • horizontal support rail
  • diagonal support rail to enable the seated person to raise themselves up easily
Escalier
  • communal staircase adapted for secure movement
Ascenseur
  • stairs compensated for by a lift or an elevator
Visite
  • Legible information plates
  • Specific accessible information plates (large characters)

Avenue Franklin-D.-Roosevelt
75008 Paris 8ème

  • Copyright image:
  • ElsaLaurent-2021