The Cité des sciences et de l’industrie is Paris’s big science museum, in the Parc de la Villette (19th arrondissement), at the Porte de la Villette metro station. It opens Tuesday to Sunday; the Exhibitions ticket costs €15 (€12 for ages 6 to 25) and includes the Planetarium. Children have their own areas: the Cité des enfants (ages 2-6 and 5-10) and the Cité des bébés (babies). This page details hours, prices, show times and access, and shows, with Météo-France figures, why it is one of the safest fallback outings when it rains in Paris. In fine weather, another family outing awaits in the Bois de Boulogne: the Jardin d’Acclimatation and its rides.
To plan the rest of your stay, see our guide to visiting Paris. For family outings, the Cité combines with the Aquarium de Paris, the Jardin des Plantes or the Centre Pompidou.
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Cité des sciences: key facts
- Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 9:15 am – 6 pm, Sunday 9:15 am – 7 pm; closed Monday, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. All Saints’ school vacations 2026: open 9:15 am to 7 pm from 19 October to 1 November, Mondays included — checked on 23 October 2026 on cite-sciences.fr
- Price: Exhibitions ticket €15 (Planetarium included); Cité des enfants €15; Cité des enfants + Exhibitions combo €19; free under 2 — checked on 23 October 2026 on cite-sciences.fr
- Booking: online « strongly recommended »; timed tickets, entry every 30 minutes
- Tickets: neither refunded nor exchangeable
- Address: 30 avenue Corentin-Cariou, 75019 Paris; metro line 7 and tram T3b, Porte de la Villette
Cité des sciences tickets and prices
| Ticket | Full price | Reduced rates |
|---|---|---|
| Exhibitions (permanent and temporary + Planetarium) | €15 | €12 (ages 6-25, education professionals, large families, sustainable mobility); €4 (ages 2-5) |
| Cité des enfants (ages 2-6 or 5-10), 1½-hour session | €15 | €12 (ages 2-25, education, large families, sustainable mobility) |
| Cité des enfants + Exhibitions combo | €19 | €16 (sustainable mobility); €14 (ages 2-5) |
| Cité des bébés (0-23 months) | Free for the baby | €4.50 for the first adult, €2 for the second |
| Géode, documentary film (operated by Pathé) | €15 | €12 up to and including age 25 |
| Géode + Exhibitions or Cité des enfants combo (online) | €26 | from €12 to €24 depending on profile |
Official free admissions, with proof: children under 2, jobseekers and recipients of French social minimum benefits (RSA, ASPA, ASS, etc.), refugees and asylum seekers, people with disabilities and their companion, subscribers, and Paris Museum Pass holders (exhibitions, Planetarium and the Argonaute submarine, subject to availability, by collecting a counterfoil at the desk). The « sustainable mobility » rate is granted on presentation of the cloakroom ticket proving you have left a bicycle or scooter helmet. Buy from the Cité’s official ticket office; a ticket resold elsewhere does not always include the Cité des enfants.
Our calculation: for an adult accompanying a child aged 5 to 10 to both areas, the €19 combo saves €11 per person compared with two separate €15 tickets (€30). For a child aged 6 or over, two reduced €12 tickets come to €24, against €19 for the combo. Destination de Voyage calculation based on the official prices.
Opening hours of the areas and show times
The building opens at 9:15 am, but each area has its own hours:
| Area | Hours |
|---|---|
| Exhibitions | Tuesday-Saturday 10 am – 6 pm; Sunday 10 am – 7 pm |
| Cité des enfants ages 2-6 | 1½-hour sessions: 9:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm (Tuesday-Friday); 9:30 am, 11:15 am, 1 pm, 2:45 pm, 4:30 pm (weekends, school vacations, public holidays) |
| Cité des enfants ages 5-10 | 1½-hour sessions: 9:45 am, 11:45 am, 1:45 pm, 3:45 pm (Tuesday-Friday); 9:45 am, 11:30 am, 1:15 pm, 3 pm, 4:45 pm (weekends, school vacations, public holidays) |
| Cité des bébés (0-23 months) | Tuesday-Sunday 9:30 am – 12 noon (by reservation) and 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm (no reservation) |
| Argonaute submarine | Every 15 minutes by reservation; closed in January and September |
| Planetarium | Shows according to the program; arrive 10 to 15 minutes early |
| La Géode | Tuesday-Sunday 9:30 am – 10 pm; Monday 1 pm – 10 pm |
What to see at the Cité des sciences
- The permanent exhibitions: Space Mission, Climate Emergency, Bio-inspired, Robots, Brain, The Great Story of the Universe, Mathematics, Sounds, Under the Ocean, the Argonaute submarine, the aquarium, among others. They are offered in French, English and Spanish, with free mobile audioguides for some.
- The temporary exhibitions (October 2026): « Magie » (Magic, ages 9 and up, until 18 July 2027), « Esprit critique » (Critical Thinking, ages 10 and up, until 29 August 2027), « Frontière » (Border, ages 12 and up, until 7 November 2027), « Chiens et chats » (Dogs and Cats, ages 6 and up, until 7 March 2027).
- The Planetarium: 266 seats, 8K laser projection; included in the Exhibitions ticket. Not allowed under 2, recommended from age 3. During the All Saints’ vacations 2026, only the 10:30 am show is bookable; the others are without reservation, subject to available seats.
- The Cité des enfants: two worlds, ages 2-6 (renovated and reopened) and 5-10 (Dessus dessous or Upside Down, Jeux d’eau or Water Games, Fête foraine or Fairground, Atelier débrouille or Makers’ Workshop, Maison bizarre or Odd House).
- La Géode: a sphere 36 m (118 ft) in diameter inaugurated in 1985, 286 seats, a hemispherical screen of 27 m (89 ft); documentaries during the day (minimum age 3).
The « plan B » outing when it rains in Paris
The Cité is fully covered: it is a safe bet on rainy days. To measure the risk, we converted the Météo-France normals for Paris-Montsouris into the probability of hitting a rainy day during a stay:
| Month | Rainy days ≥ 1 mm | Share of rainy days | Rainy days over 7 days | Days ≥ 5 mm | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9.9 | 32% | 2.2 | 3.3 | 7.6 °C (46 °F) |
| February | 9.1 | 32% | 2.3 | 2.7 | 8.8 °C (48 °F) |
| March | 9.5 | 31% | 2.1 | 3.1 | 12.8 °C (55 °F) |
| April | 8.6 | 29% | 2.0 | 3.0 | 16.6 °C (62 °F) |
| May | 9.2 | 30% | 2.1 | 4.2 | 20.2 °C (68 °F) |
| June | 8.3 | 28% | 1.9 | 3.5 | 23.4 °C (74 °F) |
| July | 7.4 | 24% | 1.7 | 3.5 | 25.7 °C (78 °F) |
| August | 8.1 | 26% | 1.8 | 3.6 | 25.6 °C (78 °F) |
| September | 7.5 | 25% | 1.8 | 3.2 | 21.5 °C (71 °F) |
| October | 9.5 | 31% | 2.1 | 3.6 | 16.5 °C (62 °F) |
| November | 10.4 | 35% | 2.4 | 3.9 | 11.1 °C (52 °F) |
| December | 11.4 | 37% | 2.6 | 4.6 | 8.0 °C (46 °F) |
How to read it: even in the driest month (July), it rains on average one day in four in Paris; in December, more than one day in three. Over a week’s vacation in November or December, expect 2 to 3 rainy days on average. So keep a flexible date for the Cité, but still book: tickets are timed and non-exchangeable.
Getting to the Cité des sciences
- Metro: line 7, Porte de la Villette station.
- Bus: lines 71, 139, 150 and 152, Porte de la Villette stop.
- Tram: T3b, Porte de la Villette station; from the tram platform and the bus stops, a ramp (slope under 4%) leads to the Cité.
- Car: northern Périphérique, Porte de la Villette exit; paid parking, entrances on quai de la Charente and boulevard Macdonald.
- Bicycle: bike parking and a repair station on the forecourt; Vélib’ station no. 19009 at 28 bis avenue Corentin-Cariou.
Accessibility
Most of the offer is wheelchair accessible, except for the Argonaute submarine, which is too cramped and reached by stairs. The Planetarium has 7 spaces for people with reduced mobility. Wheelchairs (child and adult) and strollers can be borrowed at the level 0 cloakroom against ID. Entry is free for people with disabilities and their companion, with proof. Accessibility contact: info.handicap(at)universcience.fr.
Common mistakes
- Coming on a Monday outside school vacations: the Cité is closed.
- Arriving late on a timed ticket: entry is only possible if capacity allows.
- Coming with a big suitcase: items and luggage larger than 50 × 30 × 20 cm (20 × 12 × 8 in) and electric batteries are refused.
- Taking a baby under 2 to the Planetarium: entry is prohibited.
- Aiming for the Argonaute in January or September: it is closed.
- Buying a ticket for the wrong date: tickets are neither refunded nor exchangeable.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Cité des sciences cost?
The Exhibitions ticket costs €15 (€12 for ages 6 to 25, €4 for ages 2 to 5, free under 2) and includes the Planetarium. The Cité des enfants costs €15, or €19 as a combo with the Exhibitions.
What are the Cité des sciences opening hours?
Tuesday to Saturday from 9:15 am to 6 pm, Sunday from 9:15 am to 7 pm; closed on Monday (except exceptional openings during some school vacations), 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
Is the Planetarium included?
Yes, in the Exhibitions ticket; booking your show is advised, except during the All Saints’ and Christmas vacations, when access is mostly without reservation.
What age is the Cité des enfants for?
Two areas: ages 2-6 and 5-10, in 1½-hour sessions. The Cité des bébés welcomes children up to 23 months.
How do you get to the Cité des sciences?
Metro line 7 or tram T3b, Porte de la Villette station, or buses 71, 139, 150 and 152.
Is the Paris Museum Pass accepted?
Yes, for the exhibitions, the Planetarium and the Argonaute, subject to availability, with a counterfoil to collect at the desk.
Our sources
- Cité des sciences et de l’industrie (cite-sciences.fr): hours, prices, access, plan your visit, FAQ, Planetarium, Géode, Cité des enfants, permanent and temporary exhibitions, reduced mobility, consulted on 23 October 2026
- Météo-France, Paris-Montsouris climate sheet (75114001, 75 m or 246 ft), 1991-2020 statistics
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026. Prices and hours may change: check the official website before you go.