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Paris’ 10 Best Family Attractions

Paris’ 10 Best Family Attractions

Everyone knows that Paris is a great destination for romantic getaways, gourmet food, and art. But what about family vacations? There are lots of family-friendly attractions in Paris, and it’s impossible to list them all here. However, here are 10 of the best.

Disneyland Paris

Attraction Name: Disneyland Park

Location: Boulevard de Parc, 77700

Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 10 am – 9 pm, Saturday 9 am – 10 pm, Sunday 9 am – 9 pm

Public transport: Line A of the RER (Regional Express Network) terminates at Marne-la-Vallee Station. The park gates are just outside the station.

Pricing: Day tickets start at $67.73 but are higher for certain days. Refer to the Disneyland Park website.

Bookings: Tickets are cheaper if you book in advance online.

Kids activities: The whole park is mainly aimed at entertaining kids…though many of the visitors are senior “kids”.

Why I like it: This is one of the most popular attractions in Europe, and it’s designed to appeal to the whole family. Kids love Disney princesses. Lately, the Disney Franchise has broadened to appeal to an even larger fan base. Disneyland is where you can go to visit Sleeping Beauty’s Castle or go on amazing rides like Big Thunder Mountain.

The Palace of Versailles

Attraction Name: The Palace of Versailles

Location: Place d’Armes, 78000 Versailles

Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 9 am – 5:30 pm. Closed on Mondays

Public transport: Line C5 of the RER (Regional Express Network) stops at Gare de Versailles Chăteau Rive Gauche Station. The palace is within 5-minutes walking distance.

Pricing: Adults €20, Children under 18 free, EU citizens under 26 free.

Bookings: You can save time by booking in advance online.

Kids activities: Your kids will adore the Hammeau de la Reine, which is a make-believe village built for Marie-Antoinette so that she could play at being a peasant.

Why I like it: You should visit at least one royal palace in your life to see how kings and queens once lived. And if you’re only planning to see one, make it this one. Versailles was the palace of the famous Sun King of France who ruled this nation at the peak of its golden age. The sumptuous palace interior is stunning, and the gardens are breathtaking.

Musée des Art et Métiers (Museum of Inventions)

Attraction Name: Musée des Art et Métiers (Museum of Inventions)

Location: 60 Rue Réaumur, 75003

Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 6 pm. Opens until 9:30 pm on Thursdays. Closed on Mondays.

Public transport: Arts et Métiers Metro Station

Pricing: Adults €8, Students and Kids €5:50.

Bookings: Bookings aren’t necessary for family groups.

Kids activities: If you want to inspire your kids to follow their dreams, this is a great place. The displays show where the ideas and inspiration came from for many of the most important inventions in world history.

Why I like it: Collections like this are awe-inspiring. They show us what we can achieve through dedication and refusing to give up on our dreams. The Théâtre des Automates is an especially interesting exhibit because these automatons once belonged to Marie Antoinette.

Musée Grevin

Attraction Name: Musée Grevin

Location: 10 Boulevard Montmartre, 75009

Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 10 am – 5 pm, Saturday & Sunday 9:30 am – 6 pm

Public transport: Grands Boulevards or Richelieu Drouot Metro Stations.

Pricing: Adults €20, Children €16.20. Cheaper family tickets are available.

Bookings: If you book 5 days in advance from the Musée Grevin website, you get discounts.

Kids activities: Your kids can meet their idols—historic figures, singers, media stars, and sports celebrities.

Why I like it: This is a great opportunity to get your photo taken next to Charles de Gaul, Donald Trump, and the Pope. The wax models are eerily realistic, and you can probably prank your friends into thinking you really met Angelina Jolie during your Paris vacation.

Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie

Attraction Name: Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie

Location: 30 Avenue Corentin Cariou, 75019

Opening Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 6 pm, Sunday 10 am – 7 pm. Closed on Mondays.

Public transport: Line 7 to the Porte de la Villette Metro Station

Pricing: Adult price €12, Concessions €9

Bookings: You can book online or telephone +33 (0)1 41 57 32 12 or +33 (0)1 41 57 32 28

Kids activities: The museum has a dedicated kids area called Cites des Enfants where children learn scientific principles through play.

Why I like it: This is the largest science museum in Europe and will delight anyone with an interest in science and exploration. There are lots of hands-on, fun interactive exhibits that appeal to a broad range of visitors. Check out the fantastic submarine exhibit and the planetarium.     

Musée de l’Armée

Attraction Name: Musée de l’Armée

Location: 129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007

Opening Hours: Every day 10 am – 5 pm

Public transport: The two closest Metro stations are La Tour Maubourg and Varenne. But the museum is surrounded by Metro stations, so École Militaire and Saint François Xavier are also close.

Pricing: Adults €12, Concessions €10.

Bookings: You can save time by booking tickets online using the Musée de l’Armée website.

Kids activities: If your kids are like mine, they’ll be fascinated by the collection of antique weapons in this wonderful army museum.

Why I like it: This museum is housed inside the famous Hôtel des Invalides. It’s where you’ll find Napoleon’s tomb and an incredible collection of military memorabilia from France’s long history. For a brief period of time, France was the most powerful nation on Earth. Here’s where you find out why.

Pompidou Centre

Attraction Name: Pompidou Centre

Location: Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004

Opening Hours: Wednesday – Monday 11 am – 9 pm, Tuesdays closed, open until 11 pm Thursdays.

Public transport: Rambuteau Metro Station, Line 11

Pricing: €5

Bookings: You can book online on the Pompidou Centre website.

Kids activities: The permanent collection of Chagall’s art is particularly popular with kids. He illustrated children’s books. There is also an interactive Galarie des Enfants aimed at children and a junior cinema.

Why I like it: This quirky structure is possibly the weirdest building you’ll ever visit. You’ll see its innards—escalators, pipes, and ducts—on the exterior of the building as if it was turned inside out. Inside is Europe’s largest museum of modern art. And the upper floors provide a wonderful panoramic view of Paris.

Les Catacombes

Attraction Name: Les Catacombes

Location: 1 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014

Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10 am – 8:30 pm, Mondays closed.

Public transport: Denfert Rochereau Metro Station.

Pricing: Adults €29, Children €5.

Bookings: Book using the Paris Catacombs website

Kids activities: Kids love creepy sewers and crypts, and the vast catacombs below Paris are the most impressive in the world.

Why I like it: Paris is the scene of much tragedy, from plague victims to the thousands executed by Madame Guillotine. The Paris Catacombs contain the skeletons of 6 million Parisians. Adjacent to the catacombs are the sewers laid out in the 1850s and since featured in films, like Ratatouille and Les Misérables.

Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle

Attraction Name: Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle

Location: 57, Rue Cuvier, 75005

Opening Hours: Wednesday – Monday 10 am – 6:00 pm. Closed on Tuesdays

Public transport: Quai de la Rapée and Gare d’Austerlitz are the two closest Metro stations.

Pricing: Adults €9, Concessions €7.

Bookings: Tickets can be purchased at the door or online.

Kids activities: While there is a special gallery aimed at children, I think that many kids will be really fascinated by the Gallery of Evolution.

Why I like it: This is a fantastic place to come and learn about the vast variety of life across our planet and its evolution. The museum actually incorporates various different kinds of exhibits, from a small public zoo to a large collection of skeletons.

Eiffel Tower

Attraction Name: Eiffel Tower

Location: Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole, 75007 — it’s kinda difficult to miss! 

Opening Hours: 9 am – 12:45 pm every day.

Public transport: Gare du Champ de Mars Metro Station

Pricing: There are different rates depending on how high you want to go and how you want to get there. But, to go to the top in two lifts: Adults €25.50, Young Adult (12 – 24) €12.70, Disabled or Aged 4 – 11 €6.40.

Bookings: It is strongly recommended that you buy your tickets well in advance online to minimize queuing. This is especially necessary during July and August. Just visit the Eiffel Tower website for the best prices.

Why I like it: The Eiffel Tower is iconic. You can’t come to Paris and not climb the Eiffel Tower. At the very least, you need to have your photograph taken in the Place du Trocadero with the Eiffel Tower as your background. However, note that the best places to take photos are always crowded, which spoils your image. If you want to take the best photos, go there at sunrise for fewer tourists and great photography conditions.  

Map of Paris’ 10 Best Family Attractions

Below is a map showing the location of Paris’ 10 Best Family Attractions. Click on each marker to see the name of the attraction, a link to each attractions website and a link for directions to the attraction.

Author: Robert Baker

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