Paris Buttes Chaumont (19ème)

Explora Science Museum. Dedicated to making science youth-friendly, the Explora Science Museum is La Villette’s star attraction, located in the complex’s Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie (see Sights). The museum’s intriguing exhibits rock just as much as the buildings’ futuristic architecture. Kids will love them, and even adult visitors may find themselves unexpectedly enthralled. The museum hosts 11 permanent and 4 temporary exhibits, ranging from astronomy and mathematics to computer science and sound. Explora also features a planetarium (level 2), the Cinéma Louis Lumière (level 0) with 3D movies, a modest aquarium (level -2), and Médiathèque, a multimedia scientific and technical library with over 3500 films. The museum’s Cité des Enfants offers one set of programs for kids ages 2-7 and another for ages 5-12. Most programs are in French, but the interactive exhibits are just as fun for English-speaking explorers. The vestiaire on the ground floor lends strollers and wheelchairs for free with purchase of a museum ticket. (30 av. Corentin-Cariou, 19ème. Porte de la Villette. ☎01 40 05 80 00; www.cite-sciences.fr. Museum open Tu-Sa 10am-6pm, Su 10am-7pm. Last entry 30min. before closing. €8, under 25 or families of 5 or more €6, under 7 free. Planetarium supplement €3, under 7 free. Médiathèque open Tu-Su noon-6:45pm. Free. Aquarium entry free. 1 ½ hr. Cité des Enfants programs Tu-Su 10:30am, 12:30, 2:30, and 4:30pm. €6.)

Musée De La Musique. Spanning three-centuries of music, this museum enables you to hear history in action. Its over 900-piece collection includes antique instruments, sculptures, and paintings from around the world. Completely renovated in 2007, the stimulating audio complex comprises only part of the Cité de la Musique (see Sights). Don headsets tuning into classical excerpts and forget the surrounding honking grind of working-class Paris. (221 avenue Jean-Jaurès, 19ème. Porte de la Villette. ☎01 40 05 80 00; www.cite-musique.fr. Open Tu-Sa 10am-6pm, Su 10am-7pm. Permanent collections €7, under 18 free.)