The Cité des sciences et de l'industrie is the big science museum in Parc de la Villette, in the northeast of Paris. It is not the Paris of small galleries and 19th-century interiors; it is large, modern, hands-on, and built for families, curious adults, school groups, and anyone who wants a break from art museums.
Exhibits cover space, energy, mathematics, biology, sound, transport, and changing scientific themes, with a planetarium and children's areas adding to the draw. It works especially well on a wet day or with kids who have reached their limit on churches and paintings.