10 Best Family Things to Do in Paris

This huge theme park 32 km north of Paris combines Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park in a 19 sq km complex. Disneyland Paris is divided into themed areas, including Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, Toon Studio and more. Each of them is home to exciting rides and rollercoasters. The most popular attractions of the park include Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, Big Thunder Mountain and Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, just to name a few. Accommodation, restaurants and shops are at hand throughout the park.

The Parc de la Villette, 5km northeast of Paris centre, is home to a broad range of attractions for the whole family. The 2 main places of interest in the park are the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie (City of Science and Industry) and the Géode (IMAX theatre). Entering the park is free and, on warm days, you’ll find it to be a splendid place for a stroll or some fun in the large children’s playground named the Dragon’s Garden. Many cultural attractions, such as an open-air cinema and live music venues, can also be found here.

Head 35 km north of downtown Paris to the Parc Astérix to discover the universe of an iconic French comic book’s character. You’ll travel back to Iron Age Gaul in a theme park which hosts around 40 attractions, including 6 rollercoasters and 4 water rides. Magic shows, gladiator fights and a farm housing ancient breeds of animals add to the fun atmosphere. There are also 4 hotels and 6 restaurants, so you can make a day (or more) of your visit.

The National Museum of Natural History is an interesting and educational destination for families. Established in 1793 right next to the Botanical Garden, the museum spans 3 storeys. It’s home to various collections that showcase dinosaur skeletons, plants, insects, and more. The décor and atmosphere of the place gives it a Night at the Museum feel. The nearby garden is also a very pleasant place to stroll and it hosts a small zoo. A restaurant with outdoor terrace under a pergola sits right next to the museum.

Take your children to this giant indoor playground filled with a wide variety of Playmobil toys and many thematic play areas. This park sits in a large shopping complex 12 km south of Paris centre. The entrance fee is a bargain – only about €3 – and the venue has a cool café and restaurant as well as a small shop where you can, obviously, purchase Playmobil toys. Get there early on week days and avoid weekends as Playmobil FunPark is very popular and can get crowded.

Still commonly called the Vincennes Zoo, the Parc Zoologique de Paris is located 6 km southeast of the city centre. It’s easily reachable by a short metro ride. The zoo covers an area of 14.5 hectares and hosts a 4,000 sq m greenhouse sheltering a tropical rainforest climate. Clean and easy to navigate, you can see straight away that the animals are very well cared for. You can see many of the usual suspects – lions, giraffes and monkeys, just to name a few – but also rarer species such as the manatee and the leafcutter ant. A restaurant and a gift boutique are available.

The Jardin d’Acclimatation is a cool amusement park 7 km west of downtown Paris. Originally founded in 1860, it’s arguably a little old fashioned, but the 40 attractions and rides are still a lot of fun. They include a small farm, pony rides, mini-rollercoasters, a house of mirrors and 2 museums (science and art for children). There’s a mini train you can use to ride around the 19-hectare park and the 5 restaurants and 6 gourmet stands mean you can comfortably stick around all day.

La Tête dans les Nuages (literally, ‘the head in the clouds’) is a 1,500-square-metre gaming centre located in the centre of Paris. Gamers and adrenalin addicts can enjoy the many arcade games at hand, but there are also more physical games, including table football, mini bowling, and pool. The central location of the gaming centre gives access to many dining options.

The Palais de la Découverte (The Discovery Palace) occupies 25,000 sq m of the splendid Grand Palais in the centre of Paris. This science museum shows you more about topics such as astronomy, biology, and chemistry, among others, through well-thought-out permanent exhibits and interactive experiments. The museum also features a planetarium in a 15-metre dome. It’s a great edutainment centre, the only downside being that the live-action exhibits are only in French.

The Parc des Buttes-Chaumont sits in an elevated position that offers beautiful views of Paris. Covering about 25 hectares, it’s home to a wide variety of plants and trees, as well as beautiful manmade structures that date back to the 19th century. An artificial lake and a large grotto with a waterfall add to the charm of the park. Besides the many hide-and-seek possibilities the park offers, children will appreciate the puppet theatre, and fairground games available. You’ll also find 3 dining options right in the park.