You’re fascinated by the oceans, artificial intelligence, cave exploration, space, and living systems... Good news: the CNRS invites you to take part in experiments and unusual tours that are free at its research centers, for the Science Festival, which runs from October 2 to 12, 2026.
For the Fête de la Science, the CNRS is innovating by opening its doors to a handful of lucky visitors, invited to discover unique and exceptional experiments alongside professional researchers. All fields of science are available: medicine, laser physics , computer science , engineering, laboratories... The choice is yours, depending on the program.
To apply, simply select the tour of your choice and answer three questions correctly. Winners are then selected at random from among those who answered each question correctly, to form groups of no more than ten people. Try your luck now: registration is only open for a few weeks prior to the event.
It's a new and exciting way to dive into the vast world of science!
CNRS tours
CNRS's Offbeat Tours — 2026 Edition
CNRS’s Unusual Visits lean into wonder, offbeat moments, and the one-of-a-kind to deliver privileged encounters with scientists.
Created in 2020, they each year offer unique experiences in small groups, at the heart of research. Inaccessible sites, atypical experiments, and singular meetings are on the agenda across the country for the lucky few drawn by lot.
Participation requirements:
• Conditions: Booking is required
Hours: Friday, October 2 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Saturday, October 3 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Sunday, October 4 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Monday, October 5 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Tuesday, October 6 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Wednesday, October 7 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Thursday, October 8 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Friday, October 9 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Saturday, October 10 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Sunday, October 11 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Monday, October 12 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Tuesday, October 13 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Wednesday, October 14 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Thursday, October 15 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Friday, October 16 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Saturday, October 17 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Sunday, October 18 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Monday, October 19 — 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Fête de la Science at the Institut Cochin
Getting to know your own cells through histology
Step into the shoes of a histologist for a day and meet your own cells. You’ll carry out a staining technique yourself to highlight them and then observe your cheek cells under the microscope! You’ll tour the lab, handle our equipment, and we’ll be glad to chat, discuss, and answer all your questions.
On-site registration from 1:30 p.m.,
Sessions at 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 8 people per session.
Participation requirements :
• Target audiences : 6–11 years, 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25+ years
• Conditions : Free admission
Hours: Saturday, October 10 — 1:30 PM to 6:00 PM
A tour of the equipment in our laboratories
Come explore and handle the small equipment in our laboratories and try to guess the price of our very large scientific instruments. Children aged 7 and up can step into the shoes of researchers by carrying out short, fun experiments, and earn their "scientist" diploma.
Free admission starting at 2:00 p.m., closing at 6:00 p.m.
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 6–11, 11–15, 15–18, 18–25, 25 and up
• Conditions: Free admission
Hours: Saturday, October 10 — 1:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
A closer look at reproduction: gametes present from birth
Gametes are the eggs (or oocytes) in females and the sperm cells in males. We study them to better understand the roots of infertility, but also to develop new forms of contraception. During this workshop, you’ll also discover how the placenta—the transient organ that was your roommate in utero for nine months—functions. Finally, we’ll cover the cellular and molecular biology techniques that enable us to study reproduction.
On-site registration opens at 1:30 p.m., sessions at 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m.: 12 people per session.
Participation requirements :
• Target audiences : 6 - 11 years, 11 - 15 years, 15 - 18 years, 18 - 25 years, 25 years and up
• Conditions : Free admission
Schedule: Saturday, October 10 — 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Will you manage to stop the outbreak in time? (Escape game)
A mysterious disease is threatening the population! Samples sent to the Cochin Institute have vanished… You’re in charge of the investigation: examine clues, identify the pathogen, and pinpoint a treatment to save lives. Become the heroes of this gripping scientific adventure!
On-site reservations begin at 1:30 PM
2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 5 people per session
Participation conditions:
• Eligible audiences: 6–11 years, 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25 years and up
• Conditions: Free admission
Hours: Saturday, October 10 – 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Painting with bacteria
Discover how pigments, properties, and the compositional differences of bacteria have been harnessed for their identification—from their discovery to today. After a brief talk, you can observe different types of bacteria under the microscope, then let your creativity run wild in an “agar art” workshop using various bacteria which, after a night of culture, will reveal your talent (a photo will be sent to you).
On-site registration from 1:30 p.m.: sessions at 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m., 8 people per session.
Participation conditions:
• Target audiences: 6–11 years, 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25 years and older
• Admission: Free
Hours: Saturday, October 10 — 1:30 PM to 6:00 PM
How much energy does it take to create an embryo?
Come meet the team "Quantitative Biology of the Cell and the Embryo" to learn how to compare the energy contained in a grain of rice, a frog embryo, and a tumor. How does available energy regulate living systems? To answer these questions, we are developing methods to measure energy in small animals, such as frog tadpoles.
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 11–15, 15–18, 18–25, 25 years and over
• Conditions: Free admission
Hours: Saturday, October 10 — 1:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Seeing and reading DNA is now possible
Step into our laboratory to explore DNA, learn how to read the information encoded in this molecule (the genetic code), and even extract it from banana cells. There will also be a Q&A session about the HIV virus we’re researching.
Workshop for the whole family, but hands-on activity begins at age 7.
On-site registration opens at 1:30 p.m., sessions at 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.; 12 participants per session.
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 3–6 years, 6–11 years, 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25 years and up
• Conditions: Free admission
Hours: Saturday, October 10 — 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Careers in research: what education do you need?
Dreaming of a career in research? Why not help nurture the next generation—come talk with our researchers and engineers about: Discovering the difference between fundamental, applied, and clinical research and the roles connected to them; Understanding how a basic research lab operates and what the scientific method means in practice; Knowing which studies to pursue to become a researcher, doctor, teacher-researcher, engineer, or technician.
Free entry from 1:45 PM, closing at 6:00 PM.
Participation conditions:
• Target audiences: 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25 years and above
• Conditions: Free admission
Hours : Saturday, October 10 - 1:45 PM to 6:00 PM
A Taste for Biomedical Research at the Cochin Institute
The Institut Cochin opens its doors with around fifteen varied activities on the schedule.
Activities for all ages and tastes will be offered across our biomedical research fields: metabolic, infectious, genetic diseases, reproduction, cancer, immunology, etc. Come with family, solo or with friends, to observe, conduct experiments, put on the lab coat of a researcher, answer quizzes, and solve riddles through escape-game challenges. You will be welcomed by our technicians, engineers, researchers, teachers, and doctors in their laboratories and around information stands.
We look forward to welcoming many of you to satisfy your curiosity and share our world.
Free or registration-based activities (on-site only), starting at 1:30 p.m. Time slots remain available throughout the afternoon to accommodate as many people as possible.
Detailed program: https://institutcochin.fr/lanimation/science-societe/fete-science/fete-science-2026
Free or registration-based activities (on-site only), starting at 1:30 p.m. We will keep slots available all afternoon to accommodate as many people as possible.
Participation requirements:
Target audiences: 6–11 years, 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25+ years
Conditions: Free admission
Hours: Saturday, October 10 — 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Exploring immunotherapy
Come visit a cancer-research laboratory to discover how our immune system can recognize and kill tumor cells. You’ll take part in two observation workshops: the first on the detailed structure of a tumor, and the second, using microscopy, to show how certain immune cells are able to move. To finish, you’ll join a quiz on immunotherapy.
2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 10 people per session
Participation conditions:
• Target audiences: 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25 and over
• Requirements: Free admission
Hours: Saturday, October 10 — 1:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Unravel the mystery of the protein
Proteins are the body’s invisible heroines. They participate in every one of our vital functions and lie at the heart of medical progress. From hemoglobin, which ferries oxygen around the body, to antibodies that defend us against microbes, each protein plays a key role. Ready to unlock their secrets? Dive into a series of captivating puzzles to identify the mystery protein! Find the right answer… and gain access to the proteomics platform’s control room. Your move!
On-site registration starts at 1:30 p.m., sessions at 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m.; 8 people per session.
Participation criteria:
• Target audiences: 6–11, 11–15, 15–18, 18–25, 25 and up
• Entry terms: Free admission
Hours: Saturday, October 10 — 1:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Seed of a Researcher - Treasure Hunt
Come join us in solving science puzzles by visiting different workshops, to discover the world of biomedical research while having fun. Young researchers will help you uncover some of science’s mysteries. They’ll guide you in completing the puzzle card to earn your certificate and your budding scientist photo!
Free entry from 2:00 PM, closing at 6:00 PM.
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: ages 3–6 and 6–11
• Conditions: Free admission
Hours: Saturday, October 10 — 1:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
When our immune sentinel cells are hijacked by microbes!
Join us to explore the role of the immune system's "sentinel" cells that ward off microbes. These cells can be hijacked by viruses, facilitating the onset of bacterial infections. You’ll learn about the tools sentinel cells use to fight viruses. You’ll be able to observe these cells and the microbes with a variety of methods, including fluorescence microscopy and PCR screening. During the visit, you can chat with the lab team.
Hands-on activities available from age 7
Open to the public from 2:00 PM, closing at 6:00 PM.
Participation conditions:
• Target audiences: 6–11 years, 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25 years and up
• Eligibility: Free admission
Schedule: Saturday, October 10 — 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Awakening of Cellular Plasticity
How do cells reinvent themselves, and how can we wake them up to repair bone and tissues without transplantation?
Come and talk with the members of the « Destin, plasticité et reprogrammation cellulaire » team to explore an invisible yet fascinating world.
Participation requirements :
• Target audiences : 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25 years and up
• Conditions : Free admission
Hours: Saturday, October 10 — 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Municipal neighborhood house – downtown Ivry-sur-Seine
Workshop: Eating Well Together
Intergenerational, hands-on science and fun workshop for youths aged 11 to 30 and their families, with a nutritionist on hand. Want to enjoy a convivial family moment and whip up a healthy, affordable starter using seasonal produce?
The session will be followed by a shared meal, a visit to the exhibition “Science on Our Plate,” and a booth run by the City’s science mediator.
Information and registrations at 01 49 60 25 32
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years
• Conditions: Advance booking required
Hours: Wednesday, October 7 — 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Science Rendezvous: Health and Nutrition
Ready-made meals, soda, sugar, additives, colorings... Ultra-processed foods are part of our everyday lives. What impact do they have on our health? What constitutes a healthy diet? How can we make it work in daily life? Come meet health and nutrition experts to learn more about our eating habits and the effects of our diet on our health!
Participation rules:
• Target audiences: 6–11 years, 11–15 years, 15–18 years, 18–25 years, 25 years and up
• Requirements: Booking recommended
Schedule: Friday, 9 October — 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
« Discovering the Living Soil! »
From compost critters to solid planting techniques, don’t miss these workshops—lively, engaging, and scientifically grounded—led by the city’s staff in charge of science outreach and urban agriculture.
Registration required at 01 72 04 63 21.
Participation requirements:
• Target audience: 6–11 years old
• Conditions: Booking required
Schedule: Saturday, October 10 — 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
