Math lessons are rarely appreciated by schoolchildren... Or their parents. Yet this scientific discipline can be fascinating, full of surprises and even fun! This is what the Maison Poincaré, the mathematics museum in Paris, aims to prove. With its educational trail, fun workshops and exhibitions, this unusual museum aims to reconcile the curious with mathematics, and help us discover the unsuspected secrets behind numbers and geometric figures.
No surprise, then, that the Maison Poincaré will take part in the 2026 edition of the Fête de la Science. This family-friendly event highlights all scientific disciplines, innovation, researchers, their discoveries and technologies, through activities, games, tours and exhibitions designed for young audiences.
The upcoming Fête de la Science runs from October 2 to 12, 2026. The Maison Poincaré, for its part, opens its doors for free on October 10 for a one-of-a-kind day at the museum. Here is the program for this fall’s must-attend event in Paris.
Personal Equations: A Mathematician's Journey
On the occasion of the Science Festival, the Maison Poincaré hosts a conversation with mathematician Sylvia Serfaty, a professor at Sorbonne Université and at the Courant Institute of New York University.
The Maison Poincaré offers a fresh take on the year’s theme, “Savory Science,” presenting a unique interpretation through a mathematics showcase rooted in the professor’s personal journey and experiences, delivering a very intimate portrait of the life of a researcher.
Sylvia Serfaty looks back on her relationship with mathematics from its beginnings, tracing a path marked by passion and rigor, enriched by meaningful human encounters as well as effort, questioning, hesitations, and discoveries. In this event, she will also echo past mathematicians who, too, took up the pen.
Her lively approach shows mathematics not as an abstract, hard-to-access discipline, but as a field with a deeply human dimension. The audience will find it easier to relate to people than to theories, and to understand that research is built step by step, helping to demystify mathematics and make it more accessible.
In her first book for a general audience, Personal Equations, published by Flammarion, she focuses on the motivations of the researcher, offering the public more concrete entry points into the discipline.
Participation requirements:
• Target audiences: 15–18, 18–25, 25 and over
• Conditions: Booking required
Schedule: Friday, October 9 – 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Flash mediation
Amphithéâtre Perrin | The Orange-Packing Problem | 14H30
Plunging into the orange-packing problem: how to arrange spheres to take up as little space as possible? Put simply, this question has occupied mathematicians for centuries before it was solved, revealing the depth and richness of geometric inquiry.
Espace Laurent Schwartz | The Beauty of Mathematics | 15H30
Discovering the beauty of mathematics through tangible models, presented as objects and photographs. These shapes make abstract concepts tangible and help illuminate their underlying structures, offering a perceptive and accessible approach.
Espace MODÉLISER | The Double Pendulum | 16H30
The double pendulum showcases chaotic motion, where tiny initial differences can lead to vastly different evolutions. This setup lets us observe, in concrete terms, the complexity of certain dynamical systems and grasp their inherently unpredictable nature, at the heart of many physical phenomena.
Participation conditions:
• Target audiences: 11-15, 15-18, 18-25, 25 and over
• Requirements: Free admission
Schedule : Saturday, October 10 — 14:30 to 14:50
Saturday, October 10 — 15:30 to 15:50
Saturday, October 10 — 16:30 to 16:50
An offbeat experience for the young and the young at heart to enjoy at Maison Poincaré in October 2026.
Dates and Opening Time
From October 9, 2026 to October 10, 2026
Location
Poincaré House
11 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie
75005 Paris 5
Route planner
Access
RER B station "Luxembourg
Prices
Free
Official website
www.ihp.fr
