In Paris and the Île-de-France region, exhibitions are no longer just places to stand quietly hoping the kids make it to the final room. More and more museums, galleries, cultural centers and immersive spaces are designing family‑friendly routes: shorter formats, interactive setups, activity booklets, workshops, colorful scenographies, sound experiences or installations at child height. The aim remains the same: to make culture more accessible without oversimplifying it.
This summer, a guide dedicated to the 15 exhibitions to see with kids brings together several kinds of outings. It features scientific exhibitions to understand the body, space, animals, or the environment; artistic itineraries to discover painting, street art, sculpture, or moving images; but also immersive experiences, exhibitions around video games, dinosaurs, building bricks, music, and grand historical adventures.
These outings also offer practical value during the summer. In case of rain, heat waves, or the need for a quiet break between two outdoor activities, an exhibition can become a welcome pause in the day. Some can be explored in under an hour, while others offer workshops or longer programs. Just check the recommended age, hours, any required booking, and accessibility before you go.
The 15 exhibitions that are sure to delight kids this summer in Paris:
Le Paradox Museum Paris unveils five new immersive experiences alongside a Hans & Gretel Café
Paradox Museum offers nearly a hundred immersive experiences—from trompe-l'œil illusions and optical tricks to sensory overhauls—that await visitors in Paris. Get ready to be tricked and to snap surreal photos. Five new interactive installations have just been added to the journey, making it the perfect time to challenge your senses! And as a bonus, a brand-new, ultra-delicious café, Hans & Gretel, is ready to tempt you. [Read more]
Renoir and Love: the retrospective exhibition, a landmark event at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris — final days
When love becomes light, Renoir turns it into art. With the exhibition "Renoir et l'amour" (March 17 - July 19, 2026), the Musée d'Orsay brings together his major masterpieces for a retrospective as modern as it is tender, in collaboration with the National Gallery in London and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. [Read more]
Bricks of Wonder: the family-friendly exhibition built with LEGO bricks, now on in Paris
The artist Dirk Denoyelle presents his works crafted from construction bricks in a playful, family-friendly exhibition to be explored from May 23 to September 6, 2026 at the Espace Champerret in Paris. [Read more]
Cité des sciences: Critical thinking, the exhibition that unsettles our certainties — our photos
The Cité des sciences hosts the exhibition Critical Thinking, a journey designed to help children and adults question their certainties and the way they reason, running from July 7 to August 29, 2026. [Read more]
Genki-nobori banners fill the sky over the Hôtel de la Marine: a colorful, free installation this summer
A colorful, poetic installation transforms the courtyard of the Hôtel de la Marine: Japanese artist Susumu Shingu and child artists present the Genki-nobori, from June 26 to August 24, 2026. [Read more]
We are (still) here : street art takes over the Petit Palais in a free exhibition this summer
After a first edition in 2024, the We are here exhibition is back at the Petit Palais: enjoy a rich urban-art journey right in the heart of the Fine Arts Museum. The exhibition is free to visit from June 20 to September 20, 2026. [Read more]
Noah's World: An immersive experience of the animal world
Sponsored - Experience an extraordinary adventure in the heart of Paris: an immersive journey into the animal kingdom! [Read more]
AURA INVALIDES, the must-see sound and light show in Paris
Looking for a unique nocturnal experience in Paris? Ready to be amazed and embark on a timeless journey to a legendary heritage site? Come and discover AURA INVALIDES, a sound and light show at the iconic Dôme des Invalides as night falls. A magical moment in the heart of the Dome, sure to delight young and old alike. [Read more]
Simulacres: the free exhibition at Magasins Généraux (93) that blurs the lines between reality and illusion.
Reality takes on a slight blur in Pantin, at the Magasins Généraux, from June 25 to September 27, 2026. With the free exhibition “Simulacres,” certainties falter and images sometimes hold the upper hand. Here, seeing isn’t always enough to understand. [Read more]
The Little Prince, an immersive odyssey: a poetic family journey back to the Atelier des Lumières
During the peak summer holidays, from July 3 to September 13, 2026, dive back into Saint-Exupéry's iconic work and embark on a magical, immersive journey alongside the Little Prince at the Atelier des Lumières. [Read more]
Van Gogh, Starry Night: the immersive exhibition lands this summer at the Atelier des Lumières
First shown in 2019, the Atelier des Lumières invites us back into Van Gogh’s world for an immersive exhibition open three days a week from July 3 to September 13. Wander through Van Gogh’s finest paintings, rediscovering the genius that was misunderstood in his own time. [Read more]
Heritage in Resistance: From Timbuktu to Odessa, an Exhibition at the City of Architecture.
Sponsored - In Paris, the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine presents the exhibition Patrimoines en résistance : de Tombouctou à Odessa, running from May 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027, a look at heritage in wartime, where destruction, safeguarding, and rebuilding come into play. [Read more]
Prehistory, between utopia and reality: a free, family-friendly exhibition at the Collège de France
From April 29, 2026, the Collège de France takes visitors back to the Paleolithic era with a free exhibition open to the entire family. Spanning—from early Paleolithic masterpieces to pop culture icons—this unprecedented journey shows how humanity has continually reinvented its roots to better understand its present. [Read more]
Open-air exhibition of Theodoulos Gregoriou's sculptures in the Faubourg Saint-Honoré district
Faubourg Saint-Honoré is rewritten as an open-air gallery with a free, outdoor exhibition in Paris, where time is carved in layered strata. From April 28 to July 27, 2026, the sculptures by Cypriot artist Theodoulos Gregoriou for "Cyprus on Faubourg Saint-Honoré" invite memory and contemporary creation to converse in the heart of the 1st arrondissement, between reinvented ruins and today’s sculptural language. [Read more]
Annette Messager at the Museum of Hunting and Nature: An Exhibition Exploring the Relationship Between Animals and Humans
The Museum of Hunting and Nature in Paris is presenting a groundbreaking exhibition by artist Annette Messager, focused on animal imagery and its artistic reimagining. Running from April 14 to September 20, 2026, the show is titled "A Swallow Doesn't Make Spring." It features a mix of installations, hybrid artworks, and iconic pieces that engage in a compelling dialogue with the museum's existing collections. [Read more]
Admire them all: Pokémon take center stage in a playful and nostalgic exhibition at the Musée en Herbe
The Musée en Herbe marks Pokémon’s 30th anniversary with an exhibition that is as artistic as it is playful, on view from April 16 to September 6, 2026. [Read more]
What a program! Games, dinosaurs, history, discoveries, travel... Your little ones won't want to see the vacations end with such outings!
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Dates and Opening Time
From July 4, 2026 to August 31, 2026
