Parc de la Villette, Paris

About the Parc de la Villette

La Villette is a 55.5-hectare park in the 19th arrondissement on the north-eastern edge of Paris, the city's third largest. It's one of the biggest cultural hubs in Paris, with museums, concert halls, theatres, a circus, cinemas and gardens. Around 10 million people visit each year.

The Swiss-French architect Bernard Tschumi designed the park, completed by 1987, as an experiment in deconstructivism built on 'points, lines and surfaces': the points are 35 bright red follies, the lines are paths and galleries, the surfaces are lawns. Instead of a conventional garden, he created a space for play, rest and discovery.

What to see

• The Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie — Europe's largest science museum.
• La Géode — a mirrored sphere with an IMAX cinema.
• The Philharmonie de Paris — Jean Nouvel's concert hall.
• The Cité de la Musique — a museum of musical instruments.
• The red follies — Bernard Tschumi's 35 pavilions.
• Themed gardens — play areas and gardens for children.

The science city and La Géode

In the park's north stands the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, Europe's largest science museum, with interactive exhibitions on space, the human body, climate, maths and technology, a planetarium and the separate Cité des Enfants, where children from two upwards can touch and try everything.

Before the museum, by the water, gleams La Géode, a giant mirrored sphere 36 metres across, made of thousands of triangles. Inside is an IMAX cinema with a huge dome screen showing films on nature, space and travel. Reflecting sky and trees, it has become one of the most recognisable shapes of modern Paris.

Music and concerts

La Villette is the main music quarter of Paris. In the south stands Jean Nouvel's Philharmonie de Paris, opened in 2015, a shimmering building with a 2,400-seat hall for symphonies, jazz and world music, and a rooftop view over the park.

Nearby are the Cité de la Musique, with a conservatoire and a museum of historic instruments, the 6,300-seat Zénith for rock and pop, the Trabendo club and the Cabaret Sauvage. Circus companies perform under a permanent big top, and the 19th-century Grande Halle hosts exhibitions and festivals.

Gardens and family fun

Between the buildings stretch lawns, avenues and themed gardens, dunes, a bamboo grove, gardens of mist and water, and playgrounds with slides and mazes. Tschumi's red pavilions dot the park as landmarks: some house cafés and information points, others children's studios.

The Canal de l'Ourcq crosses the park, lovely for a walk or bike ride. Follow it on foot to the Bassin de la Villette and the Canal Saint-Martin, and in summer sightseeing boats come this way. There's also an equestrian centre.

Tips for your visit

With children, allow half a day: the Cité des Enfants or Cité des Sciences in the morning, a picnic on the lawn and the play gardens after lunch. Adults should look into the Philharmonie for a concert or a tour of the building.

The park is big, so use the red pavilions and signs to find your way. In summer check the programme of open-air films and festivals: screenings are free and lawn spots fill early.

La Villette combines well with a walk along the Canal Saint-Martin, one of the best routes through modern Paris.

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How to do it right

• The park is free.
• Book ahead.
• Museums closed Mondays.
• Summer cinema on the grass.

Questions