Parc de la Villette

Overview

Parc de la Villette is unlike any other park in Paris — it is a 55-hectare urban cultural park that challenges the very definition of a 'park'. Designed by architect Bernard Tschumi and opened in 1987 on the site of the former Parisian abattoirs, it is a landmark of postmodern landscape architecture. Rather than lawns and flowerbeds, it offers an archipelago of cultural institutions, themed gardens, open-air cinemas, and striking red follies (small pavilions by Tschumi) scattered across its surface. The Canal de l'Ourcq bisects the park, creating a north and south section connected by its two largest draws: the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie (France's biggest science museum) and the Philharmonie de Paris (a world-class concert hall by Jean Nouvel).

What to See

• 1Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie — France's largest science museum, with extraordinary interactive exhibits
• 2La Géode — a mirror-sphere cinema with a giant hemispherical IMAX screen
• 3Philharmonie de Paris — a stunning Frank Gehry-influenced concert hall by Jean Nouvel, home to the Paris Orchestra
• 4Zénith de Paris — a 6,300-capacity concert venue for rock and pop events
• 5Canal de l'Ourcq — a working canal where you can rent electric boats in summer
• 6Themed gardens — including the Garden of Mists, Garden of Dunes, and Garden of Childhood Fears
• 7Red follies — 26 bright-red architectural pavilions scattered across the park
• 8Open-air cinema — one of Paris's best summer film festivals held here each August

Photos

The mirror-sphere Géode at Parc de la Villette reflecting the Canal de l'Ourcq

Nearby Parks

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

Park · 19e arr.

Place des Vosges

Square · 4e arr.

Jardin du Palais Royal

Garden · 1er arr.