The Philharmonie des Enfants

Because children also have the right to their own museum, for your next family outing, visit the Philhamonie des enfants, a space dedicated to children to introduce them to the world of music.

A music museum for children

The Philharmonie des Enfants, a space in the musée de la Musique in Paris, offers a world of games for children aged 4 to 10 covering 1,000 m² of exhibition space to develop their hearing sensitivity. And because some of us learn better by doing, a 30 fun and intuitive installations let visitors try to create sounds or play at being musicians. A surprising discovery to induct future music lovers into the art of listening.

Professional docents escort children throughout the visit to guide them and help them understand the purpose and proper use of the various exhibits. They then encourage the children to interact with them and try things for themselves so they can experiment without fear.

Come as a family for a special time as the little ones take charge of their own explorations of sound with no need to know how to play an instrument.

A fun and appealing discovery

The Philharmonie des Enfants is organised around 5 themed areas, each of which targets a special skill or practice.
The first area is "the sound forest". Through mostly natural materials (wood, water, stones, etc.), children are invited to explore the sounds made by using one kind of matter with another. They discover a new way to listen, akin to warming up the ear before diving into the exhibition. Everyday sounds are also presented to surprise the child and awaken their perception of their daily space.

The second area showcases self-serve machines: giant, curious, mechanical or electronic instruments that initiate children to creating sound.

Then the enter the "On stage" area, where children can pretend to be a conductor or musician during a concert.

The next area is "Voices by the thousands", where children can understand that the sound that comes from their mouths is real instrument by exploring vocal practices from all over the world.

The fifth and final area addresses music as a means of expression and communication thanks to its ability to tell stories through compositions written down as scores.

A tour of the museum begins with sound in its raw state and helps children advance to the creation of songs and musical works.
An adjoining space extends the experience with an immersive audiovisual installation consisting in 3D sound effects and panoramic video projections to "listen" in a new way to films, concerts or sound experiences.

After the Galerie des Enfants at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle and the Cité des enfants at Cité des sciences et de l’industrie, it's the Philharmonie de Paris housed in the Parc de La Villette that is acknowledging children as visitors in their own right by giving them their own space.

Because museums are not just for adults and because children need to be spoken to in terms they understand and from a perspective that makes sense to them. It's a great way to stoke their musical flame!

To continue your visit, come and see the exhibitions to visit with family in Paris Region.