The Discovery Palace will start its reopening on June 11, after five years of renovation

The Palais de la Découverte in Paris will start its reopening on June 11 after five years of renovation, according to its management, an announcement with which the Ministry of Culture, however, distanced itself on Thursday evening. “We have chosen to return within our walls this year, without waiting for the interior design work, that the permanent offer of the palace is finalized”said Thursday during the day at a press conference Bruno Macart, president of Universcience, the public establishment which brings together the Palais de la Découverte and the Cité des Sciences.

Located in the western wing of the Grand Palais, at the foot of the Champs-Elysées, the museum dedicated to science closed in 2020 to renovate and relocate its workshops within an ephemeral structure, the «Etincelles»in the south of Paris. From June 11, the public will be able to discover the restored building through a festival called “First waves”according to his management.

On the program, a temporary exhibition on artificial intelligence, the facilities of the musician Delaurentis and the Circassian Johann Le Guillerm making dialogue art and science, interactive workshops and several events: vigil, scientific dictation, music festival, science festival … In the evening, the Ministry of Culture, however, distanced themselves from these “Reopening methods”. He said in a declaration sent to AFP that he could not “Confirm or take any of the announcements made by the President of Universcience who spoke without the approval of his guardianships”.

Under the rotunda

Installed under the rotunda, the Palais des Enfants will also open its doors on June 11, with the Transparency exhibition, according to its management. This new co-produced space with the Grand Palais-RMN will offer thematic exhibitions exploring both arts and sciences, for 2-10 years. In the fall, the Palais de la Découverte will experience a final phase of work for the installation of its permanent developments before its complete reopening at the end of 2026. The museography of the institution, created in 1937, was redesigned to present a science “In the process of being done”, “Decompartmentalized” et “Embodied” Thanks to the presence of 42 mediators, said MAQUART.

“It is extremely important that the palace helps to explain that science is not a belief”that the “The general public can understand what the scientific approach is”underlined Antoine Petit, CEO of the CNRS, a scientific scientific partner of the museum. The public will find there the iconic planetarium and the famous static electricity experience that makes your hair stand on the head. But also new features, including a digital telescope installed on the roof of the palace, which will make it possible to observe even in broad daylight the deep sky above Paris.