Qype User (jellyb…)
Yelp
This is one of the most tactile museums I've ever been to. It's enormous, with several sections devoted to different branches of science: biology, botany, mathmatics, physics, etc. But the content is not etherally abrstract; it's what is applicable to the ordinary person - the car you drive in, the food you eat, the innovative design of your home stereo system, etc. And as much as possible, the exhibits engage your sense of touch and hearing as well as sight. In addition to the numerous exhibits, there is a steady stream of seminars (various topics) held throughout the day in different locations. Anyone can join the audience.
The exhibits are quite accessible to tourists as well as the French, with most descriptions, explanations, and museum signs in English as well as Spanish. I was also impressed by consistent use of Braille signs and even some visual exhibits translated into a bas-relief pannel.
There is also a planetarium with five or so shows. The planetarium itself is quite comfortable and the projection was good, though I found the presentation about the solar system a little disappointing - lacking in interesting content. There is, however, the Geode movie theatre for more modern scientific films. There is also a submarine on the site, the Argonaute, open for touring. This is located in the lovely gardens behind the centre. On the lower floor, you'll find a small but nice aquarium next to one of the restaurants.
The Cité houses a large library stocked with science books, DVD/CDs and magazines/journals of all kinds. There are confortable tables and chairs for study, (and these are used quite regularly by local students and professionals). There's a kid's section to the library (as well as one in the museum proper).
The ticket price for one day is somewhat pricey, but for only four Euros more, you can have access for one full year. It's a good deal (for a local) as you can't do justice to all the exhibits in one day. The library is free, but you need to pay a reasonable annual fee borrow items. The Geode movies are extra, about 10 Euros a ticket.
The only reason I wouldn't give the Cité five stars is that, as big and impressive as it is, it's showing signs of wear and lack of maintenance. In one section I visited, about a third of the interactive displays were not working. In another section, several video screens were blank. There are tons of security guards on site, but maybe not enough curators?...hmmm.